Plato was born around 428 BC in Athens. His actual birth name was Aristocles, but he was nicknamed Platon, or 'Broad' due to his broad build. Coming from a family of politicians, he studied music and poetry at a young age. Eventually he met Socrates who became his teacher. Plato became his disciple and adopted Socrates philosophy. Plato directed his philosophy on virtues and the formation of noble character. From 409 to 404 BC, Plato served in the military. After the Peloponnesian War ended, he joined the Athenian oligarchy of the Thirty Tyrants. However, he did not stay in this group very long due to the violence that was involved. The execution of Socrates in 399 BC had such a great effect on Plato that he completely left Athenian politics. Somewhere near this time, Plato began to write extensively. His writings are divided into three main groups, the first of which is called the Socratic Dialogues, since it is so similar to the writings of Socrates. In 387 BC Plato founded his own academy. As he continued writing, his own philosophical voice becomes apparent, rather than Socrates'. His philosophy was mostly about the natural world and how it works. From 367 to 365 BC Plato tutored Dionysus II, the ruler of Syracuse. Around the time he arrived back at Athens from this, Aristotle began to study at Plato's academy. In 347 BC, Plato died. |  |
