Plato Biography and Works.

Born around 428 BCE in Athens, Plato was a Classical Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues and founder of the Academy in Athens.

Plato’s father died while he was very young and his mother remarried to Pyrilampes.

He studied music and poetry at a very young age. Plato developed the foundations of his metaphysics and epistemology by studying the doctrines of Cratylus, and the work of Pythagoras and Parmenides, according to Aristotle.

Later, Plato adopted his philosophy and style of debate as Socrates’ disciple. Plato was in military service from 409 BC to 404 BC. Socrates’ execution in 399 BC had a profound effect on Plato.

Plato began to write extensively after 399 BC. Most scholars agree to divide Plato’s major work into three distinct groups. The first of these is known as the Socratic Dialogues because of how close he stays within the text to Socrates’ teachings.

Other texts relegated to this group include the Crito, Laches, Lysis, Charmides, Euthyphro, and Hippias Minor and Major.

The period from 387 to 361 BC is often called Plato’s ‘middle’ or transitional period. It is thought that he may have written the Meno, Menexenus, Cratylus, Euthydemus, Phaedrus, Republic, Symposium and Phaedo during this time.

Plato’s most influential work, The Republic, is also a part of his middle dialogues.

Plato died in 347 BC, leaving his school of learning Academy to his sister’s son, Speusippus. The Academy remained a model for institutions of higher learning until it was closed in 529 CE.

Trivia

Plato’s birth name was Aristocles, and he gained the nickname, Plato, meaning broad, because of his broad build.