Difference between revisions of "Critias"
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| − | '''Critias''' (460-403 BC), son of Callaeschrus, was the uncle of [[Plato]], leading member of the [[Thirty Tyrants]], and one of the most violent. He was an associate of Socrates', a fact that did not endear [[Socrates]] to the Athenian public. He was noted in his day for his tragedies, elegies and prose works. From his ''[[Sisyphus]]'' a fragment has been preserved in which he declares faith in the gods to be merely a clever device for holding the masses in check; but as no one would dare to make such a statement before an Athenian audience, the piece was probably intended only for private reading — unless the quote was dialogue for the notoriously impious Sisyphus himself. | + | '''Critias''' ([[460 BC|460]]-[[403 BC]]), son of Callaeschrus, was the uncle of [[Plato]], leading member of the [[Thirty Tyrants]], and one of the most violent. He was an associate of Socrates', a fact that did not endear [[Socrates]] to the Athenian public. He was noted in his day for his tragedies, elegies and prose works. From his ''[[Sisyphus]]'' a fragment has been preserved in which he declares faith in the gods to be merely a clever device for holding the masses in check; but as no one would dare to make such a statement before an Athenian audience, the piece was probably intended only for private reading — unless the quote was dialogue for the notoriously impious Sisyphus himself. |
Critias appears as a character in Plato's dialogues [[Charmides (dialogue)|Charmides]] and [[Protagoras (dialogue)|Protagoras]]. The Critias character in Plato's [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]] and [[Critias (dialogue)|Critias]] is often identified as the son of Callaeschrus - but ''not'' by Plato; and given the old age of the Critias in these two dialogues, he must be the ''grandfather'' of the son of Callaeschrus. | Critias appears as a character in Plato's dialogues [[Charmides (dialogue)|Charmides]] and [[Protagoras (dialogue)|Protagoras]]. The Critias character in Plato's [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]] and [[Critias (dialogue)|Critias]] is often identified as the son of Callaeschrus - but ''not'' by Plato; and given the old age of the Critias in these two dialogues, he must be the ''grandfather'' of the son of Callaeschrus. | ||
[[Category:Ancient Athenians]] | [[Category:Ancient Athenians]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:35, May 19, 2008
Critias (460-403 BC), son of Callaeschrus, was the uncle of Plato, leading member of the Thirty Tyrants, and one of the most violent. He was an associate of Socrates', a fact that did not endear Socrates to the Athenian public. He was noted in his day for his tragedies, elegies and prose works. From his Sisyphus a fragment has been preserved in which he declares faith in the gods to be merely a clever device for holding the masses in check; but as no one would dare to make such a statement before an Athenian audience, the piece was probably intended only for private reading — unless the quote was dialogue for the notoriously impious Sisyphus himself.
Critias appears as a character in Plato's dialogues Charmides and Protagoras. The Critias character in Plato's Timaeus and Critias is often identified as the son of Callaeschrus - but not by Plato; and given the old age of the Critias in these two dialogues, he must be the grandfather of the son of Callaeschrus.