ABSTRACT
Plato (427-347) was descended from a distinguished family. He was brought up in accordance with the ancient traditions of Attic nobility and was by temperament an aristocrat. On his mother’s side he was related to the tyrants Critias and Charmides, but after he had met Socrates and had become disaffected with the aristocratic as well as the democratic regimes that he knew in Athens, he abandoned all ambitions for a career in politics, which, given his family background, might have been expected. In a more profound sense he never relinquished his political commitment, but it is evident from his works that he chose a life of contemplation rather than let himself become corrupted by political intrigues (cf. Plat. Gor. 521 D ff.; RP VI 496 D). Furthermore, there is an inherent truth in an anecdote of a later date which claims that Plato tried to become a poet but burned his tragedies after he had met Socrates (Diog. Laert. III 5). A Socratic adherent could not allow himself to be compromised by the pseudo-knowledge of poets or the corruption of politicians. Plato’s writings are sustained by visions of the true life and true knowledge, but there is also resignation, occasionally even bitterness, and as he grew older an elusive sense of distance becomes apparent. It seems credible that the history of his own life provides some explanation for this.
