What curious stories about the great philosopher Socrates are told by famous works of art

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Around 470 BC in Athens, the son of a sculptor and midwife, Socrates, was born, about whom the English philosopher John Stuart Mill said that "the world cannot remember his existence too often." The man mentioned in these words was executed on charges of atheism and corruption of youth. There are many portraits of the Athenian philosopher Socrates. But do they accurately reflect what he really looked like?

Who was he?

A modern man traveling in Greece probably sees there the mountains and seas that Socrates saw. The Great Acropolis and the temples in which he read his prayers. Pnyx or Meeting Place that is directly related to his profession.

Socrates was a Greek philosopher whose work is considered so significant that all the philosophers who lived before him are now united into one group - the pre-Socratics.

He was born in Athens around 470 BC. and was sentenced to death in 399 BC. under the pretext of corrupting the Athenian youth.

Socrates himself never wrote anything. Everything that is known about him is based on the works of two authors who belonged to his closest circle - Plato and Xenophon. It is also known that Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, an Athenian stonecutter and sculptor, and Fanareta, a midwife. Since Socrates came from a simple family, he received a basic Greek education and also studied the craft of his father. It is believed that Socrates worked as a bricklayer for many years before devoting his life to philosophy. Later Socrates married Xanthippe, a young woman who bore him three sons - Lamproclus, Sophroniscus and Menexenus.

What Socrates looked like

Plato's Feast contains the best descriptions of Socrates' appearance. Based on the book, Socrates was not the ideal of Athenian masculinity. Low and stocky, with a snub nose and bulging eyes. However, Plato wrote that, in the eyes of his students, Socrates had a significant attractiveness based not on a physical ideal, but on his brilliant thoughts.

Even the ancient Athenians created portraits of this famous city dweller. Here, for example, is a sculptural portrait of Socrates from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Until the Hellenistic period (i.e. after the death of Alexander in 323 BC), ancient Greek sculptors did not seek to create realistic portraits. They aimed to create more idealized images. Greek sculptural portraits are likely not to convey the authenticity of the hero (the main reason is that the Greeks were not equal in skill to the Romans, who succeeded in creating realistic busts).

So these images of Socrates are more reminiscent of the satire of Silenus than of a mortal man. Silenus, according to Greek mythology, was the ancestor of satyrs and was depicted with a human body, ears and a horse's tail. But unlike typical satyrs, he was also portrayed as old, with a beard, bald head and snub nose. Indeed, Socrates is very similar to a satire. Thus, this portrait tells us little about Socrates himself. By the way, frescoes dedicated to Socrates have also survived.

Painting

Death of Socrates is one of the most famous works of art from the neoclassical period. In the 1780s, French artist Jacques-Louis David began to create works that showed an interest in classical themes and aesthetic rigor. He completed The Death of Socrates in the midst of this phase in 1787 and presented it at the Paris Salon the same year.

The academy had a traditional approach to art, favoring realistic paintings with historical and allegorical scenes, which made David's work an instant success. Comparing it to the ceiling of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Raphael's frescoes, critics praised the painting. The canvas is based on a classic plot, harmonious composition and careful drawing. These three qualities characterize neoclassicism.

The depicted plot of death conveys a real story from the life of a Greek philosopher who helped the pioneers of Western philosophy. In 399 BC. Socrates was indeed accused of corrupting the Athenian youth and of heresy. The philosopher decided to defend himself in court. Rather than presenting himself as wrongly accused, Socrates stated that he was fulfilling the most important tasks of the community, constantly questioning and challenging the status quo.

A similar plot is masterfully conveyed on the canvas of Jean-François-Pierre Peyron.

Socrates' defense speech did not inspire confidence in the jury. They found him guilty by 280 votes to 221. Perhaps the confidence-inspiring defense speech contributed to such a verdict. Socrates made the situation even more aggravated by his numerous disputes over his punishment.

In those days, Athenian law allowed a convicted citizen to propose an alternative punishment to that required by the prosecution. Rather than offering pardon or exile, Socrates suggested that the city be named after him for his contribution to enlightenment. But the court rejected Socrates' initiative and sentenced him to death. As a punishment, Socrates had to drink poison.

Drawing on Plato's Phaedo dialogue, David captured the moment when Socrates was given poison to drink. Reaching out fearlessly for the cup, Socrates continues to preach to his young followers in a demonstration of dedication to philosophy. According to Plato, Socrates, thanking the Greek god of health for a peaceful death, "raised the cup to his lips and very calmly drained it." Today, Death of Socrates adorns the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Thus, having considered the biography of the philosopher and his most popular images, we can say that Socrates is an elusive figure. Much is known about the philosophy of Socrates and his life only from the writings of the people who surrounded him. In the same way, only approximate images of Socrates are known, which may not be true, but may reflect the widespread opinion about him. One thing is certain - this satire-like figure has left an indelible mark on world history.