Plato

Euthyphro Plato

It is thought that Plato, the Athenian philosopher, was born in 428 BCE, and died at the age of eighty or eighty-one. These calculations of the lifespan of Plato were produced by Eratosthenes, and are generally accepted by other historians as accurate, although it is still disputed. Plato's innate intellectual capabilities and incredible perspective on the world around him allowed him to become one of the world's greatest philosophers and contributors to western thought and understanding. He was born into an established family who were both wealthy and very politically involved. Certain family members of Plato's are reputed to have been involved in mischief involving the government. One of Plato's uncles, Charmides, was a member of "Thirty Tyrants," who overthrew the Athenian Democracy in 404 BCE, and Charmides uncle, Critias, was the actual leader of Thirty Tyrants. These relations with anarchy don't stretch far into the bloodline of Plato, however. Some of Plato's relatives, including Pyrilampes, were actually close with the leaders of the democratic faction in Athens. Plato's actual given name was Aristocles, after his grandfather. The origin the name Plato appeared to have been derived from being "broad." The name for broad is platos, and the Philosopher's name became a variation of the word. The exact root of where this nickname came about is not entirely known, but historians have deducted that it is possible that the name was given by Plato's wrestling teacher to describe his physique.