Plato

The Athenian philosopher Plato (c. 428-348 BCE): his dialogues, the Academy and his visits to Syracuse.

Category: Figures

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1. c. 428 BCE
   Plato is born

   Plato is born in Athens in about 428-427 BCE, though sources put it anywhere between 428 and 423. A follower of Socrates, he writes philosophical dialogues and founds the Academy.

   Greek city-statesAthensGreek philosophyPlato📍 Athens
2. c. 383 BCE
   Plato founds the Academy

   Around 383 BCE Plato founds the Academy in Athens, sometimes dated about 387, a school that lasts for centuries. The order of his dialogues cannot be fixed exactly. He visits Syracuse three times, in the 380s, 366 and 361.

   Greek city-statesAthensGreek philosophyPlato📍 Athens
3. c. 1462
   Cosimo de' Medici sets Marsilio Ficino to translate Plato

   Cosimo de' Medici gives Marsilio Ficino Greek manuscripts of Plato, and Ficino begins translating the whole corpus into Latin (published 1484). His circle is later called the Platonic Academy, though the name is debated.

   HumanismItalian RenaissanceHouse of MediciPlatoGreek philosophy📍 Florence