List of speakers in Plato's dialogues

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The following is a list of the speakers found in the dialogues traditionally ascribed to Plato, including extensively quoted, indirect and conjured speakers. Dialogues, as well as Platonic Epistles and Epigrams, in which these individuals appear dramatically but do not speak are listed separately.

Name Speaker Mentioned Notes
Adeimantus of Collytus, son of Ariston Parmenides, Republic Apology
Agathon of Athens, son of Tisamenus Symposium Protagoras; Epigram 6
Alcibiades of Scambonidae, son of Clinias Alcibiades, II Alcibiades, Protagoras, Symposium Euthydemus, Gorgias
Antiphon of Athens, son of Pyrilampes Parmenides
Anytus of Euonymon, son of Anthemion Meno Apology
Apollodorus of Phalerum Symposium Apology, Phaedo
Aristides of Alopece, son of Lysimachus Laches, Theages Theaetetus
Aristodemus of Cydathenaeum Symposium
Aristophanes of Cydathenaeum, son of Philippus Symposium Apology; Epigram 18
Aristotle of Thorae, son of Timocrates Parmenides
Aspasia of Miletus, daughter of Axiochus Menexenus
Axiochus of Scambonidae, son of Alcibiades Axiochus Euthydemus
Callias of Alopece, son of Hipponicus Apology, Protagoras Axiochus, Cratylus, Eryxias, Philebus, Protagoras, Theaetetus
Callicles of Acharnae Gorgias
Cebes of Thebes Phaedo Crito; Epistle XIII
Cephalus of Clazomenae Parmenides
Cephalus of Syracuse, son of Lysanias Republic Phaedrus
Chaerephon of Sphettus Charmides, Gorgias, Halcyon Apology
Charmides of Athens, son of Glaucon Charmides, Theages Axiochus, Protagoras, Symposium
Clinias of Cnossos Epinomis, Laws
Clinias of Scambonidae, son of Axiochus Axiochus, Euthydemus [1]
Clitophon of Athens, son of Aristonymus Clitophon, Republic
Cratylus of Athens, son of Smicrion Cratylus
Critias of Athens, son of Callaeschrus Charmides, Protagoras Eryxias [2]
Critias of Athens, son of Leaides Critias, Timaeus [2]
Crito of Alopece Crito, Euthydemus, Phaedo Apology
Ctesippus of Paeania Euthydemus, Lysis Phaedo
Demodocus of Anagyrus Theages Apology, Demodocus
Dionysodorus of Chios and Thurii Euthydemus
Diotima of Mantinea Symposium
Echecrates of Phlius Phaedo
Erasistratus of Athens Eryxias
Eryxias of Steiria Eryxias
Eryximachus of Athens, son of Acumenus Symposium Phaedrus, Protagoras
Euclides of Megara Theaetetus Phaedo
Eudicus of Athens, son of Apemantus (Lesser) Hippias (Greater) Hippias
Euthydemus of Chios and Thurii Euthydemus Cratylus
Euthyphro of Prospalta Euthyphro Cratylus
Glaucon of Collytus, son of Ariston Parmenides, Republic, Symposium[3]
Gorgias of Leontini, son of Charmantides Gorgias Apology, (Greater) Hippias, Meno, Phaedrus, Philebus, Symposium, Theages
Hermocrates of Syracuse, son of Hermon Critias, Timaeus
Hermogenes of Alopece, son of Hipponicus Cratylus Phaedo
Hippias of Elis, son of Diopeithes (Greater) Hippias, (Lesser) Hippias, Protagoras Apology, Phaedrus, Protagoras
Hippocrates of Athens, son of Apollodorus Protagoras
Hippothales of Athens, son of Hieronymus Lysis
Ion of Ephesus Ion
Laches of Aexone, son of Melanopus Laches Symposium
Lysias of Thurii and Athens, son of Cephalus Phaedrus Clitophon, Phaedrus, Republic
Lysimachus of Alopece, son of Aristides Laches Meno, On Virtue, Theaetetus, Theages
Lysis of Aexone, son of Democrates Lysis
Megillus of Sparta Laws Epinomis
Melesias of Alopece, son of Thucydides Laches Meno, On Virtue, Theages
Meletus of Pithus, son of Meletus Apology Euthyphro, Theaetetus
Menexenus of Athens, son of Demophon Lysis, Menexenus Phaedo
Meno of Pharsalus, son of Alexidemus Meno [4]
Nicias of Cydantidae, son of Niceratus Laches Gorgias, Republic, Theages
Parmenides of Elea, son of Pyres Parmenides Sophist, Symposium, Theaetetus
Pausanias of Cerameis Symposium Protagoras
Phaedo of Elis Phaedo
Phaedrus of Myrrhinus, son of Pythocles Phaedrus, Symposium Protagoras; Epigram 4
Philebus Philebus
Polemarchus of Thurii, son of Cephalus Republic Phaedrus
Polus of Acragas Gorgias Phaedrus, Theages
Prodicus of Ceos Eryxias, Protagoras Apology, Axiochus, Charmides, Cratylus, Eryxias, Euthydemus, (Greater) Hippias, Laches, Phaedrus, Protagoras, Republic, Symposium, Theaetetus, Theages
Protagoras of Abdera Protagoras, Theaetetus Cratylus, Euthydemus, (Greater) Hippias, Laws, Phaedrus, Republic, Sophist, Theaetetus
Protarchus of Athens, son of Callias Philebus
Pythodorus of Athens, son of Isolochus Parmenides Alcibiades
Simmias of Thebes Phaedo Crito, Phaedrus; Epistle XIII
Sisyphus of Pharsalus Sisyphus [5]
Socrates of Alopece, son of Sophroniscus Alcibiades, II Alcibiades, Apology, Axiochus, Charmides, Clitophon, Cratylus, Critias, Crito, Demodocus,[6] Eryxias, Euthydemus, Euthyphro, Gorgias, Halcyon, Hipparchus, (Greater) Hippias, (Lesser) Hippias, Ion, Laches, Lysis, Menexenus, Meno, Minos, On Justice, On Virtue, Parmenides, Phaedo, Phaedrus, Philebus, Protagoras, Republic, Rival Lovers, Sisyphus, Sophist, Statesman, Symposium, Theaetetus, Theages, Timaeus Epistles II, VII, XIII
Socrates of Athens Statesman Sophist, Theaetetus; Epistle XI[7]
Terpsion of Megara Theaetetus Phaedo
Theaetetus of Sunium, son of Euphronius Sophist, Theaetetus Statesman
Theages of Anagyrus, son of Demodocus Theages Apology, Republic
Theodorus of Cyrene Sophist, Statesman, Theaetetus
Thrasymachus of Chalcedon Republic Clitophon, Phaedrus
Thucydides of Alopece, son of Melesias Laches Theages
Timaeus of Locri Epizephyrii Critias, Timaeus
Timarchus Theages
Xanthippe, wife of Socrates of Alopece Phaedo Halcyon; Epigram 8[8]
Zeno of Elea Parmenides Alcibiades, Sophist
Unnamed speakers
Name Speaker Mentioned Notes
Callias' slave Protagoras
Euclides' slave Theaetetus
Meno's slave of Pharsalus Meno
Polemarchus' slave Republic
Public slave Phaedo
Stranger from Athens Epinomis, Laws
Stranger from Elea Sophist, Statesman
Unnamed friends Eryxias, Hipparchus, Minos, On Justice,[1] On Virtue,[4] Protagoras, Rival Lovers, Symposium

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b A small minority of manuscript traditions name Clinias as the anonymous speaker in On Justice: D. S. Hutchinson in Cooper, p. 1689.
  2. ^ a b Scholars are divided as to whether the Critias depicted in the Timaeus and Critias dialogues is the future member of the Thirty Tyrants who appears elsewhere in Plato's writing (Critias IV), or rather his grandfather (Critias III): Nails, 106–7.
  3. ^ Not all scholars are convinced that the Glaucon mentioned in Symposium is Plato's brother.
  4. ^ a b A small minority of manuscript traditions name either Meno or the otherwise unknown Hippotrophus as the anonymous speaker in On Virtue: D. S. Hutchinson in Cooper, p. 1694.
  5. ^ Sisyphus of Pharsalus lived in the time of Plato, and thus is to be distinguished from the Sisyphus of Corinth in mythology: Cooper, p. 1707.
  6. ^ Socrates' identity in the Demodocus is not stated explicitly but can be inferred by the content of the narrative: D. S. Hutchinson in Cooper, p. 1699.
  7. ^ The identity of the Socrates named in Epistle XI is unknown, but is considered by some scholars to be that of the young Socrates of the Statesman trilogy: Cooper, p. 1672.
  8. ^ Scholars are unsure as to whether Epigram 8 is intended to reference Socrates' wife Xanthippe or another individual by the same name: Cooper, p. 1742.

Bibliography[]

  • Debra Nails. The People of Plato: A Prosopography of Plato and Other Socratics. Hackett Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-87220-564-9.
  • Plato. Complete Works. Ed: John M. Cooper. Hackett Publishing, 1997.
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