Aristodemus of Cydathenaeum (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Ἀριστόδημος Κυδαθηναιεύς ''Aristódēmos Kudathēnaieύs''; fl. c. 5th century BCE) was an ancient Athenian follower of the philosopher

Socrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...

. He is best remembered as a character and narrative source in

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's ''

Symposium In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...

'', and is also preserved in

Xenophon Xenophon of Athens (; grc, wikt:Ξενοφῶν, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Anci ...

's ''

Memorabilia A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

'' and a fragment from

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...

Life

Aristodemus is described as a barefooted runt of low birth in Plato's ''Symposium'',Plato, ''Symposium'', 173b while Xenophon refers to him as Aristodemus the dwarf ("Ἀριστόδημον τὸν μικρόν ''Aristódēmon tón mikrón''"). He was a citizen of the same deme as that of the

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

Aristophanes, with whom he appears in the ''Symposium''. Although little is known of his life, his depiction as a member of an earlier generation of Socratic followers places his birth in the early-mid 5th century BCE,

Debra Nails Debra Nails (born November 15, 1950) is an American philosophy professor who taught at Michigan State University. Nails earned her M.A. in philosophy and classical Greek from Louisiana State University before going on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy ...

, ''The People of Plato'', Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2002, pp. 52–53 a theory supported by his apparent inclusion in Aristophanes' comedy ''Banqueters'' of 427. Scholars assume that his death preceded the end of the 5th century, since he was not present during Socrates' final days in 399 despite being a devoted student.Xenophon, ''Memorabilia'', 1.4.2–19

Thought and depiction in literature

His own philosophy is obscure. It is best preserved through his depiction in Xenophon as an admirer of artists who neither prays nor sacrifices due to what he perceives as the gods' lack of need, leading some commentators to accredit Aristodemus with a potential brand of Socratic proto-

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

. R.D.C. Robbins states that Aristodemus both despised the gods and ridiculed those who worshiped them. Aristodemus' representation in Plato's ''Symposium'' has given rise to debate, as scholars have interpreted his character as hubristic, or instead humble and pathetic. Although the drinking party depicted in the ''Symposium'' involved each guest discoursing on the nature of

Eros In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the earli ...

, Aristodemus' own speech was either passed over unreported or never given, perhaps due to his perceived insignificance.Plato, ''Symposium'', 180c Generally believed to be the follower of Socrates,Thomas L. Cooksey, ''Plato's'' Symposium'': A Reader's Guide''. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010, p. 34 the Aristodemus mentioned in the ''Banqueters'' is mocked for his sexual promiscuity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aristodemus 5th-century BC Athenians Pupils of Socrates

Life

Thought and depiction in literature

See also

References