''Eryxias'' (; grc-gre, Ἐρυξίας) is a
Socratic dialogue
Socratic dialogue ( grc, Σωκρατικὸς λόγος) is a genre of literary prose developed in Greece at the turn of the fourth century BC. The earliest ones are preserved in the works of Plato and Xenophon and all involve Socrates as the p ...
attributed to
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 ...
, but which is considered spurious. It is set in the
Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, and features
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 ...
in conversation with
Critias
Critias (; grc-gre, Κριτίας, ''Kritias''; c. 460 – 403 BC) was an ancient Athenian political figure and author. Born in Athens, Critias was the son of Callaeschrus and a first cousin of Plato's mother Perictione. He became a leading ...
,
Eryxias, and
Erasistratus
Erasistratus (; grc-gre, Ἐρασίστρατος; c. 304 – c. 250 BC) was a Greek anatomist and royal physician under Seleucus I Nicator of Syria. Along with fellow physician Herophilus, he founded a school of anatomy in Alexandria, where the ...
(nephew of
Phaeax).
[A. E. Taylor, (2001), ''Plato: the man and his work'', page 548. Dover]
The dialogue concerns the topic of
wealth
Wealth is the abundance of Value (economics), valuable financial assets or property, physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for financial transaction, transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the ...
and
virtue
Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standard ...
. The position of Eryxias that it is good to be materially prosperous is defeated when Critias argues that having money is not always a good thing. Socrates then shows that money has only a conventional value.
[John Madison Cooper, D. S. Hutchinson, (1997), ''Plato, Complete works'', page 1718. Hackett Publishing] In an argument addressed to Critias, Socrates concludes that money can never be considered useful, even when it is used to buy something useful.
The final conclusion of the ''Eryxias'' is that the most wealthy are the most wretched because they have so many material wants.
[William Keith Chambers Guthrie, (1986), A history of Greek philosophy, page 397. Cambridge University Press]
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Dialogues of Plato