Charmides (; ), son of Glaucon (who was the grandfather of

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

, and not to be confused with his brother of the same name), born circa 446 BC, was an

Athenian Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

statesman. Debra Nails
''The People of Plato''
(Indianapolis: Hackett, 2002), 90–94. Charmides appears in the Platonic dialogue bearing his name ( ''Charmides''), the ''Protagoras'', and the ''Symposium'', as well as in

Xenophon Xenophon of Athens (; ; 355/354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian. At the age of 30, he was elected as one of the leaders of the retreating Ancient Greek mercenaries, Greek mercenaries, the Ten Thousand, who had been ...

's ''Symposium'', ''Memorabilia'', and ''Hellenica''. In the Charmides dialogue, he is asked the definition of the term "temperance", and when he cannot sufficiently provide one, this sets up the main plot of the dialogue, the search for the meaning of the term. A wealthy orphan raised by his first cousin,

Critias Critias (; , ''Kritias''; – 403 BC) was an ancient Athenian poet, philosopher and political leader. He is known today for being a student of Socrates, a writer of some regard, and for becoming the leader of the Thirty Tyrants, who ruled Athens ...

, his property was confiscated for his role in profaning the

Eleusinian Mysteries The Eleusinian Mysteries () were initiations held every year for the Cult (religious practice), cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece. They are considered the "most famous of the secret rel ...

in 415 BC. He is commonly listed as one of the

Thirty Tyrants The Thirty Tyrants (, ''hoi triákonta týrannoi'') were an oligarchy that briefly ruled Classical Athens, Athens from 404 BC, 404 BCE to 403 BC, 403 BCE. Installed into power by the Sparta, Spartans after the Athenian surrender in the Peloponnesian ...

who ruled Athens following its defeat in the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

, but evidence points only to his having been one of the ten men appointed by the Thirty to govern the

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...

. He was killed in the Battle of Munichia in 403 BC when the democrats returned to Athens. This Charmides was probably not the same man as the father of the great Athenian sculptor

Phidias Phidias or Pheidias (; , ''Pheidias''; ) was an Ancient Greek sculptor, painter, and architect, active in the 5th century BC. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the statues of ...

, also named Charmides.Nails, ''People of Plato'', 237.

References

{{Ancient Athenian statesmen Thirty Tyrants 5th-century BC Athenians 403 BC deaths Year of birth unknown Ancient Greeks killed in battle Family of Plato