Pyrilampes
Encyclopedia
Pyrilampes was an ancient Athenian politician and stepfather of the philosopher Plato
. His dates of birth and death are unknown; according to estimations of Debra Nails he must have been born after 480 BC, and he must have died before 413 BC.
Pyrilampes had served many times as an ambassador to the Persian court
and was a friend of Pericles
, the leader of the democratic faction in Athens. He was injured at the Battle of Delium
in 424 BC, when he was in his mid-fifties. Pyrilampes raised and showed peacocks, gifts he had received on his Asia
n embassies. Plutarch states accusations against Pyrilampes, according to which he used the peacocks to procure freeborn women for Pericles.
Pyrilampes appears to have married his first wife in the late 440s; he had a son from this marriage, Demus, who was famous for his beauty. C. 423 BC Pyrilampes had been widowed, and he was free to marry his niece, Perictione
, Plato's mother. Perictione gave birth to Pyrilampes' second son, Antiphon, the half-brother of Plato, who appears in Parmenides
, where he is said to have given up philosophy, in order to devote most of his time to horses.
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
. His dates of birth and death are unknown; according to estimations of Debra Nails he must have been born after 480 BC, and he must have died before 413 BC.
Pyrilampes had served many times as an ambassador to the Persian court
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
and was a friend of Pericles
Pericles
Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars...
, the leader of the democratic faction in Athens. He was injured at the Battle of Delium
Battle of Delium
The Battle of Delium or of Delion took place in 424 BC between the Athenians and the Boeotians, and ended with the siege of Delium in the following weeks.-Prelude:...
in 424 BC, when he was in his mid-fifties. Pyrilampes raised and showed peacocks, gifts he had received on his Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n embassies. Plutarch states accusations against Pyrilampes, according to which he used the peacocks to procure freeborn women for Pericles.
Pyrilampes appears to have married his first wife in the late 440s; he had a son from this marriage, Demus, who was famous for his beauty. C. 423 BC Pyrilampes had been widowed, and he was free to marry his niece, Perictione
Perictione
Perictione or Periktione was the mother of the Greek philosopher Plato.She was a descendant of Solon, the Athenian lawgiver. She was married to Ariston, and had three sons — Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Plato — and a daughter, Potone. After Ariston's death, she remarried Pyrilampes, an Athenian...
, Plato's mother. Perictione gave birth to Pyrilampes' second son, Antiphon, the half-brother of Plato, who appears in Parmenides
Parmenides (Plato)
Parmenides is one of the dialogues of Plato. It is widely considered to be one of the more, if not the most, challenging and enigmatic of Plato's dialogues....
, where he is said to have given up philosophy, in order to devote most of his time to horses.