Sophroniskos

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Sophroniskos of Alopeke ( ancient Greek Σωφρονίσκος ; * around 500 BC; † before 424 BC) was the father of the famous Athenian philosopher Socrates .

According to ancient sources, he worked as a skilled stonemason or sculptor, presumably taking over handicrafts and art from his father. In terms of his artistic style, he probably belonged to the old Attic school, which predates the Pheidias era . A small statue base from Athens is known, on which the name "Sophroniskos" and half of a designation of origin (Demotikon) can be read, which could refer to the place Alopeke.

Sophroniskos owned a small property in the municipality located southeast of Athens at that time, where he lived with his wife Phainarete and where his son Socrates grew up, whom he probably also trained in the art of stone processing. Some sculptural works by Socrates are mentioned in the ancient sources. Sophroniskos was a close friend of Lysimachus, the politically insignificant son of the great Athenian statesman Aristeides , whose family also lived in Alopeke.

Sophroniskos died relatively early, long before 424 BC. He did not get to know his grandchildren, the three sons of Socrates, who married late. After his death, Socrates, who now turned to philosophy and teaching, inherited the property in Alopeke. According to Greek custom, he named one of his three sons, born later, after his late father. Lysimachos, who long outlived his friend Sophroniskos, spoke about the deceased with full appreciation for years. Socrates, the son of Sophroniskos, accepted Lysimachus as a teacher and tutor for his own son Aristeides , as Plato reports in his dialogue with Laches .

Phainarete, the mother of Socrates, worked - possibly out of financial necessity - as a midwife. After the death of Sophroniskos she married Chairedemos from Alopeke. The resulting son Patrokles was a younger half-brother of Socrates.

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literature

  • Klaus Döring : Sophroniskos. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 11, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01481-9 , column 738.
  • Heinrich Brunn: History of the Greek artists. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1857.
  • Debra Nails: The People of Plato. Indianapolis / Cambridge 2002, p. 270.

Remarks

  1. ^ Diogenes Laertios , Life and Opinions of the Philosophers 2.18 ; Lukian , Lukian's dream 12 .
  2. ↑ IG I3 805; 18 cm × 11 cm × 13 cm, with a dowel hole. Cf. Thomas Pekarý : Imago res mortua est. Stuttgart 2002, p. 76.
  3. ^ Heinrich Brunn: History of the Greek artists. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1857, p. 271 f.
personal data
SURNAME Sophroniskos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Father of the Athenian philosopher Socrates
DATE OF BIRTH around 500 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH before 424 BC Chr.