Alcibiades by Plato / Αλκιβιάδης του Πλάτωνος

24grammata.com/ free ebooks/ english

Introduction to Alcibiades
Alcibiades was about twenty years younger than Socrates. His father died in battle when Alcibiades was about 4, and he was brought up by Pericles, the eminent political leader of Athens. The ALCIBIADES dialog is set in 432 BC when Alcibiades was 18, the same year that Socrates saved his life during the battle at Potidaea. Later in 424 at Delium Alcibiades stayed to protect Socrates during the retreat.
In spite of Socrates’ attempts to guide him, the ambitious Alcibiades had a tumultuous career in politics, diplomacy, and war. His courage in battle and his speeches in the assembly enabled him to become a general when he was thirty. An alliance he recommended was defeated by Sparta at Mantineia in 418, but he managed to escape being ostracized by political maneuvering.

24grammata.com/ free ebooks
[download]

His victories in the chariot races at the Olympics in 416 restored him to prominence, and he instigated a military expedition against Sicily. Just before sailing the statues of Hermes were vandalized. Alcibiades was blamed and also condemned to death for profaning the Eleusinian mysteries. However, when he was recalled from Sicily he escaped and joined the Spartans (Lacedaimonians), seduced the wife of Spartan king Agis II, stirred up revolt among Ionian allies of Athens, and tried to get financial support for Athens from Persia.
In 411 the Athenian fleet loyal to the democracy put him in command, and he won big victories against Sparta; in 407 he returned to Athens and was given supreme authority over the war. His influence declined though, and when the war went badly he took refuge in Phrygia with the Persian governor, who murdered him in 404 for the Spartans.
What follows is the Alcibiades I dialog. There is also an Alicibiades II dialog which may or may not be by Plato.(www.san.beck.org)

24grammata.com/ free ebooks
[download]