A Timeline of the Life of Socrates

This is a tentative chronology. All dates are before the common era (BCE).

468

Socrates is born in Alopeke, one of the demes of Attica just outside the walls of Athens proper.

~455

Socrates (age ~13) is apprenticed to his father Sophroniskos, a stonemason.

~453

Socrates (age ~15) reads the book of Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, Ionian philosopher and advisor to Pericles, the leader of Athens.

452

Socrates (age 16) travels to the island of Samos with his mentor/lover Archelaus in order to study with the Ionian philosopher Melissus.

451

Alcibiades son of Kleinias is born.

450

Socrates (age 18) meets the Eleatic philosopher Parmenides. Around this time, Aspasia of Miletus arrives in Athens with her sister and her brother-in-law Axiochus, perhaps a cousin of Kleinias. Dialogue: Parmenides.

447

It's quite possible that Socrates (age 21) fights as a foot solider for Athens at the Battle of Coronea. Kleinias, the Athenian general, is killed in the battle and Alcibiades becomes a ward of his distant relative Pericles.

~445

Aspasia becomes the consort of Pericles, after which they have a son Pericles the Younger.

440

According to Plato's dialogue Symposium, Socrates (age 28) learns about love from Diotima (probably a codename for Aspasia).

439

Socrates (age 29) perhaps marries his first wife, Myrto.

~435

Sometime after 440 but before 434, Chaerophon (likely accompanied by Socrates) travels to Delphi to ask the Oracle whether anyone is wiser than Socrates. The answer is "no."

~434

Socrates (age ~34) meets Protagoras of Abdera, an early sophist. Dialogue: Protagoras.

432

Socrates (age 36) and Alcibiades (age 20) are among those Athenian men sent to the siege of Potidaia in northern Greece. Dialogue: First Alcibiades.

431

The Peloponnesian War begins, lasting until 404.

430

Sparta attacks Attica, forcing residents inside the city walls of Athens; the Great Plague ensues, killing Pericles and perhaps Myrto among many others.

429

Socrates (age 39) saves the life of Alcibiades in battle at Potidaia and they both return to Athens. Dialogues: Charmides, Republic, Timaeus, Critias, Minos.

424

Socrates (age 44) again distinguishes himself as a hoplite, this time at the Battle of Delium. Dialogue: Laches.

423

First performance of the play Clouds by Aristophanes, which lampoons Socrates (age 45).

422

Socrates (age 46) is called up for the last time to serve as a hoplite, this time at Amphipolis in Thrace.

421

Socrates (age 47) likely marries Xanthippe. The Peace of Nikias is negotiated between Athens and Sparta. Dialogue: Lysis.

420

The "Quadruple Alliance" is negotiated among Athens, Argos, Elis, and Mantineia, with Hippias of Elis likely helping to represent his native city. Dialogues: Hippias Major and Hippias Minor.

417

Lamprokles (the eldest son of Socrates) is born; in Plato's dialogues Apology and Phaedo he is represented as having "just reached the 19th year" in 399 BCE.

416

Athens destroys the island city of Melos. Dialogue: Symposium.

415

Alcibiades is among those who convince the Athenians to launch an attack on Syracuse and he is elected one of the generals for this Sicilian Expedition. Alcibiades, after being tried and convicted in absentia for participating in the desecration of the herms and for profaning the Eleusinian mysteries, deserts the Athenians and goes over to the Spartan side in the war. Dialogue: Hipparchus.

414

Dialogue: Ion.

412

Athenian colonists, having been expelled from the panhellenic colony of Thurii in southern Italy, return to Athens. Dialogues: Euthydemus, Erastai, Clitophon.

411

An oligarchic coup at Athens overthrows the democracy.

409

Dialogue: Theages.

407

Alcibiades returns to Athens. Dialogue: Second Alcibiades.

406

Alcibiades leaves Athens as general of an expedition to Ionia but, after a minor defeat, retires from Athenian affairs. Socrates (age 63) is selected by lot to serve on the ruling Council of Athens; on the day that he happens to preside over the assembly, he argues against the illegal execution of six generals (including Pericles the Younger) but is overruled.

405

Dialogue: Gorgias.

404

At the instigation of Sparta, Alcibiades is murdered by the Persians in Phrygia. Sparta defeats Athens to end the Peloponnesian War. Socrates (age 65) refuses to arrest an innocent man, Leon of Salamis, after being directed to by the dictatorship of The Thirty. Dialogue: Phaedrus.

403

Democracy restored at Athens.

402

Dialogue: Meno.

401

Dialogue: Menexenus.

399

Socrates (age 68-69) is indicted, tried, and executed for introducing new gods and corrupting the youth of Athens. Dialogues: Theaetetus, Euthyphro, Cratylus, Sophist, Statesman, Apology, Philebus, Crito, Phaedo.

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