Plato
Here are the factual answers regarding Plato, the foundational ancient Greek philosopher.
Seeing Plato on a list of "crucified saviors" (often traced back to 19th-century authors like Kersey Graves) is a massive historical leap. Plato was not a dying-and-rising god, nor a religious savior. He was a real, mortal philosopher. However, he does have a famous legend attached to his birth in classical antiquity, which is likely why 19th-century mythicists tried to force him into the "savior" framework.
Timeline & Locations
- Active Period: He lived in classical antiquity. He was born around 428/427 BCE and died around 348/347 BCE.
- Calendar Date of Birth: According to later ancient biographers like Diogenes Laërtius, his birth was celebrated on the 7th day of the month Thargelion (traditionally the same day the god Apollo was supposedly born).
- Locations: He was born, lived, and taught primarily in Athens, Greece. He also traveled to Egypt, Italy, and Sicily.
Appearance & Names
Ancient sources describe him as having a robust, broad build.
- Different Names: According to some classical sources, his birth name was Aristocles. The name Plato (meaning "broad") was a nickname given to him by his wrestling coach, likely due to his broad shoulders or broad forehead.
Life, Death, & Resurrection
- When & How He Died (Who Killed Him): Plato was not killed or executed (unlike his teacher, Socrates). He died of natural causes in his old age. Accounts vary—some say he died peacefully in his sleep, others say he died while attending a wedding feast.
- Age at Death: He lived to be around 80 years old.
- Did He Resurrect? No. He died a mortal death and did not return to life.
- Descend to Hell or Ascend to Heaven? He did not bodily ascend to heaven or descend to hell. In his philosophical writings (like the Myth of Er), he proposed that the immortal human soul goes to the afterlife to be judged and eventually reincarnated, but he himself did not physically ascend as a deity.
- Crucified? No. He died peacefully in his old age.
Actions & Theological Comparisons
- Did He Die for the Salvation of Man? No. He died a natural death. He offered "salvation" only in the philosophical sense: freeing the mind from ignorance by seeking the ultimate truth (the Realm of Forms).
- What Actions Did He Take? He was a student of Socrates. He wrote dozens of foundational philosophical dialogues (such as The Republic and The Symposium) and founded the Academy in Athens, often considered the first university in the Western world.
- Born of a Virgin? This is where the mythicist lists get their claim. Hundreds of years after Plato died, writers like Diogenes Laërtius and Apuleius recorded a popular legend: It was said that the god Apollo appeared in a vision to Plato's father, Ariston, warning him not to consummate his marriage with his wife, Perictione. Ariston obeyed, and Perictione supposedly gave birth to Plato while still a virgin, making Apollo his true divine father.
- Called the Son of God? Due to the legend above, later admirers sometimes referred to him as a son of Apollo, but he was not titled "The Son of God" in a monotheistic framework.
- Part of the Trinity? Plato was not part of a trinity. However, his later followers (Neoplatonists) developed a philosophical concept of three divine principles (The One, The Intellect, and The Soul), which early Christian theologians heavily adapted to explain the Holy Trinity.
- Will He Judge Man in Heaven? No. He was a mortal teacher, not a divine judge.
Worship & Followers
- How He Was Worshiped: He was not worshipped as a god in temples with animal sacrifices. However, centuries later, some Neoplatonists revered him so deeply they practically treated his philosophical texts as divine revelation.
- Who Worshipped Him? He had generations of devoted philosophical students (Platonists and Neoplatonists) rather than religious worshippers.