Charmides (; grc-gre, Χαρμίδης), son of Glaucon, was an

Athenian Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

statesman who flourished during the 5th century BC.

Debra Nails Debra Nails (born November 15, 1950) is an American philosophy professor who taught at Michigan State University. Nails earned her M.A. in philosophy and classical Greek from Louisiana State University before going on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy ...

, ''The People of Plato'' (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2002), 90–94. An uncle of

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, wikt:Πλάτων, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greeks, Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical Greece, Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thou ...

, Charmides appears in the Platonic dialogue bearing his name ( ''Charmides''), the ''Protagoras'', and the ''Symposium'', as well as in

Xenophon Xenophon of Athens (; grc, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Greek mercenary armies o ...

's ''Symposium'', ''Memorabilia'', and ''Hellenica''. In the dialogue bearing his name he is asked the definition of the term "temperance" and when he can not sufficiently provide one, it sets up the main plot of the dialogue, the search for the meaning of the term. A wealthy orphan raised by his first cousin,

Critias Critias (; grc-gre, Κριτίας, ''Kritias''; c. 460 – 403 BC) was an ancient Athenian political figure and author. Born in Athens, Critias was the son of Callaeschrus and a first cousin of Plato's mother Perictione. He became a leading ...

, his property was confiscated for his role in profaning the

Eleusinian Mysteries The Eleusinian Mysteries ( el, Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια, Eleusínia Mystḗria) were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Elefsina in ancient Greece. They are the "m ...

in 415 BC. He is commonly listed as one of the

Thirty Tyrants The Thirty Tyrants ( grc, οἱ τριάκοντα τύραννοι, ''hoi triákonta týrannoi'') were a pro-Spartan oligarchy installed in Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. Upon Lysander's request, the Thirty were ele ...

who ruled Athens following its defeat in the

Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of t ...

, but evidence points only to his having been one of the ten men appointed by the Thirty to govern the

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saroni ...

. He was killed in the

Battle of Munichia The Battle of Munychia was fought between Athenians exiled by the oligarchic government of the Thirty Tyrants and the forces of that government, supported by a Spartan garrison. In the battle, a substantially superior force composed of the Spart ...

in 403 BC when the democrats returned to Athens. This Charmides was probably not the same man as the father of the great Athenian sculptor

Phidias Phidias or Pheidias (; grc, Φειδίας, ''Pheidias''; 480 – 430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the statu ...

, also named Charmides.Nails, ''People of Plato'', 237.

References

{{Ancient Athenian statesmen Thirty Tyrants 5th-century BC Athenians 403 BC deaths Year of birth unknown Ancient Greeks killed in battle Family of Plato Ancient LGBT people LGBT history in Greece Ancient LGBT history LGBT people from Greece