Pyrilampes () was an ancient Athenian politician and stepfather of the

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

. His dates of birth and death are unknown, but Debra Nails estimates he must have been born after 480 BC and died before 413 BC.D. Nails, "Pyrilampes", 257–258

Career

Pyrilampes served many times as an ambassador to the Persian court and was a friend of

Pericles Pericles (; ; –429 BC) was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed ...

, the leader of the democratic faction in Athens.Plato, ''Charmides'
158a
br>* Plutarch, ''Pericles'', IV He was injured at the Battle of Delium in 424 BC, when he was in his mid-fifties.D. Nails, "Pyrilampes", 258 Pyrilampes raised and showed

peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

s, gifts he had received on his

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

n embassies.

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

states accusations against Pyrilampes, according to which he used the peacocks to procure freeborn women for Pericles.Plutarch, ''Pericles'', IV

Personal life

Pyrilampes appears to have married his first wife in the late 440s; he had a son from this marriage, Demus, who was famous for his beauty.Plato, ''Gorgias'
481d
an
513b
br>* Aristophanes, ''Wasps''
97
/ref> Around 423 BC, Pyrilampes was widowed and so was free to marry his niece, Perictione,

's mother. Perictione gave birth to Pyrilampes' second son, Antiphon, the half-brother of Plato, who appears in ''

Parmenides Parmenides of Elea (; ; fl. late sixth or early fifth century BC) was a Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic ancient Greece, Greek philosopher from Velia, Elea in Magna Graecia (Southern Italy). Parmenides was born in the Greek colony of Veli ...

'' in which he is said to have given up philosophy to devote most of his time to horses.Plato, ''Parmenides'
126c
/ref>

Citations

References

* See original text i
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* * See original text i
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* See original text i
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* See original text i
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{{refend 5th-century BC Athenians Family of Plato 5th-century BC births 5th-century BC deaths Ancient Greek ambassadors