FYS 134 The Seduction of Socrates and Alcibiades
Alcibiades (450-404 b.c.e.) was an Athenian politician and military commander who was not only a charismatic leader but also a very controversial one. Some saw him as a traitor to Athens and one of the main reasons why Athens lost the war with Sparta. Others saw him as one of the brilliant youths corrupted by Socrates. Others saw him as a courageous leader who eventually proved his loyalty to Athens. Who was he? What can we learn from him about citizenship and loyalty to the State? In this course, we will study what we know about his life and how he was seen in Ancient Greece and Rome. Some of the authors we will read are Plato, Thucydides, Aristophanes, Plutarch, and Aristotle.