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The second chapter of Plato: A Very Short Introduction, titled “Plato’s name and other matters” is a hodgepodge of information we have learned from his writings. It starts out inquiring if Plato is his real or nickname. All of his writings have Plato on them, but his paternal grandfather’s name was Aristocles, and it was tradition back then to name the eldest son after the paternal grandfather. The name Plato means ‘broad.'  Could it be that he gained this as a nickname because of his broad shoulders or maybe his expansive writings; no one knows for sure.

            His familial facts are that he was born in 427 BC to two parents from old Athenian families that descended from a statesman that was responsible for bringing democracy to Athens. He had two brothers from his parents, Ariston and Perictione. When Ariston died, his mother, Perictione, remarried a man named Pyrilampes and had a son named Antiphon. Pyrilampes had strong democratic views, but after the long drawn out Peloponnesian war the democratic sympathizers where ousted by a group of thirty tyrants, among them where Perictione's brother Chritias and a cousin named Charmides. Not much is known of Plato's political view, but his family was divided as a result of the war.

 Several other interesting facts were brought up in this chapter. Plato was considered an influential philosopher and scholarly figure, but it was several generations until his dialogues gained appreciation. He developed an interest in Egyptian art which he developed after a visit to Egypt in search of wisdom. He especially admired the longevity of the Egyptian art style in that it didn't change for tens of thousands of years which opposed Greek art which was in an ever-searching desire for change.

 Who is the real Plato? There are two different interpretations of Plato. There's the Apollo version, in which he is part deity and son of Apollo. This sounds bizarre to us today, but back then it was not. There were many honorable families who claimed to be descendent of the gods. Plato's great intellect and enormous presence led to this belief. This type of interpretation can be found in Timaeus. Then there's the Seventh letter interpretation, an implied autobiography of Plato, in which he's invited to Sicily to consult King Dionysius in the affairs of the state. Some believe this indicates Plato's involvement in political politics others believe this is just an individual experience of Plato defending a friend and not enough evidence thereof Plato's political involvement. The latter interpretation seems to have more appeal than the Apollo version. 

 The chapter ends with a section on Plato's Academy explaining two important points regarding Plato; the influence of Socrates on him and the other being the founding of the Academy, the first school of philosophy. In Socrates, we see a man who thought of himself as a seeker of truth and harped on people the importance of understanding the importance of dialogue and what was taken for granted such as the virtues of courage, justice, ideas and living the good life. Also of importance where the claims of understanding and the inquiry of others beliefs as well as one's own. The Academy was home to Aristotle for twenty years. Plato did not charge fees for instruction at the Academy, but only the wealthy could forgo work for a long-term commitment to the Academy. The school was not a place to learn Platonic ideas, but a place of discussion where people learned to think philosophical. Plato never put his Platonic ideas and doctrine down in writing and thus are subject to others interpretation from his dialogues. Plato is also credited with distinguishing philosophy as its own subject and the first use of the word philosophia, 'love of wisdom'. Philosophy is still popular and taught in universities of today.

Question: 

Was Plato political or was the visit to Syracuse Sicily a favor to a friend, Dion, to have Dionysius acquire knowledge?