Profiles

Socrates is arguably the most influential philosopher of all time. Born in Athens who lived c. 470-399BC, Socrates was the son of a stonemason of the hoplite middle class and fought bravely in the army during the first Peloponnesian War. Like Christ and the Buddha, he wrote nothing down, so we must rely on others conflicting accounts about his life, but the bare facts about his life are clear.

Socrates changed the focus of philosophy from the speculation about the physical world to ethics - that is the right conduct of life. In doing so, he became the archetypical philosopher in his disdain for worldly riches, his intellectual curiosity and his bravery.

Socrates intellectual quest began when the Delphic oracle declared that there no one wiser than him. He claimed himself ignorant and became determined to find equally wise men by use of his Socratic method - a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to draw out ideas and underlying prepositions.

Socrates profoundly influenced his pupil Plato. Socrates’ central conclusions - that happiness depends solely on living a moral life, and that moral virtue is the same as knowledge and therefore teachable - became the springboard for Plato’s elaborate theory of of reality and system of ethics. Socrate’s equation of virtue with knowledge led to the daring conclusion that evil is ignorance and hence unintentional.

Socrates didn’t seek public office. In 399BC he was accused of not recognising the city’s official Gods and recognising new ones, as well as corrupting the young. An Athenian jury found him guilty by a small majority. Instead of going into exile he didn’t resist a death sentence by drinking hemlock. Claiming he could not abandon his post, he stayed, discoursing on the immortality of the soul until his end.

Plato was born in 428 BC in Athens and was one of the most influential thinkers in world history. Originally named Aristocles, he came from a noble family and received an excellent education. He was nicknamed Plato which means ‘broad’ either due to his physical characteristics or his spectacular range of knowledge.

While young Plato joined the circle of the dynamic Athenian philosopher Socrates, whose ethical and political enquiries proved to be the single greatest influence in Plato’s thought. In most of his writings, written after Socrates death, he immortalised his mentor by making him the central character.

In 387 BC Plato found the world’s very first institution of higher learning, the Academy, which helped shape the course of philosophy for the next 1000 years. There he taught many young pupils his philosophical ideas, among them the famous Aristotle.

Among Plato’s teachings was his theory of Forms which provided a revolutionary concept of reality - a concept that he tied to the corresponding theories of ethics and human knowledge, in a way that seems to explain the universe.

Plato’s writings include the Euthyphro, Apology, Phaedo, Symposium and the Republic. His work covered a broad spectrum of ideas: mathematics, science and nature, morals and political theory. His work on the use of reason to develop a more fair and just society that is focused on the equality of individuals established the foundation for modern democracy. 

Plato also served as a court philosopher in residence in Syracuse, tutoring Dionysus II who became king at a young age. Plato grew up entirely during the Peloponnesian War, and like other youths at the time he likely did military service in the cavalry, perhaps on patrol in the countryside around the Athens. Plato died of natural causes at the age of 80 years in 348BC.

Leonidas (540 BC – 480 BC) was born into the royal Agiad family, one of the two ruling families in Sparta. As a young prince, he would have undergone the rigorous agoge training, which all Spartan boys experienced to become warriors. The agoge emphasised physical endurance, combat skills, and discipline, preparing Leonidas for the life of a warrior-king. Sparta’s military culture valued strength, honour and loyalty above all, and Leonidas, as a royal heir, would have been groomed to lead his people in war. He was a descendant of Heracles, the mythical Greek hero, which added to his legendary status.

Leonidas became king after the death of his half-brother, Cleomenes I, who was the previous ruler of Sparta. Spartan kingship was shared between two monarchs, one from each of Sparta’s royal families, with Leonidas succeeding Cleomenes in around 490 BCE. While his reign was brief, Leonidas’s leadership would prove pivotal in one of history’s most famous military stands.

In the early 5th century BCE, the Persian Empire, under King Xerxes I, sought to expand its dominion over Greece. After a failed attempt at invasion by Xerxes’s father, Darius I, in 490 BCE (which ended at the Battle of Marathon), Xerxes launched a second, larger invasion in 480 BCE. This time, the Persian force was massive, with estimates ranging from hundreds of thousands to possibly a million soldiers, though modern historians believe the true number was likely smaller. The Greek city-states, including Athens, Sparta, and others, formed a loose alliance to defend against the Persian threat. Leonidas played a key role in this defense, representing Sparta’s military leadership.

The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) became Leonidas’s defining moment. The Greek forces, though outnumbered, decided to make a stand at Thermopylae, a narrow mountain pass that could neutralize the Persian army’s numerical advantage. Leonidas led a small but elite force of 300 Spartans, along with additional Greek allies, totaling around 7,000 men.For two days, the Greeks repelled the Persian army, demonstrating the effectiveness of their military training, discipline, and tactics. However, on the third day, a Greek traitor named Ephialtes revealed a hidden mountain path that allowed the Persians to outflank the Greek position. Realizing that his force was about to be surrounded, Leonidas made the difficult decision to send most of his troops away to safety, while he and his 300 Spartans, along with a few hundred others (including the Thespians), chose to stay behind and fight to the death.

The final stand was fierce, and Leonidas himself was killed in battle. His body was later retrieved by the Persians. Though the Greeks ultimately lost the battle, their courage and sacrifice bought critical time for the Greek navy, which went on to defeat the Persians at the Battle of Salamis, ensuring the survival of Greek civilization.

Leonidas’s death at Thermopylae turned him into a symbol of heroism, courage, and self-sacrifice. The Greek historian Herodotus immortalized his stand, and the battle became a key part of Greek collective memory. The Spartan king’s decision to fight to the end, knowing that his death was inevitable, was seen as the epitome of Spartan virtue — duty to the state and selflessness in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Though Leonidas’s reign was short and his life relatively unknown outside of his military actions, his legacy as a hero of Greek resistance endured through the centuries. The story of the 300 Spartans continues to resonate as a symbol of bravery against insurmountable odds, influencing literature, art, and modern popular culture (notably in the film 300). Leonidas was married to Gorgo, the daughter of Cleomenes I, and they had a son, Pleistarchus, who succeeded Leonidas as king after his death. 

Leonidas’s life and death at Thermopylae have become emblematic of the Spartan ideal — that of strength, discipline, and sacrifice for the greater good. Though he was a king, his most enduring legacy lies not in any political achievements, but in his extraordinary bravery and his steadfast commitment to the defense of his homeland, even at the cost of his life. His actions at Thermopylae continue to be a touchstone for heroism and leadership in the face of overwhelming odds.