Two factors emerge from all sources pertaining to the character of Socrates: that he was ugly (at least as an older man), and had a brilliant intellect. The result of such an effort is not necessarily realistic, even if consistent.
Historians therefore face the challenge of reconciling the various evidence from the extant texts in order to attempt an accurate and consistent account of Socrates's life and work. For instance, those who prosecuted and convicted Socrates have left no testament. A corollary of this is that sources that do mention Socrates do not necessarily claim to be historically accurate, and are often partisan. There are no straightforward histories, contemporary with Socrates, that dealt with his own time and place. These writings are the Sokratikoi logoi, or Socratic dialogues, which consist of reports of conversations apparently involving Socrates.Īs for discovering the real-life Socrates, the difficulty is that ancient sources are mostly philosophical or dramatic texts, apart from Xenophon. Plato and Xenophon's dialogues provide the main source of information on Socrates's life and thought. The sometimes contradictory nature of these sources is known as the Socratic problem, or the Socratic question.
\)Īs Socrates did not write down any of his teachings, secondary sources provide the only information on his life and thought.
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