Euphraeus
Encyclopedia
Euphraeus was a philosopher
and student of Plato
from the town of Oreus
in northern Euboea
. He appears to have been active in politics
in addition to his speculative studies, being first an adviser to Perdiccas III of Macedon
and then an opponent of Philip II
and his supporters in Oreus. Information regarding his life is scant, however, and few facts about it are mentioned in more than one source. He appears in the Fifth Letter of Plato
, Demosthenes'
Third Philippic
, and Athenaeus'
Deipnosophistae
(which repeats the information about him contained in the now-lost Historical Notes by Carystius of Pergamum
).
Little is said about Euphraeus in the Fifth Letter of Plato beyond his aptitude for political philosophy
, and the letter's authenticity has been challenged. The letter commends Euphraeus to Perdiccas III
, king
of Macedon
. This story, at least, is supported by Carystius, who cites a letter supposedly by Speusippus
(Plato's
nephew and successor as head of the Academy
) that Philip II
should cease slandering Plato because he owes him his kingship
, if rather backhandedly. Plato, the story goes, sent Euphraeus to Perdiccas, Euphraeus counselled that he grant a principality
to his brother Philip, and Philip's military occupation of this land enabled him to seize power following Perdiccas' death.
Carystius provides a rather comical portrait of Euphraeus's tenure with Perdiccas. "Euphraeus for example, when staying at the court of King Perdiccas in Macedonia, lorded it as regally as the king himself, though he was of low origin and given to slander; he was so pedantic in his selection of the king’s associates that nobody could share in the common mess if he did not know how to practise geometry or philosophy." Carystius attributes Euphraeus' death following the ascension of Philip to the hatred that this behavior aroused.
Demosthenes is far more sympathetic toward Euphraeus, on the other hand. While not mentioning any vizier
ship to Perdiccas, or any reason why the democratic
party in Oreus agreed with "malicious pleasure" that he deserved his unfortunate end, Demosthenes does support the idea that Euphraeus was an active participant in politics. He does not note any explicit connection with Plato
, but does say that Euphraeus had once resided in Athens
. Demosthenes praises Euphraeus for leading the fight in Oreus against Philip's imperial designs. According to Demosthenes, Euphraeus charged those in his city who supported Philip with treason
a year before Parmenion
invaded, but was himself thrown into prison as a disturber of the peace as a result. When Oreus was taken by Philip's forces, Euphraeus committed suicide
. Demosthenes praises him effusively, comparing Euphraeus' position to his own and employing the entire story as a cautionary tale regarding the risks run by both Athens
and Demosthenes himself in struggling for the good of Athens.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and student of Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
from the town of Oreus
Oreus
Oreus was a town in northern Euboea. Demosthenes describes its conquest by Philip II of Macedon in the Third Philippic....
in northern Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
. He appears to have been active in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
in addition to his speculative studies, being first an adviser to Perdiccas III of Macedon
Perdiccas III of Macedon
Perdiccas III was king of Macedonia from 368 to 359 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II.Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was underage when Alexander II was killed by Ptolemy of Aloros, who then ruled as regent. In 365, Perdiccas killed Ptolemy and assumed government.Of the reign of...
and then an opponent of Philip II
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
and his supporters in Oreus. Information regarding his life is scant, however, and few facts about it are mentioned in more than one source. He appears in the Fifth Letter of Plato
Fifth Letter (Plato)
The Fifth Letter of Plato, also called Epistle V or Letter V, is an epistle that tradition has ascribed to Plato. It falls among those Epistles of Plato that have nothing to do with Sicilian politics and the intrigues between Dion and his nephew, Dionysius the Younger, tyrant of Syracuse. In the...
, Demosthenes'
Demosthenes
Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
Third Philippic
Third Philippic
The Third Philippic was delivered by the prominent Athenian statesman and orator, Demosthenes, in 341 BC. It constitutes the third of the four philippics.-Historical background:...
, and Athenaeus'
Athenaeus
Athenaeus , of Naucratis in Egypt, Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourished about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century AD...
Deipnosophistae
Deipnosophistae
The Deipnosophistae may be translated as The Banquet of the Learned or Philosophers at Dinner or The Gastronomers...
(which repeats the information about him contained in the now-lost Historical Notes by Carystius of Pergamum
Carystius
Carytius of Pergamum was an ancient Greek grammarian who lived at the end of the 2nd century BCE, all of whose works are now lost. Among his works were Historical Notes , On the Dramatic Poets , and On Sotades...
).
Life
None of the sources that mention him say anything about his family or early life. Most of what is known about him involves his political activity.Little is said about Euphraeus in the Fifth Letter of Plato beyond his aptitude for political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
, and the letter's authenticity has been challenged. The letter commends Euphraeus to Perdiccas III
Perdiccas III of Macedon
Perdiccas III was king of Macedonia from 368 to 359 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II.Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was underage when Alexander II was killed by Ptolemy of Aloros, who then ruled as regent. In 365, Perdiccas killed Ptolemy and assumed government.Of the reign of...
, king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
. This story, at least, is supported by Carystius, who cites a letter supposedly by Speusippus
Speusippus
Speusippus was an ancient Greek philosopher. Speusippus was Plato's nephew by his sister Potone. After Plato's death, Speusippus inherited the Academy and remained its head for the next eight years. However, following a stroke, he passed the chair to Xenocrates. Although the successor to Plato...
(Plato's
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
nephew and successor as head of the Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
) that Philip II
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
should cease slandering Plato because he owes him his kingship
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, if rather backhandedly. Plato, the story goes, sent Euphraeus to Perdiccas, Euphraeus counselled that he grant a principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
to his brother Philip, and Philip's military occupation of this land enabled him to seize power following Perdiccas' death.
Carystius provides a rather comical portrait of Euphraeus's tenure with Perdiccas. "Euphraeus for example, when staying at the court of King Perdiccas in Macedonia, lorded it as regally as the king himself, though he was of low origin and given to slander; he was so pedantic in his selection of the king’s associates that nobody could share in the common mess if he did not know how to practise geometry or philosophy." Carystius attributes Euphraeus' death following the ascension of Philip to the hatred that this behavior aroused.
Demosthenes is far more sympathetic toward Euphraeus, on the other hand. While not mentioning any vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
ship to Perdiccas, or any reason why the democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
party in Oreus agreed with "malicious pleasure" that he deserved his unfortunate end, Demosthenes does support the idea that Euphraeus was an active participant in politics. He does not note any explicit connection with Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, but does say that Euphraeus had once resided in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Demosthenes praises Euphraeus for leading the fight in Oreus against Philip's imperial designs. According to Demosthenes, Euphraeus charged those in his city who supported Philip with treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
a year before Parmenion
Parmenion
Parmenion was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, murdered on a suspected false charge of treason....
invaded, but was himself thrown into prison as a disturber of the peace as a result. When Oreus was taken by Philip's forces, Euphraeus committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Demosthenes praises him effusively, comparing Euphraeus' position to his own and employing the entire story as a cautionary tale regarding the risks run by both Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Demosthenes himself in struggling for the good of Athens.
See also
- DemosthenesDemosthenesDemosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
- Fifth Letter (Plato)Fifth Letter (Plato)The Fifth Letter of Plato, also called Epistle V or Letter V, is an epistle that tradition has ascribed to Plato. It falls among those Epistles of Plato that have nothing to do with Sicilian politics and the intrigues between Dion and his nephew, Dionysius the Younger, tyrant of Syracuse. In the...
- Perdiccas III of MacedonPerdiccas III of MacedonPerdiccas III was king of Macedonia from 368 to 359 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II.Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was underage when Alexander II was killed by Ptolemy of Aloros, who then ruled as regent. In 365, Perdiccas killed Ptolemy and assumed government.Of the reign of...
- Philip II of MacedonPhilip II of MacedonPhilip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
- PlatoPlatoPlato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...