Cornhill Magazine,  9 (1864), 576–84.

The Socrates of the Athenians

[T Healey]

Genre:

Essay

Subjects:

Photography, Ancient Authorities, History of Science, Entomology, Meteorology


    Advises that 'we cannot do better than take a mental photograph' of Socrates in order to 'understand how this great teacher stood in so unfortunate a relation to his epoch' (577). Also observes that while in modern times Socrates is revered as a great thinker, for his ancient contemporaries it was 'easier to laugh at him with Aristophanes than admire him with Xenophon, when he explained or referred to such homely topics in natural or domestic science as the extraordinary buzz of the gnat, or extraordinary leap of the flea, compared with their size; [or] the intermediate action of the clouds, rather than the immediate action of Jupiter, in giving rain, or causing thunder and lightning' (580).



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