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How Did Plato Die? 9 Facts About Plato’s Last Days and Death

At Athens, about 347 BC, one of history’s most famous philosophers, Plato, passed away. He was 80 years old and probably died in his sleep, although the cause of his death is unknown, it is thought to have been natural.

As a result of Plato’s works having been studied for more than two millennia and continues to be taught in universities today, his legacy is still felt in today’s Western philosophy. It is generally acknowledged that he passed away from natural causes, despite conflicting reports on the circumstances of his passing.

How did Plato die? here are 9 facts about Plato’s last days and death.

1. Plato died around 347 BCE

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Around 347 BC, the philosopher Plato passed away in Athens. Although the exact reason for his passing is unknown, it is thought that he passed away while sleeping. At the time of his passing, he was around 80 years old. The passing of Plato marked the end of an era in ancient philosophy. He was a student of Socrates and went on to become a well-known philosopher in his own right. 

2. There’s a rumour that he died at a wedding feast

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Greek philosopher biographer Diogenes Lartius is responsible for one of the most well-known stories of Plato’s passing. He claimed that Plato passed away in his sleep after having a little too much to drink at a wedding feast. Some scholars have questioned this story, arguing that it is incorrect.

3. Was there a young girl playing the flute next to Plato when he died?

According to another narrative, Plato passed away in his bed, where he had been spending a lot of his time because of his old age and failing health. It is said that as he died, a young girl was playing the flute close to him. This version is more widely accepted since it fits with the fact that Plato was in his late 70s when he passed away and had been dealing with health problems.

4. His declining health stopped him from attending Socrates’ execution 

Because of his illness, Plato was unable to witness Socrates’ passing. He may have taken notes throughout his conversations with Socrates, and it is thought that he started writing the conversation soon after the philosopher passed away. He wasn’t there for Socrates’ execution, for reasons that aren’t totally clear, although it’s assumed that he was unable to attend due to health issues.

The fact that Plato was Socrates’ close student and that his teachings had a significant influence on him can be seen in many of his works. Plato was not present when Socrates passed away, but despite this, his works on the philosopher have had a profound influence on Western philosophy and are still studied and discussed today.

5. Plato was honoured with Athenian funeral customs

There’s very little said about what happened to Plato’s body after his death, however what we can know is that men of his calibre were often given some special burials. Men like Plato were given traditional Athenian funeral rites because they influenced Greek culture and philosophy. It wasn’t anything eerie or complicated, it would simply include prayers and a gathering of people that were close to him, basically an opportunity to say goodbye just like we do now.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his funeral, Plato’s life and philosophy have had a profound impact and his legacy endures to this day. It is a testament to his influence that we continue to discuss him and his ideas in modern times.

6. Plato spent a lot of his final days at the Academy he created

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What most people don’t know is that Plato had created an Academy, a sort of university where philosophers and students would meet and basically discuss important issues related to life and existence. In those days, there was no social media or TV so the best form of entertainment was intellectual conversations and if you had a knack for questioning everything then this was the school for you. Plato preferred to spend a lot of his final days in his academy where he continuously passed on wisdom to his students, lucky them right?

7. He was obsessed with his spiritual beliefs

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It’s said that Plato spent a lot of time thinking about spiritual things during his final days. Plato had a lot of thought about what would happen to the soul after death, was it because he also wondered what would happen to him? maybe.

However, he was also a metaphysical philosopher so it’s no surprise that he was concerned about the nature of the soul. He questioned the soul’s immortality, would it live on or not? These reflections led Plato to learn more about the mysteries of life and led him to a deeper more spiritual life before his death.

8. He was concerned about his legacy after his death

Everyone thinks about their legacy or about what they will leave behind, especially after death. For those who don’t have families your legacy is the lives you touched and for Plato, he had an interest in preserving his philosophical ideas, especially leading up to his death. Since he created the Athens Academy he knew that his ideas and philosophies would be life-changing which is why he made efforts to publish his work to ensure that his insights would live long after his lifetime. 

It is possible that Plato entrusted his works to trustworthy disciples to ensure that his intellectual legacy would be carried on, due to his concern about the dissemination of his teachings.

9. Plato’s tomb is in his school 

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Though people have been searching for his resting place for a long time now there’s no concrete evidence to confirm his final resting place. However, the story that most historians agree with is that he was buried somewhere in the Academy that he created in Athens. The idea that he’s somewhere under the grounds is quite interesting especially if archaeologists are still able to find his remains, it would be an interesting adventure. 

Plato was one of Socrate’s brightest students, he died in 347 BCE and managed to create a philosophical institution that has lasted for almost 1,000 years. His effects on our modern society are still felt to date and whether you’ve studied philosophy or not we’re sure that you couldn’t have missed one or two quotes from this brilliant man, after all, he is popular to most.