Socrates, Plato, and the Pursuit Of Happiness

Learn about the history of Greek philosophy and its impact on Athenian society

$364

Private

N/A

Semi-private

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Tour Details

About the Tour

Private Tour: $ 364
Category: History
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Athens

Photos & Highlights

Socrates in Athens tour led by a trained classicist or philosophy scholar
Discuss philosophy in the same spot as Socrates
Platonic Academy, Akadimia Platonos Neighborhood, and Church of St. Trifonos

Tour Description

It is hard to overstate the profound influence Socrates cast over western thought and history. Revered by the Greeks and canonized during the Renaissance, his philosophy—and that of his pupil, Plato—offers a unique lens through which to understand Athenian and Greek history. In this 2-hour Socrates in Athens Tour, we'll join a local philosophy scholar to discover key sites in the history of Greek philosophy, including the ruins of Plato's Academy, and delve into the life of Socrates, the state of thought before and after the introduction of his philosophy, and how that has impacted the world in which we live today.

Socrates in Athens

We'll begin at the Church of St. Trifonos, located in the neighborhood of Akadimia Platonos, named for Plato's Academy, which is also located in the vicinity. Together, navigating this area of Greece—loaded with sites of historical significance but not particularly frequented by tourists—we'll discuss the life of Socrates (as we know it) and his impact on the lives of his contemporaries. Naturally, a significant portion of our discourse will centering in on the circumstances that led to his imprisonment and death. Why, we'll ask, didn't Socrates defend himself more vigorously? What was the value (or threat) of philosophy to Athenian society, and does that situation have parallels today? In fitting with the theme of the walk, our discussion will reflect the Socratic method; together, we'll weigh the value of the philosopher's ideas, circumstances, and their relevance in today's society.

Plato’s Academy

We’ll also delve deeply into the role of philosophy and the school founded by Socrates' star pupil Plato. We'll explore the history of this site, the life of Plato and his writings. In the course of our walk, we will explore a number of Plato’s ethical, political, and metaphysical views and place them in the context of ancient Athens, delving not only into the reception these ideas received during the time of their introduction, but reflecting on how they continue to influence today's society. We'll compare on contrast Socrates and Plato, sharpening our understanding of the unique contributions each has made to western thought.

Take Aways

This walk is a unique opportunity for anyone interested in the history of ideas to see the actual places where fundamental concepts were first postulated and to discuss them with a local scholar.

It makes a lot of sense to couple this tour with our Acropolis Tour or our Ancient Agora of Athens Tour.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Georgia

Georgia was born in Athens and studied Greek Philology at the University of Athens with a major in Classics and a minor in Linguistics and Byzantine/Modern Greek Literature. After spending a semester at the Free University in Berlin as an exchange student, she pursued graduate studies in the United States and received her MA in Classics from the University of Virginia, with a thesis on the poetry of Ovid. She also holds a PhD in Classics from the same university, with a dissertation on Plato's philosophy. She is currently working toward the publication of her first book on Plato's Euthydemus.

Alexia

Alexia has studied Optics and Classics at the University of Athens. She holds a Phd in Classics from the Georg – August Universität Göttingen in Germany. Her book, a commentary on sympotic poetry has been published. She is currently teaching classics in the Hellenic American Foundation and in the Norwegian Institute in Athens. Her long lasting study at the field of classics gives her a very good command of the ancient world in its different phases.

6 Reviews - (4.47)

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Everything fine. The meeting was easily booked, guide (Alexia) arrived on time and was very pleasant and informative. Also thought-provoking. We had an enjoyable and worthwhile meeting.

John

Apr. 29, 2019

Alexia was fabulous. Knowledgeable. Articulate. Sensitive to aspects we wanted to talk about. She came prepared with notes and quotes that we discussed and took home with us. We learnt and will remember this as a fabulous experience of Greek philosophy to our trip.

Manjula

Jun. 20, 2018

What worked? Just about everything. Rather than simply delivering a prepared presentation while touring us through the site, Georgia did a wonderful job tailoring her talk to the specific individuals in our group. She posed questions for each of us to answer and invited lots of discussion. I thought she did an exceptional job engaging our 14-year-old daughter (who was the one who chose this particular tour). Georgia made the information, history, people, and concepts accessible to her while keeping the adults interested, too. We were very impressed with the entire experience. What didn't work? The only suggestion I can think of is that Georgia might benefit from a small binder containing some visual materials: a street map to use when she describes the site's location in relation to the rest of the city and where Plato's house was, some drawings of the overall site layout, and perhaps some illustrations (artists' conceptions) to help us imagine what the buildings might have looked like, how the students might have dressed, and so on. I think that would enhance this experience even more.

Jonathan

Aug. 5, 2017

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Tour Experts

All Context Experts are scholars or specialists in their field.

Georgia

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Alexia

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