Critias

Another Sophist, Critias (5th century bce), considered religion to have been invented to frighten humans into adhering to morality and justice. Plato was not averse to providing new myths to perform this same social function—as is seen in his conception of the “noble lie,” or the invention…

…creditably, his mother’s close relatives Critias and Charmides were among the Thirty Tyrants who seized power in Athens and ruled briefly until the restoration of democracy in 403.

…discusses temperance and self-knowledge with Critias and Charmides; at the fictional early date of the dialogue, Charmides is still a promising youth. The dialogue moves from an account in terms of behaviour (“temperance is a kind of quietness”) to an attempt to specify the underlying state that accounts for it;…

…not cease his questioning when Critias, the leader of the Thirty Tyrants, warned him to take heed not to diminish the number of sheep by his own—Socrates’—person. But the most fundamental inconsistency that he tried to demonstrate everywhere was that most people by their actions show that what they consider…

…extreme wing of this group, Critias, was part of the Socratic circle; so, too, was Charmides, another of the 30. The democrats, many of whom had left Athens when the 30 came to power, defeated them in battle, and democracy was restored the following year. (In Plato’s Apology, Socrates refers…

…split developed between Theramenes and Critias, another of the leaders. Critias induced the Thirty to put Theramenes to death by forcing him to drink hemlock.

…extremist conservative core, led by Critias. Their oppressive regime fostered a bloody purge, in which perhaps 1,500 residents were killed. Many moderates fled the city; gathering a force, they returned to defeat the tyrants’ forces in a battle at Piraeus in 403. The 30 fled and were killed off over…