The Republic: Characters

Socrates – The main speaker, a philosopher who leads his audience and dialogue partners to conclusions by carefully structured questions. Sometimes Socrates’ verbal agility makes it difficult to see that he is avoiding answering the question he is asked and is instead addressing something else entirely in his responses. Socrates strongly influenced Plato. In the Republic Socrates is usually acting as Plato’s stand-in.

Thrasymachus – A Sophist, or professional tutor and philosopher. Thrasymachus is the only real opposition to Socrates. Thrasymachus believes firmly that “justice is to the advantage of the stronger.” Sophists as a group tended to emphasize personal benefit as more important than moral issues of right and wrong, and Thrasymachus does as well. Thrasymachus’ depiction in Republic is unfavorable in the extreme. He appears conceited, given to boasts and bluster, and his frustration with Socrates and Socrates’ method of approaching knowledge through questioning is evident. He leaves at the end of Book I, but his exit suggests he is frustrated and is aware that he has not successfully debated Socrates. Although the choice of name may be inspired by the historical Sophist Thrasymachus, the name literally means “schemer.”

Cephalus – An elderly but wealthy merchant, it is in his house that the dialogues occur. He is perhaps too satisfied with his own life and status. His name literally means “head,” as in “head of the family,” which fits him.

Polemarchus – Cephalus’ son. His name literally means “leader in battle,” a good description of his role as one of the more aggressive of Socrates’ opponents, second only to Thrasymachus.

Glaucon – Plato’s brother, he walks with Socrates to the Piraeus and participates in the entire debate. Glaucon questions Socrates carefully, and is interested in determining what justice truly means and what defines the good life.

Adeimantus – Another of Plato’s brothers. At first he doesn’t agree that justice is better than injustice, but Socrates succeeds in convincing him.

Er – A soldier in a myth Socrates tells about the immortality of the soul. Er dies but comes back to life and is able to tell about what he saw in the after life.

Homer – The Greek poet believed to have written the Illiad and the Odyssey, two of the greatest works of Greek literature, and of literature in general. Socrates objects to parts of Homer’s works for moral reasons, since the gods are not always shown behaving morally or even believably.

Hesiod – A Greek poet who probably lived during the 700 B.C. era. His works included tales about the creation of the world according to Greek mythology, and a number of stories about the gods that show them in an unfavorable light. Because Hesiod’s poems are imitative and imaginative, Socrates would censor his works in his ideal city for both moral and stylistic reasons.

Simonides – A poet that Polemarchus quotes in support of his definition of justice. Simonides wrote that justice is “giving to each what is owed.”