Diogenes Laertius’s biography of Socrates (in book 2, chapter 5) is the principal source of the colorful, “shrewish” anecdotes about Xanthippe. Last Updated on May 6, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Maybe not– but I suppose we’ll never know for sure. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. Xanthippe was in a classic double-bind: She could not remain silent, but neither could she join her husband’s circle of refined, sustained moral discourse. Regardless of the truth of any of these statements uttered by male philosophers, it’s hard to miss how reading so many statements like this could be discouraging for women entering the field of philosophy. Diogenes Laertius. Go and buy a pincushion, but spare my hide . That’s an interesting word. Maybe it’s because women, as Hegel put it, “are not adapted to the higher sciences, philosophy, or certain of the arts.” Perhaps it is, as Confucius said: “the law of nature that women should be held under the dominance of man.”, Maybe it’s like Aristotle explained, and “the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the female subject.” Maybe it’s because, as Spinoza suggested, “women are apt to seduce men into making irrational political decisions.” Nietzsche thought that “when a woman turns to scholarship” there is “usually something wrong with her sexual apparatus.”. Several pieces of circumstantial evidence suggest that Xanthippe was born into a noble, or at least wealthy, Athenian family. In a number of important ways, each was a conventional Athenian of the time. Socrates' wife. In contemporary political life, and internationally, Socrates is invoked for widely variant purposes. Referencing intimidating mother goddess archetypes like Tiamat with relationship to media representations like Godzilla or the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, Doyle helps the reader understand how we may be beyond disdainful, even frightened, as a culture, of women who don’t fit the generally accepted mold. Athenian dowries were quite sizable and often included a large sum of money. She was not a “normal” woman, of whom the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 b.c.e. There are a number of instances of Xanthippe appearing in public, as related by Diogenes Laertius and in Plato’s Phaedōn (388-368 b.c.e. Xanthippe (c. 435 bce–? South Bend, Ind. He chose her precisely because of her argumentative spirit.He says: I know full well, if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach myself to every human being else... See more ideas about socrates, hard to get, 40 years. It can be hard to speak up when you know that anything you say might be labeled with the disclaimer: these thoughts came from a woman. “Conversing daily about virtue” was not an option for Xanthippe; she was too busy rearing Socrates’ children and keeping his house. The philosopher’s wife was, after all, a wife; Socrates and Xanthippe were not fellow guardians in his imagined city. The number of women awarded philosophy PhDs is about 27%, and just 21% of employed philosophers are women. Socrates advises his companions to avoid sexual relations with beautiful people and to restrict their sexual activity to those who would be shunned unless there existed an overwhelming physical need. Born around 435 bce; death date unknown; married Socrates (the Greek philosopher); children—only sons are known: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. Xenophon. Moreover, by challenging Plato's portrayal of Socrates, Xanthippe seeks to raise a larger philosophical issue about the value of philosophy itself. Pandora’s Daughters: The Role and Status of Women in Greek and Roman Antiquity. This is thoroughly familiar in Socrates’ case. For example, Socrates, called the ‘father of philosophy”, had somewhat turbulent marriage. It is Plato, not Xanthippe, who portrays Socrates as “young and fair.”. Blundell, Sue. There is also, however, a strong note of optimism in Doyle's writing: “We can find powerful and awe-inspiring visions of ourselves, hidden inside and underneath the stories patriarchy tells to shame us,” writes Doyle. I’ve Paid for an Audio Erotic App Created by Women. May 29, 2012 - Xanthippe douses Socrates. ; Republic, 1701). Beyond this, however, Socrates was clear-eyed about Xanthippe’s nature, and he was unbiased by the prevailing antifemale prejudice. Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of society. Xanthippe.—Socrates found the sort of wife that he needed — but even he would not have sought her had he known her well enough: the heroism of even this free spirit would not have gone that far. Aristotle said that “a proper wife should be as obedient as a slave.” Statements like this can give you a general idea of how unexpected behavior like Xanthippe’s was in ancient Greece. Antagonizing many, he was indicted for impiety, tried, convicted, and executed. Xanthippe was an exception to the rule that Athenian daughters, especially those of aristocratic lineage, married very young, often in their mid-teens. This Xanthippe falls in love with Socrates after listening to him speak, admiring him for his mind and ideas. Provocative glimpses of Xanthippe begin and end Plato’s treatment of Socrates’ last day of life. The Wreckage of Agathon. The marriage of Xanthippe and Socrates would seem to be a match made in hell, between an overage, unattractive, difficult woman and an even older, ugly, underemployed frequenter of the Athenian streets. The contemporary novelist John Gardner’s The Wreckage of Agathon (1972), based loosely on the life of Socrates, supposes that Agathon’s wife Tuka (“battle-ax”) is of aristocratic background. , Ancient: [ksantÊ°ípɛː], Modern: [ksanˈθipi]; 5th–4th century BCE) was an ancient Athenian, the wife of Socrates and mother of their three sons: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus.She was likely much younger than Socrates, perhaps by … First, to view a woman as a shrew was the common male reaction to any female who was not sufficiently deferential. Unfollow. Probably not. Second, shrewishness was the only form contextually available to Xanthippe to express her sense of injustice. Plato generally described Xanthippe as a devoted wife and mother. Has … poet Sophocles—wrote, “Silence lends decorum to a woman.” Xanthippe’s concern was not male notions of decorum. Jahrhundert v. He understood that Xanthippe was high-spirited; perhaps punning on her name, he compared her to a horse. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Paying tribute to Xanthippe’s name, “yellow horse” and perhaps also nodding slightly to the common belief that women are not quite human, Socrates describes Xanthippe as a wild horse in need of taming: It is the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: “None of your soft-mouthed, docile animals for me,” he says,” the horse for me to own must show some spirit” in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides. ; gestorben im 4. These numbers drop significantly for women of color. Socrates was one of the greatest Greek philosophers by a wide margin. Overall, she seems to have had few illusions about, but considerable affection for, Socrates. Many analytic ancient philosophers in the late twentieth century mined the gold Vlastos had uncovered, and many of those who were productive in the developmentalist vein in the early days went on to constructive work of their own (see Bibliography). Socrates has been taught outright and mentioned peripherally in many of my philosophy classes. Translated by R. D. Hicks. Xenophon tells the story of Socrates arguing Lamprocles out of his anger with his mother. She also had the audacity to do what women throughout history have been mocked, shamed, and punished for doing: to speak up when men are talking. KIA: But Plato respected the opinions of Aspasia and Diotima. What is not so obvious is that Xanthippe’s life may be understood in roughly the same terms, once the necessary revisions in perspective are made. [figs. (Gellio) Siamo spiacenti, per oggi hai superato il numero massimo di 15 brani Registrandoti gratuitamente alla Splash Community potrai visionare giornalmente un numero maggiore di traduzioni! Contemporary scholars have noted that Socrates was unusually well-disposed toward women. Anecdotes about her verbal and physical abuse of him have become legendary and form most of the traditional image of Xanthippe. Did she see a nagging shrew, angry and shrill, yap-yap-yapping at her poor husband? Xanthippe appears to have had a complex response to these restrictions. Career Women, Fight Against Marriage Timelines! In The Collected Dialogues of Plato, edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Xanthippe was bold enough to publicly scold her husband (who was about 40 years older than her) for shirking his familial responsibilities. If Xanthippe was twenty-four years younger than Socrates, she would have borne Lamprocles at twenty-eight and her youngest son at about forty-one. Sie bestimmten über weite Strecken das … Xanthippe would be included under the category “Gorgon.”. )Athenian wife of Socrates whose name, thanks to the philosopher's disciples, has for centuries been a byword for a sharp-tongued shrew . Noun . Xanthippe, Socratis philosophi uxor, morosa admodum fuisse fertur et iurgiosa irarumque et molestiarum muliebrium per diem perque noctem satagebat. Phaedo. History and Etymology for Xanthippe. “Xanthippe” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an ill-tempered woman,” and by Urban Dictionary as “any nagging scolding person, especially a shrewish wife.” The name Xanthippe means “yellow horse,” from the ancient Greek xanthos “blond” and hippos “horse.". Women in Ancient Greece. Socrates’s excuses for Xanthippe’s abusive behavior seem to have expanded across Greco-Roman history. 1,034 notes. Regardless of the nature of her ideas, she is doomed to be mocked for the perceived foolishness of her expression. Lives of Eminent Philosophers. Philosophy. )—quoting the fifth century b.c.e. : Harvard University Press, 1991. Gardner, John. Socrates (c. 469 BC – 399 BC) was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Her name, meaning “Golden Horse,” was of the sort traditionally favored by the aristocracy. He was born in 469 BCE at a place called Deme Alpoece, Athens. Crito is the main interlocutor of the Crito, an earlier dialogue which takes place in Socrates' prison cell. He was condemned to death for his Socratic method of questioning. There is a well-known, if unconfirmed, anecdote in which Xanthippe becomes so irritated with Socrates that she dumps the contents of a chamber pot over his head. Translated by Maureen B. Fant. Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher considered to be the main source of Western thought. He was not interested in changing her nature by attempting to break her. Part 2 covers the period of Xanthippe’s life. It is easy to believe that Xanthippe, acutely attuned to justice by nature and circumstances, felt the injustice in both her situation and that of Athenian women generally. For the entirety of his life, this classical Greek philosopher devoted himself to finding the most ideal way of living a moral life. May 29, 2012 - Xanthippe douses Socrates. At some point, Socrates virtually abandoned his early profession of stonecutting, perhaps living on the proceeds of invested money. , von ξανθός xanthós blond und ἵππος híppos Pferd; geboren im späteren 5. philosophy philosophy shitpost Socrates xanthippe posts from the zombie queue philosophy meme. Diogenes Laertius also mentions that Xanthippe felt ashamed of a dinner that Socrates gave for some rich men, suggesting her awareness of upper-class standards. Date 470 - 399 BC. A well-illustrated survey of the topic, based on thorough scholarship and engagingly written. KM: Because Aspasia knew how to manage a household and Diotima spoke of non-physical love as ideal Forms, but he had to invent Diotima to make his point. Cambridge, Mass. Download Citation | Xanthippe: Shrew or Muse | Socrates's wife Xanthippe has entered the popular imagination as a shrewish character who dumps water on the inattentive Socrates. Jacques-Louis David’s Death of Socrates (1787) [fig. Philosophy departments across the US are notorious for their low numbers of women, as well as people of color. She spoke, often shrilly, and her voice helped to create philosophical echoes across the centuries. I’ve certainly heard a lot about the man, but no one ever really told me much about his wife. . Amy Levy had episodes of major depression from an early age. Xanthippe definition, wife of Socrates. Contemporary scholars have noted that Socrates was unusually well-disposed toward women. These figures suggest that Xanthippe married about ten years later than was customary. Xanthippe married, reared children, managed a household, and stayed clear of political life; Socrates, in addition to establishing a family, served in military campaigns and took his turn in holding public office. May 29, 2012 - Xanthippe douses Socrates. He questioned and criticized powerful Athenians, comparing himself to a gadfly stinging that noble but complacent horse Athens. When Xanthippe looked in the mirror, did she see wrathful, disobedient “yellow horse,” desperately in need of taming? Gossips, Gorgons, and Crones: The Fates of the Earth. Article abstract: Greek noblewoman{$I[g]Greece;Xanthippe} Through her aggressive behavior, Xanthippe forced men to reflect on and reconsider conventional assumptions about women’s nature and social roles. 2-5]. Yet Xenophon makes it clear that Socrates very much appreciated Xanthippe. New York: Ballantine Books, 1972. Why Aren’t We Talking about How Often Black Women Are Gaslighted? Yet to believe this is to misunderstand the historical significance of both Socrates and Xanthippe. The fictional pair are far more involved with one another (and with heterosexual relations generally) than historical scholarship would concede. Sócrates e Xantipa. This influential interpretation of the position of women in antiquity stresses the breadth and depth of antifemale bias. Since I study philosophy, I found it kind of strange that I hadn’t encountered the wife of Socrates sooner. Since almost no contemporary Athenian women thus are recognized, the implication is that Xanthippe was unusual. That bond is suggested by the fact that the activities of Xanthippe and Socrates were both orthodox and unorthodox. Athenian women, especially those of the upper classes, were secluded and were segregated from men. Xanthippe’s life thus serves as a reminder of both the demands of and constraints on perfect justice. Really haven't we … “Xanthie,” he was wont to say, “am I condemned to bear the pricks of your needle-pointed words? In short, she frequently behaved like a man, being as visible, as outspoken, and as courageous—or at any rate as rash—as a man was expected to be. In the process, Socrates became a hero of free speech and moral integrity. Scruton, Roger. It seems that her disagreeableness may have been viewed by her husband as nothing more than an amusing challenge. Während über die historische Person kaum Informationen vorliegen und bestenfalls erschlossen werden müssen, kursierten in der Antike zahlreiche Anekdoten über Xanthippe. Xanthippe had a nobly rambunctious soul, and Socrates accorded it due respect. Jahrhundert v. Xanthippe has been abusing her son, not physically but verbally; Lamprocles protests that this is unjust, since he has done nothing wrong. 356 notes. It is easy to believe that her notoriety depended entirely on her relationship with a famous man—that she was a “mere appendage” to him, and an obnoxious one at that. There is a glimpse here of the power of women to shape men morally through daily “encouragement.”, Xanthippe’s activities, however, probably were not confined to the household. No doubt, there is a basis in fact for these anecdotes; Socrates must have been a better philosopher than husband, father, and provider, and Xanthippe may well have been a frequent critic. Xanthippe . KM: Socrates liked Aspasia because she wasn’t a shrew, which is what he thought his wife, Xanthippe, was. Anything Socrates wrote himself has not survived. Caputi, Jane. Neither challenged practically the genderized Athenian division of functions. I decided to look into its origins. The poem is essentially a feminist parody of the widely accepted Xanthippe narrative, painting a picture of a woman dissatisfied in a time and place where her options were limited by her gender. Nevertheless, both Athenian conventions and Socrates’ own freedom-loving nature made it impossible for Xanthippe to be simply his equal and companion. This presumption of equality amused but also unnerved Socrates’ companions, to whom any outspoken, critical woman was abnormal and therefore a “shrew.”, Xanthippe’s attitude toward Socrates was straightforward. . : Harvard University Press, 1995. A scene unfolds where Xanthippe speaks her mind in a group of men and is ridiculed: But Sokrates, all slow and solemnly, Raised, calm, his face to mine, and sudden spake:‘ I thank thee for the wisdom which thy lipsHave thus let fall among us : prythee tellFrom what high source, from what philosophiesDidst cull the sapient notion of thy words?’Then stood I straight and silent for a breath,Dumb, crushed with all that weight of cold contempt; The Xanthippe of Levy’s poem is punished cruelly for her hubris. MEANINGS. Her date of birth can be estimated as 445 b.c.e., since she was the mother of one son in his late teens and two much younger sons when her husband, the Athenian political philosopher Socrates (469-399 b.c.e. Already a member? This novel gives controversial historical life to Xanthippe (“Tuka”) and Socrates (“Agathon”). 3 avr. Conversations of Socrates. Most of what is now known about Socrates is derived from information that recurs across various contemporary sources: the dialogues written by Plato, one of Socrates' students; the works of Xenophon], one of his contemporaries; and writings by Aristophanes and Aristotle. Translated by Hugh Tredennick and Robin Waterfield. Xanthippe is here portrayed as a brilliant observer and philosopher. Socrates has been taught outright and mentioned peripherally in many of my philosophy classes. Quotes about Xanthippe []. In part, this was because he believed her to be a very good mother, painstaking and selfless, if not especially patient, with her sons. While I’d like to think that I, myself am not capable of the same action– I can certainly relate to how the Xanthippe of this story might have been feeling in the moments before this act. Xanthippe (zan-THIHP-ee) is known not as a mere name discovered through archaeological research but as a meaningful figure in ancient literature. I first came across Xanthippe when I was searching for words that were synonymous with “shrew” or “nag.” Xanthippe, I thought. He attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than theological doctrine. Xanthippe’s “shrewishness,” then, may be seen in two sympathetic ways. Feminist author Sady Doyle writes in her book Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers, about how women are often perceived as monstrous.