ChristMyth

Why wasn't Socrates deified?

The reason I ask is because if you compare Socrates to some of the ideas presented about a HJ, the it would only make sense that latter followers of the writings of Plato would have wrapped mythological images around their long dead teacher. Why don't we have a "Son of God" named Socrates who preformed miracles, healed the sick, and rose from the dead after drinking hemlock?

Shouldn't there have been followers who would have happily added to the myth and made the memory of their leader just as grand as the Gods?

What would have made Jesus, if he is considered just an ethical teacher, so interesting that such stories would have been created to promote the idea that not only was he a great teacher but also God incarnate? Compared to Socrates, he's teachings weren't all that great for their time and not even the historians of his day seemed to know who he was. Yet, 2000 years later, the only people who read Plato are those who sit through philosophy or literature class while the Bible is read somewhere every Sunday (or Sat. depending on which faith you happen to follow).

Christmyth

No Robots

There is a big difference between the disciples of the two men. Socrates was surrounded by the cream of Athenian society, and in Plato he had one of the greatest disciples of all time. Christ was surrounded by the lowest of the low, the credulous mob; the best mind among the earliest Christians was Paul's, but he truckled with paganism.

Buck Laser

The OP sort of infers that Plato was deified. I don't think that's really the case. Nevertheless, Platonic thought had a tremendous effect on Xty's development. Well, actually it was neoplatonism that provided the philosophica core for Christianity.

Socrates probably escaped deification for a couple of reasons. First, the Greek pantheon was already pretty well populated; and second, I don't think there was any tradition of deifying mortals in Greece.

gentleexit

Later Platonists did celebrate Socrates' birthday, called him divine etc. Like many wise men, his insight was seen as inspired, his guiding daemon probably a god. But could a man, any man, soul wrapped in body, be a god? Not to Plato's men. The wrapping precluded it. Gods don't embody - men try to escape body.

On the surface, Judaism appears the same. After all, prophets are inspired. God is separate (and not within as it is in much philosophy) but then Jesus rises up? This merger of Philo's Logo, Jewish rescuer Christ and inspired itinerant Galilean is one of story-tellings great mergers. Judaism in crisis. Greek-speaking Jews at a loss?

It's interesting how determined Christians were that your body went with you. That Jesus' went with him. I think they are unique in giving the universe's maker a body.

ChristMyth

I'm not saying that Plato was deified. I'm asking why Socrates wasn't. I'm looking at two different (supposedly) historical figures and trying to find out why one of them was treated differently by his later followers while the other one wasn't.

Socrates teachings had a greater impact on ancient thought than Jesus, yet it was Jesus that eventually became God in the Flesh.

Cap'n Ahab

I would suppose that this has more to do with Socrates and his followers being prone to use logic and questioning everything more than the value of his ideas. (Similarly, why weren't men like Confucious or Buddha deified?) Socrates said himself (if you take Plato's dialogues as representations of Socrates' thoughts and not as Plato's thoughts expressed thorugh the character of Socrates) in the Republic while discrediting Homer that a god would not take on the form of a person since a person is not perfect and gods cannot be less than perfect. Socrates being a deity would contradict his teachings.

razlyubleno

I never would have thought of it, had you not said this; but in classical Greece, inspiration was seen as coming from the Gods. Think of Odysseus, whom Athene whispered clever ideas to. Cleverness was divine favour.

In this context, there's very little need to grant divinity to people like Socrates.

razly

Elijah

Socrates is a famous philosopher and Jesus was a messiah claimant. How you would address or title the what you consider the king of kings is going to be completely different than the reverence you would have for a philosopher no matter how influential he was. Part of the mission is to exalt Christ over other earthly rulers so you should expect the titles and the confusion of the titles used for him becoming pretty grand.

If you just see Jesus as another guy killed for preaching what he shouldn’t, you are missing the point of the story.

gentleexit

yes and it gets down to the notion that "soul" is a piece of divinity. You are divine. From one angle, being inspired simply means being open to yourself, your true, higher-soul.

The notion was in play in the Christ story (Christ as God, not "just" messiah) - read Athanasius on the council of Nicea. At one stage, the "orthodox" accused their opponents of claiming to be god. And they turned around and accepted "the insult". Yes, we're all gods, they said. Jesus thought us how to see it. This of course smacks of Jesus, the-great-enlightened-one as opposed to Jesus, separate and God. Heretic!

Either way, the line between divinity and man isn't clear cut. What is soul after all? As you say and to tie back to the original question - Socrates didn't have to be made God because he was already divine.

ChristMyth

And what point would that be?