| TITLE
| Socrates |
| CREATOR | Unknown |
| DATE | 1800-1840 |
| DIMENSIONS | 23 x 10 x 9 in. |
| ORIGINAL FORMAT | Sculpture |
| MEDIUM | Plaster |
| PHYSICAL NOTE | This plaster sculpture is one of the 16 that sit atop the bookshelves in the library’s main hall. |
| DONOR | Gift of James Phalen |
| DATE OF ACCESSION | 1840 |
| LOCATION | Providence Athenæum: Main Library |
This bust of the Greek philosopher Socrates [470 BC-399 BC] is one of sixteen that circle the Athenæum’s main hall. Ten of the busts, including this one, were donated by James Phalen in 1840. Phalen, a Providence resident, was a managing contractor for U.S. lotteries. In 1838, Phalen’s Exchange and Lottery Office was located on North Main Street, very close to the newly opened Athenæum.
Socrates was one of the founders of Western philosophy and the first moral philosopher in the Western tradition. As he left no writings of his own, most of what is known about Socrates is through the writings of his student, Plato. Plato would go on to teach Aristotle, who would then teach Alexander the Great, who facilitated the spread of Socrates’ teachings through his conquests of the ancient world.
Visual representations of Socrates are largely based on the descriptions of Plato and Xenophon. The original bust from which this plaster copy is derived is unidentified.