Question 1

True or false: Plato wrote all his works in Latin, the language of ancient Rome.

Accepted Answer

False. Plato wrote exclusively in ancient Greek; Latin was used by later Roman philosophers like Cicero.

Question 2

True or false: Plato was a lifelong enemy of Socrates and argued against his ideas in public.

Accepted Answer

False. Plato was Socrates' devoted student; he revered him and wrote dialogues featuring Socrates as the main character.

Question 3

True or false: Plato invented the concept of democracy and championed it in his writings.

Accepted Answer

False. Plato was critical of democracy, comparing it to a ship without a captain; he advocated for rule by philosopher-kings.

Question 4

True or false: Plato believed that poetry and art should be banned from his ideal society.

Accepted Answer

True. In 'The Republic', he argued poetry and art stir emotions and mislead, so he proposed censoring them for a just city.

Question 5

True or false: Plato founded the first university in the Western world, called the Academy.

Accepted Answer

True. Around 387 BCE, Plato established the Academy in Athens, a pioneering institution for higher learning and philosophy.

Question 6

True or false: Plato believed the Earth was flat and orbited by the sun.

Accepted Answer

False. Plato, like many Greeks, thought the Earth was a sphere, and he placed it at the center of the cosmos.

Question 7

True or false: Plato once won an Olympic gold medal for chariot racing.

Accepted Answer

True. Historical records indicate Plato competed in the Isthmian Games, not Olympics, but he did win a chariot race there.

Question 8

True or false: Plato's real name was Aristocles, and 'Plato' was a wrestling nickname.

Accepted Answer

True. His birth name was Aristocles; 'Plato' meant 'broad' in Greek, likely referring to his broad shoulders or wrestling skill.

Plato Trivia Questions