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Charmides

A young Athenian of startling beauty and noble family whose composure is tested when Socrates asks him to define temperance.

supporting

Also known as the beautiful Charmides, the virtuous Charmides, Dialogues Charmides

First appearance: Charmides

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Charmides enters the dialogue like a vision — every head turns, lovers trail behind him, and Socrates admits he is undone by the sight. He is Critias's cousin and Plato's relative, a youth whose beauty and lineage have…

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Character Web

13 connections

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ARAristotleALAlcibiadesCLCleiniasASAthenian Stran…LYLysisCHCharmides

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Extended Cast of Dialogues
  • Philosophers and Interlocutors

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point

In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs when Erasistratus’s boastful praise of the Syracusan envoy’s immen…

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Charmides appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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