According to Aristotle Socrates had two wives. First wife was Xanthippe, by whom he had a son, Lamprocles. Xanthippe is described as having explosive temper and inclination to argue. She is often described as cranky, nagging, and hysterical.
Thus, philosopher Socrates, known for his wisdom, intellect, and powerful words, lived in an environment filled with shouting, ignorance, and hostility. Xanthippe was domineering, sharp-tongued, strong and forcing her husband to leave home at dawn and return only after sunset every day.
Socrates once said: “I have been afflicted with three calamities: language, poverty, and my wife. The first I overcame through diligence, the second through frugality, but the third – I could never overcome. I am indebted to this woman. Without her, I would not have learned that wisdom lies in silence and happiness in sleep.”
One day, while Socrates was sitting with his students, his wife began shouting and insulting him, as was her habit. However, this time, to everyone’s surprise, she poured water over his head. Wiping his face in astonishment, Socrates calmly remarked: “We should have expected rain after all that thunder.”
Xanthippe eventually led to his wife’s death from a heart attack, after having yet another heated argument with Socrates. While he remained silent, at peace, and unbothered, she erupted like a volcano. The intense anger caused severe pain in her heart and shoulder, leading to her death that same night.
Socrates’s second wife was Myrto whom he married without dowry. By her he had two sons – Sophroniscus and Menexenus.
Socrates had a lover too! The lover was a man and his name was Alcibiades who was Socrates’s beloved. Alcibiades revered Socrates alone, and was harsh and stubborn with his other lovers.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
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