Crates of Athens served as the scholarch of the Platonic Academy between 270 and 260 BC, representing a final stage of leadership within the institution. As a practitioner of Platonism from the Thriasian deme, his career remains documented primarily through the later accounts provided by historical writers such as Diogenes Laërtius.
Academic Tenure and Succession
The administrative progression of the Platonic Academy identifies Crates as the direct successor to Polemo. Following his period as a student and the close personal associate of his predecessor, he assumed the role of scholarch. His leadership ended when the position passed to Arcesilaus, who was among his most notable pupils. These transitions were central to the continuity of the Academy during the third century BC.
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Historical records from antiquity emphasize the connection between Crates and Polemo. Their bond was recorded in an epigram by the poet Antagoras, which noted that the two individuals were placed in a single tomb following their deaths. Beyond this relationship, Crates instructed several figures who became significant in their own right, including Theodorus the Atheist and Bion of Borysthenes.
The Status of Literary Works
While references suggest that Crates produced writings covering philosophical themes and comedy, none of these documents survive in the contemporary record. Historical analysis indicates that certain orations sometimes attributed to him likely belonged to a different individual, Crates of Tralles. Consequently, his intellectual contributions are known largely through the surviving mentions of his academic activity and his role as a teacher.
Fast facts
- Born: -400
- Died: -260
- Citizenship: Classical Athens
- Profession: Philosopher
- Movement: Platonism
- Scholarch tenure: -269 to -260
- Father: Antigenes of the Thriasian deme
Questions readers ask
Who succeeded Crates as scholarch?
Arcesilaus succeeded him as the head of the Platonic Academy.
What happened to the writings of Crates?
All of his original philosophical and comedic writings have been lost.
