Callias III

Callias (c. 450 BC; † 371 BC) was a wealthy citizen of Athens. To distinguish him from his grandfather ( Callias II ) and his great-great grandfather ( Callias I. ) he is also Callias III. mentioned. His grandmother was half-sister of Cimon Elpinice. His father Hipponicus was considered the " richest man in Greece " ( Andokides in his speech " On the Mysteries ", 130). His mother was married to his second wife, Pericles, Alcibiades with his sister.

Callias wasted at a young age to be worth millions of inherited wealth through an extravagant lifestyle with easy women, petitioners, and parasites. But he also showed interest in developments of art, which he supported generously and in philosophical questions. In his house the Platonic dialogue Protagoras and the Symposium of Xenophon played. Xenophon reports that Callias have spent a lot of money for tuition by the sophist Protagoras, Gorgias and Prodicus. Even Socrates was one of the persons whose handling Callias appreciated. " Callias ," said Socrates said in his defense speech (apology 20a), " has spent more money than all the other Athenians together for sophists. " He tried to compensate for these losses by various financially favorable marriages and businesses with the silver mines in the family-owned. 406 he was leading Archon of Athens and 393/2 commander of the Athenian troops at Corinth. Until shortly before his death, he was involved in the peace negotiations with Sparta. Probably Callias died penniless and in abject poverty.