Potone

Potone (Greek Πωτώνη Pōtónē or Ποτώνη Potónē; * probably 432-424 BC) was the sister of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the mother of the philosopher Speusippus.

Life

Both Potones father Ariston and her mother Periktione came from Athens and were well-born. They married around 432 Maybe the couple lived for several years on the location south of Attica Aegina and then returned to his hometown. In Athens, the family residence in Kollytos, a central district was west and south of the Acropolis.

Ariston and Periktione had four children: three sons Potone and Adeimantus, Glaucon and Plato.

Ariston died around 424 soon closed it Periktione a second marriage with Pyrilampes, a respected, also a widow Athenians. Pyrilampes was Periktiones maternal uncle and was by his new marriage to the stepfather of her four children not yet of age. These were now living together with her older stepbrother demos, a son of Pyrilampes from his first marriage. With Pyrilampes Periktione had only one child, the son of Antiphon.

Potone married Eurymedon of Myrrhinous, they BC the son Speusippus gave birth to 410/407. Probably she also had a daughter, who gave birth to a daughter, who Speusippos - her uncle - married. Speusippus was 348/347 BC, succeeding his uncle Plato as head of the Platonic Academy ( Scholarch ).