Abstract

This article endeavors to ascertain whether Plato may be regarded as a prophet. This involves defining what a prophet is and examining a number of literary sources in order to uncover the needed evidence and to make appropriate comparisons with known prophets from ancient times. Thus, this treatise includes evidence obtained from several classic texts, plus excerpts of Plato’s writings, life experiences, influence from Socrates, and Plato’s foreign travels. Also considered are biblical passages about prophets from the Old Testament. Thereby, a philosophical and theosophical investigation is undertaken to examine the extent to which Plato satisfies the criteria for being considered to have been a prophet in the classical sense.