The concept of immortality can have differing meanings, from biological immortality, the immortality of gods, eternal afterlife of the soul, or the continuation and remembrance of a person through their actions in life. This paper delves into this latter type of immortality, using the term 'non-literal immortality' to denote. Although I include eternal afterlifes in this term, this paper excludes discussions of an afterlife to further limit the scope, thus excluding Plato's Phaedo. I propose that the concepts of non-literal immortality presented in Plato's Symposium and Republic have existed and influenced Greek thought before being written by Plato. By looking at different groups of people in classical Attica, we can see the influence and thoughts towards non-literal immortality in the Greek populace during and just prior to Plato's writings. This paper explains Plato's forms before looking at case studies of individuals as representatives of different groups of Athenians: Antisthenes and philosophers, Thrasybulus and soldiers, Aristophanes and playwrights, Cleon and politicians, and women and commoners. These case studies show that the ideas of non-literal immortality were prevalent in Greek thought and not influenced by philosophers such as Plato but were pre-existent. Evidence shows that after Plato, these concepts of non-literal immortality were indulged by the populace creating the schools of Epicureans and Stoics. I propose the theories of physical, honor, and intellectual offspring were heavily present in the Iliad and Odyssey and present in the minds of average Athenian citizens. Although evolved, these theories existed prior to Plato. By looking at case studies of individuals, we are able to better grasp the lives and ambitions of classical Athenians without relying on the writings of great men of history such as Plato.
Coleton LaBarre (Fri,) studied this question.