The Socratic Method in Aeschines

The main objective of this study is to investigate Aeschines of Sphettus’ account of the Socratic method, with a special focus on the so-called “Socratic epagoge” and the (related) argument by analogy. The paper comprises three main sections, devoted to an examination of these Socratic methodological tools in the Aspasia (i), through a close reading of Cicero’s testimony in De inv. 1.31.51-53; in the Alcibiades (ii), by especially referring to three fragments of the dialogue preserved by Aelius Aristides (De rhet. 1.61-62; 1.74); and in the Miltiades (iii), with special regard to a papyrus fragment (POxy. 2890 verso) which also presents an occurrence of the so-called “expert-analogy”. The analysis is aimed to reconstruct as complete a picture as possible of Aeschines’ portrayal of the Socratic method, one that can be profitably compared to those presented by Plato and Xenophon. In the concluding section some final considerations are thus made in the light of the broader accounts provided by Plato’s dialogues and Xenophon’s Socratic works.