Perfect Virtue in Simonides’ Ode to Scopas: Exploring Some Philosophical Underpinnings of the Tetragōnos Man

In this paper I explore some philosophical underpinnings of perfect virtue in Simonides’ Ode to Scopas, an ideal which Socrates discusses in Plato’s Protagoras. In the first place, I argue that Socrates is right in identifying in the Simonidean poem a distinction between “being virtuous” and “becoming virtuous.” Then, I contend that Simonides’ perfectly virtuous man conveys not only an idea of moral rigour but also adaptability to different circumstances. Finally, I stress the precarious nature of perfect excellence in Simonides’ thought and conclude that Plato means to underscore its philosophical relevance as a model of supreme ethical virtue.