Editing Xanthippe (section)

==Character==
[[File:Reyer Jacobsz. van Blommendael, Socrate, ses deux épouses et Alcibiade, 1675. Huile sur toile, 210 x 198 cm. Strasbourg, Musée des Beaux-Art.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|''[[Socrates, his two Wives, and Alcibiades]]'', by [[Reyer van Blommendael]]. Xanthippe douses her husband with cold water from a [[hydria]].]]

Xanthippe is mentioned only once by [[Plato]], in the ''[[Phaedo]]'',{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|p=610}} depicted sitting by Socrates on the night before his execution.{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|pp=616&ndash;617}}  There is no evidence in Plato's portrayal of the shrewish Xanthippe of later tradition.{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|p=617}}  The characterisation of Xanthippe as a difficult wife derives from Xenophon's depiction of her: in the ''[[Memorabilia (Xenophon)|Memorabilia]]'', though she is not named her son Lamprocles complains of her harshness, and in Xenophon's ''[[Symposium (Xenophon)|Symposium]]'', [[Antisthenes]] describes her as "the most difficult, harshest, painful, ill-tempered" wife.{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|pp=613&ndash;615}}  Socrates says that he chose her precisely because of her argumentative spirit:

<blockquote>It is the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: "None of your soft-mouthed, docile animals for me," he says; "the horse for me to own must show some spirit" in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides. And that is just my case. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. I know full well, that if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach myself to every human being else.<ref>Xenophon, ''Symposium'' 17–19 [= 2.10]</ref></blockquote>

Later ancient authors, such as [[Diogenes Laertius]], largely follow Xenophon's characterisation of her as a difficult wife.{{sfn|Strobl|2015}}  Several of the anecdotes reported by Diogenes serve to show Socrates' wit, and to contrast his temperament with that of his wife.{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|pp=615–616}} In one story told by several ancient sources, Xanthippe pours a jug of water over Socrates' head;{{sfn|Strobl|2015}} according to Diogenes he responded with the quip "Did I not say that thundering Xanthippe also makes water?"{{sfn|Saxonhouse|2018|p=616}}

[[File:Socrates and Xanthippe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|An [[emblem book]] print portraying Xanthippe emptying a chamber pot over Socrates, from ''Emblemata Horatiana'' illustrated by Otho Vaenius, 1607.]]