CriticaLink | Plato: Phaedrus | Terms

Theuth

Theuth is the Egyptian god of the underworld who is credited for inventing numbers, writing, and games of chance. In the Phaedrus, Socrates characterizes him as the advocate of the benefits of writing to the god Thamus, ruler of Thebes. Theuth claims that writing will serve as an elixir (pharmakon in Greek) of memory, as it will allow humans to record and then recall their thoughts.