Research Status: Comprehensive
Last Updated: 2025-07-09
Diary Coverage: Up to April 9, 1875
Identity
Alcibiades (c. 450-404 BCE) was an Athenian statesman, orator, and general during the Peloponnesian War. Known for his beauty, intelligence, and controversial character.
Marie's Obsession
Marie declares herself "in love" with Alcibiades, calling him "le grand, le beau Alcibiade" and even adopting the persona "Mme Alcibiade." She weeps over reading about him and claims she cannot love modern men because she's already in love with historical figures like him.
Historical Character
Alcibiades was famously handsome, brilliant, and morally ambiguous. He was a student of Socrates but also known for his excesses and political betrayals. His complex character would appeal to Marie's romantic imagination.
Marie's Romantic Ideal
For Marie, Alcibiades represents the type of great man she finds worthy of love - historically significant, beautiful, and dramatically flawed. She contrasts him with the "canaille d'aujourd'hui" (today's scoundrels).
Literary Context
Alcibiades appears in Plato's dialogues and various historical accounts. Marie's knowledge of him shows her classical education and her preference for dramatic historical figures.
Psychological Significance
Marie's "love" for Alcibiades represents her rejection of contemporary suitors in favor of impossible romantic ideals. It's both a sophisticated intellectual pose and a genuine expression of her romantic frustration.
Connection to Marie's Development
At 16-17, Marie's infatuation with historical figures like Alcibiades reveals her intellectual precocity, her romantic idealism, and her sense of being above ordinary romantic attachments.