#alcibiades

[kebriones]

this is so very stupid, but I saw a picture on instagram and my brain wouldn't let me rest until I had gotten it out of my system.

reference below the cut:

[aca-sonia]

[girlcatilina]

alcibiades

[shortace]

Just on a whim, because I know that Alcibiades is one of the weirdest and funniest characters in ancient Greek history, I asked ChatGPT "What's the weirdest thing Alcibiades ever did?"

ChatGPT came back with the details of something Alcibiades (henceforth referred to as 'Alci' so I don't have to keep typing it out) was accused of, but acquitted of.

When I pointed out that he had been acquitted and may not have actually done this thing, Chat GPT apologised and said, "yes, he was acquitted", and then went on to tell me that, nonetheless, the event was significant because it made Alci flee the city.

Alci did not flee the city, he was sent away on a military expedition, which was exactly what he'd wanted and asked for. When I pointed that out, ChatGPT apologised again for being wrong.

I asked again for weird things he might actually have done, and was told one version of a story I've heard before about how Alci stole some stuff from a friend. ChatGPT's version was different from what I'd heard, though, so I mentioned that, and only then did ChatGPT acknowledge that there were different versions of the story. As part of its apology and correction, ChatGPT said that it did not always have access to all information - but then proceeded to provide details of the version of the story I'd heard before, showing that it did, in fact, have access to that information.

I asked again, what is the weirdest thing Alcibiades ever did? ChatGPT gave me an answer, which was a story I'd never heard before, so I asked for a source. ChatGPT told me it was in Plutarch's Lives, and I presumed it was in his Life of Alcibiades, so that's where I looked. When I said I couldn't find it there, ChatGPT told me, sorry for not being specific, it was actually in Plutarch's Life of Nicias. So I went and read Plutarch's Life of Nicias and couldn't find it.

So I told ChatGPT that I couldn't find the story in that book, could it please be more specific? What I was hoping for was a chapter or page number or something, I just presumed I'd missed it.

ChatGPT came back with "no, actually it's not in that book, it may be a later invention, there is no concrete evidence for this story."

TL;DR: ChatGPT cannot be trusted. Even when it does give you a source, it can be wrong. It has no capacity to evaluate the accuracy or likely accuracy of the information it gives you. It will present you with wrong or debatable information and give you absolutely no indication that it may not be correct, or that other versions or interpretations are possible.

[beluosus]

[nateconnolly]

Alcibiades, you absolutely don't have time to mope about not being in old man yaoi. The heads of the gods have been fucking mutilated.

[dearlavenderbear]

Alcibiades 🍷

[soc-star-mass]

Taking care of Al

[grumfield]

everyone says enkidu and Gilgamesh is the world’s first yaoi but like. They’re the world’s first romance novel. I’m afraid the first yaoi, like specifically YAOI is Socrates and Alcibiades

[kebriones]

I'm crying over this intro to the symposium again

[softestaries]

no one i know irl would appreciate this

[scribl1ta]

Bro look at my general😭🤦we are NOT making it to Sicily

[ditoob]

Happy pride y’all

[becauseitwasi]

insane man insane

[girlcaelius]

queen shit

[neutralferal]

rip alcibiades you would've been a star at pride