Who is Plato from The Story of Philosophy and what is their importance?

Plato is born in 427 B.C. and lives until 347 B.C. He is twenty-eight when he attends the death of his master Socrates. His birthplace is Greece in the second millennium before the birth of Christ. An interesting geographical feature of his birth country is its coastal structure. Because the coast is irregular, it is difficult for cities and other societies to communicate with each other. Consequently, the thinkers in each of the isolated areas think about the same basic issues that make a functioning society structure. Plato is the nephew of Critias who studies under Socrates. Plato's meeting with Socrates changes his life. Plato is raised in comfort as an athletic youth and successful soldier—this is unusual in a philosopher. He enjoys the sport of Socrates, questioning dialectic. Plato is twenty-eight when Socrates is poisoned by the state. His death causes Plato to scorn democracy. He commits to its destruction and develops a theory of rule by the wisest and the best.