# When Socrates in The First Alcibiades refers to 'demus'(twice) ishe referring to citizen or does it have another meaning?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-socrates-in-the-first-alcibiades-refers-to-demus-twice-ishe-referring-to-citizen-or-does-it-have-another-meaning/989933>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 11, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-socrates-in-the-first-alcibiades-refers-to-demus-twice-ishe-referring-to-citizen-or-does-it-have-another-meaning/989933 "2023-09-11T13:34:19Z")\
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**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-socrates-in-the-first-alcibiades-refers-to-demus-twice-ishe-referring-to-citizen-or-does-it-have-another-meaning/989933/1 "2023-09-11T13:34:19Z")

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Every translation of ‘demus’ I get is a common man/citizen.

When Socrates says to Alcibiades:  
"Then imagine, my dear fellow, that I am the demus and the ecclesia, for in the ecclesia, too you will have to persuade men individually.

and then again

"“For the demus of the great-hearted Erechteus is of a fair countenance …”