oph anes ▁- ▁the ▁primary ▁sources ▁on ▁S ocr ates . ▁Other ▁sch ol ars , ▁point ▁out ▁that ▁absence ▁of ▁evidence ▁is ▁not ▁evidence ▁of ▁absence . ▁ ▁If ▁he ▁is ▁indeed ▁fict ional , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁most ▁likely ▁been ▁invent ed ▁by ▁Ph a edo ▁of ▁Elis ▁in ▁his ▁dialog ue ▁Simon ▁- ▁of ▁which , ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁fragments ▁surv ive . ▁ ▁Support ▁Arch ae ological ▁investig ations ▁have ▁revealed ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁a ▁shop ▁near ▁the ▁Th ol os ▁in ▁the ▁south west ▁corner ▁of ▁the ▁Ag ora ▁of ▁Ath ens ▁which ▁has ▁yield ed ▁quantities ▁of ▁h ob n ails ▁and ▁a ▁pot ▁base ▁with ▁the ▁word ▁" Sim on ' s " ▁() ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁it . ▁S ke pt ics ▁assert ▁that ▁it ▁cannot ▁be ▁certain ▁if ▁this ▁is ▁Simon ' s ▁shop . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁C yn ic ▁ep ist les , ▁Simon ▁is ▁referenced ▁by ▁Ant is then es ▁and ▁Arist ipp us , ▁and ▁even ▁part akes ▁in ▁the ▁exchange . ▁However , ▁these ▁letters ▁are ▁later ▁Roman ▁cre ations . ▁ ▁Within ▁the ▁Her acles ▁of ▁Ant is then es , ▁references ▁Simon . ▁Thus , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁unlikely ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁literary ▁creation ▁of ▁two ▁early ▁writers : ▁Ant is then es , ▁and ▁Ph a edo ▁of ▁Elis . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁recording ▁of ▁Simon ' s ▁dialog ues , ▁Di ogen es ▁La ë r ti us ' ▁lack ▁of ▁order ▁and