ARosen treats the Symposium very much from the literary point of view. He has . . . perceptive observations to make on the dramatic elements in Plato's style, on his use of irony, and on his characterizations. B Times Literary Supplement ARecent years have seen a small but steady flow of major studies in the Platonic dialogues, marked by a marriage of scholarly thoroughness with genuine humanistic warmth. This volume is one such. . . . A wealth of linguistic and cultural lore pertaining to ancient Greece. . . . This book must be in every college library. B Choice ARosen's book is strikingly different from most English writing on Plato. The volume is beautifully produced, and contains an extensive and useful bibliography. B H. J. Easterling, Classical Review AThis exciting book . . . contains much to reflect upon. The author possesses a good knowledge of ancient texts but does not hesitate to provide very instructive references to modern philosophy. . . . One may say of this book what the author says of the Platonic dialogue as compared to a poem or a set of axioms: no description is equivalent to its content or it implications. B RJmi Brague, Revue Philosophique de Louvain A[H]ighly intelligent and . . . stimulating book. B Trevor J. Saunders, Journal of Hellenic Studies