Plato: Symposium

by Plato, K. J. Dover (Editor)

Overview

Plato's Symposium is the most literary of all his works and one which all students of classics are likely to want to read whether or not they are studying Plato's philosophy. But the reader does need help in appreciating both the artistry and the arguments, and in comprehending the social and cultural background against which the 'praise of love' is delivered. Sir Kenneth Dover provides here a sympathetic and modern edition of the kind that is long overdue. It consists of an introduction, the Greek text accompanied by a very abbreviated critical apparatus, and a commentary on the text which is intended to elucidate the Greek, to make the philosophical argument intelligible, and to relate the content of what is said to the concepts and assumptions of contemporary morality and society. An edition for students of Greek in universities and the upper forms of schools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521295239
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/28/1980
Series:	Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	4.92(w) x 7.36(h) x 0.71(d)
Language:	Greek, Modern (1453- )

About the Author

Plato, one of the most famous philosophers in the world, lived during the Classical Period in Ancient Greece. A student of Socrates and a teacher to Aristotle, he was the founder of The Academy, the first school of higher learning in Europe. Plato is the most prominent figure in the history of Ancient Greek philosophy and the originator of the Platonist school of thought. Using dramatic elements like dialogue and humor, his form of writing was considered innovative in his time. Plato's best–known work, The Republic, is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy. His other extensively read works include The Symposium, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, and The Laws.

Table of Contents

Preface; Abbreviations; Introduction: 1. Eros; 2. Homosexuality; 3. Philosophy; 4. Historical basis; 5. Date of composition; 6. Symposia; 7. Encomia; 8. Textual transmission; 9. Bibliography; The Symposium; Commentary; Indexes to the introduction and commentary; Appendix 1. Disagreements with Burnet's edition; Appendix 2. Proper names; Appendix 3. Greek words; Appendix 4. General.

Editorial Reviews

'This commentary … does three things superbly. It explains Plato's Greek punctiliously, especially the less familiar constructions, particles, and words that are often loosely or wrongly translated. With a razor's sharpness it cuts through sloppy or faulty logic in Plato's Greek. And it provides the necessary background material, whether historical, literary, sexual, or social.' Greece & Rome

' … few books can have given in three pages so informative and at the same time so provocative an account of Plato's philosophy.' The Times Educational Supplement

'This is a tight-packed, authoritative, but readable edition.' J.A.C.T. Bulletin

From the Publisher

'This commentary … does three things superbly. It explains Plato's Greek punctiliously, especially the less familiar constructions, particles, and words that are often loosely or wrongly translated. With a razor's sharpness it cuts through sloppy or faulty logic in Plato's Greek. And it provides the necessary background material, whether historical, literary, sexual, or social.' Greece & Rome

' … few books can have given in three pages so informative and at the same time so provocative an account of Plato's philosophy.' The Times Educational Supplement

'This is a tight-packed, authoritative, but readable edition.' J.A.C.T. Bulletin