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List Of Manuscripts Of Plato's Dialogues
The following is a partial list of manuscripts of Plato's dialogues. Contents The traditional division of the works of Plato into tetralogies was done by Thrasyllus of Mendes. The list includes works of doubtful authenticity (in italic), as well as the Letters. *1st tetralogy **Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo *2nd tetralogy ** Cratylus, Theatetus, Sophist, Statesman *3rd tetralogy **Parmenides, Philebus, Symposium, Phaedrus *4th tetralogy **Alcibiades I, '' Alcibiades II'', ''Hipparchus'', '' Lovers'' *5th tetralogy **'' Theages'', Charmides, Laches, Lysis *6th tetralogy ** Euthydemus, Protagoras, Gorgias, Meno *7th tetralogy ** Hippias Major, Hippias Minor, Ion, Menexenus *8th tetralogy ** Clitophon, Republic, Timaeus, Critias *9th tetralogy **''Minos'', Laws, ''Epinomis'', '' Letters'' Following these tetralogies is an appendix of works whose genuineness was disputed in antiquity: ''Definitions'', ''Epigrams'', ''On Justice'', ''On Virtue'', ''Demodocus (dialogue), Dem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has come to be understood to further include ''any'' written, typed, or word-processed copy of an author's work, as distinguished from the rendition as a printed version of the same. Before the arrival of prints, all documents and books were manuscripts. Manuscripts are not defined by their contents, which may combine writing with mathematical calculations, maps, music notation, explanatory figures, or illustrations. Terminology The word "manuscript" derives from the (from , hand and from , to write), and is first recorded in English in 1597. An earlier term in English that shares the meaning of a handwritten document is "hand-writ" (or "handwrit"), which is first attested around 1175 and is now rarely used. The study of the writing ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Alcibiades
The ''Second Alcibiades'' or ''Alcibiades II'' () is a dialogue traditionally ascribed to Plato. In it, Socrates attempts to persuade Alcibiades that it is unsafe for him to pray to the gods if he does not know whether what he prays for is actually good or bad for him. There is dispute amongst scholars about the text's authenticity, and it is generally considered apocryphal.Plato, ''Complete Works'', ed. John M. Cooper (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997), v, 596–608. The main criticisms of its authenticity revolve around its defective arguments, lack of humor, and style; those who consider it inauthentic date its composition to the 3rd or 2nd centuries BC. Synopsis Socrates meets Alcibiades while the latter was on his way to pray, and warns him that one must be careful what he prays for, since the gods might actually grant his wishes. Alcibiades replies that one must be mad to pray for something harmful, but Socrates corrects him by saying that if ignorance was equated to madness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ion (dialogue)
In Plato's ''Ion'' (; ) Socrates discusses with the titular character, a professional rhapsode who also lectures on Homer, the question of whether the rhapsode, a performer of poetry, gives his performance on account of his skill and knowledge or by virtue of divine possession. It is one of the shortest of Plato's dialogues. Dramatis personae *Socrates, the Greek philosopher. In this dialogue, he questions the nature of art and of divine inspiration. *Ion of Ephesus, the rhapsode. In poetry, he specialized in the works of Homer. The city of Ephesus was under Athenian control at this time and Athens had lost many of its beloved generals in the recent Sicilian expedition. Athens was in the process of hiring foreign mercenaries so Socrates' suggestion that Ion should serve as a general to the Athenian soldiers is not the non-sequitur it may at first appear when these circumstances are taken into account. Dialogue summary Ion's skill: Is it genuine? (530a–533c) Ion has just come ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippias Minor
''Hippias Minor'' (), or ''On Lying'', is thought to be one of Plato's early works. Socrates matches wits with an arrogant polymath, who is also a smug literary critic. Hippias believes that Homer can be taken at face value, and he also thinks that Achilles may be believed when he says he hates liars, whereas Odysseus' resourceful () behavior stems from his ability to lie well (365b). Socrates argues that Achilles is a cunning liar who throws people off the scent of his own deceptions and that cunning liars are actually the "best" liars. Consequently, Odysseus was equally false and true and so was Achilles (369b). Socrates proposes, possibly for the sheer dialectical fun of it, that it is better to do evil voluntarily than involuntarily. His case rests largely on the analogy with athletic skills, such as running and wrestling. He says that a runner or wrestler who deliberately sandbags is better than the one who plods along because he can do no better. Authenticity Despite ''Hip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippias Major
''Hippias Major'' (or ''What is Beauty?'' or ''Greater Hippias'' (, ''Hippías meízōn''), to distinguish it from the '' Hippias Minor'', which has the same chief character), is one of the dialogues of Plato, although its authenticity has been doubted. It belongs to the early dialogues, written while the author was still young. Its precise date is uncertain, although a date of c. 390 BC has been suggested. In the ''Hippias Major'', Socrates and Hippias set out to find a definition for "beauty", but are destined to fail due to their inability to formulate an answer which encompasses the entire concept. The actual Greek term that is used in the dialogue is καλόν, which as an adjective often means fine or noble as well as beautiful. For this reason, translators such as Paul Woodruff typically translate the term ( τὸ καλόν—the abstract noun of the adjective) as "the Fine" (things) instead of "Beauty." As in ''Charmides'', ''Lysis'' and ''Euthyphro'', ''Hippias Majo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meno
''Meno'' (; , ''Ménōn'') is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 385 BC., but set at an earlier date around 402 BC. Meno begins the dialogue by asking Socrates whether virtue (in , '' aretē'') can be taught, acquired by practice, or comes by nature. In order to determine whether virtue is teachable or not, Socrates tells Meno that they first need to determine what virtue is. When the characters speak of virtue, or ''aretē'', they refer to virtue in general, rather than particular virtues, such as justice or temperance. The first part of the work showcases Socratic dialectical style; Meno, unable to adequately define virtue, is reduced to confusion or aporia. Socrates suggests that they seek an adequate definition for virtue together. In response, Meno suggests that it is impossible to seek what one does not know, because one will be unable to determine whether one has found it. Socrates challenges Meno's argument, often called "Meno's Paradox", "Learner's Parado ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorgias (dialogue)
''Gorgias'' (; ) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC. The dialogue depicts a conversation between Socrates and a small group at a dinner gathering. Socrates debates with self-proclaimed rhetoricians seeking the true definition of rhetoric, attempting to pinpoint the essence of rhetoric and unveil the flaws of the sophistic oratory popular in Athens at the time. The art of persuasion was widely considered necessary for political and legal advantage in classical Athens, and rhetoricians promoted themselves as teachers of this fundamental skill. Some, like Gorgias, were foreigners attracted to Athens because of its reputation for intellectual and cultural sophistication. Socrates suggests that he (Socrates) is one of the few Athenians to practice true politics (521d). Dramatis personae * Socrates * Gorgias * Polus * Callicles * Chaerephon Major themes Definition of rhetoric Socrates interrogates Gorgias to determine the true definition of rhetoric, framing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protagoras (dialogue)
''Protagoras'' ( ; ) is a dialogue by Plato. The traditional subtitle (which may or may not be Plato's) is "or the Sophists". The main argument is between Socrates and the elderly Protagoras, a celebrated sophist and philosopher. The discussion takes place at the home of Callias III, Callias, who is host to Protagoras while he is in town. The philosophy, philosophical issues raised in the ''Protagoras'' include the unity and the teaching, teachability of virtue, and the relationship between pleasure and goodness.Taylor, C. C. W.Review of (N.) Denyer, "Plato, Protagoras". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008 p. 275, published on 19 November 2010, accessed on 15 January 2025 The characters Of the twenty-one people who are specifically said to be present, three are known sophists. In addition to Protagoras himself, there are Hippias of Elis and Prodicus of Ceos. Two of the sons of Pericles are said to be there, Paralus and Xanthippus. With the exception of Aristophanes, all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euthydemus (dialogue)
''Euthydemus'' (, ''Euthydemos''), written c. 384 BC, is a dialogue by Plato which satirizes what Plato presents as the logical fallacies of the Sophists. In it, Socrates describes to his friend Crito a visit he and various youths paid to two brothers, Euthydemus and Dionysodorus, both of whom were prominent Sophists and pankrationists from Chios and Thurii. The ''Euthydemus'' contrasts Socratic argumentation and education with the methods of Sophism, to the detriment of the latter. Throughout the dialogue, Euthydemus and Dionysodorus continually attempt to ensnare Socrates with what are presented as deceptive and meaningless arguments, primarily to demonstrate their professed philosophical superiority. As in many of the Socratic dialogues, the two Sophists against whom Socrates argues were indeed real people. Euthydemus was somewhat famous at the time the dialogue was written, and is mentioned several times by both Plato and Aristotle. Likewise, Dionysodorus is mentioned by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lysis (dialogue)
''Lysis'' (; , genitive case Λύσιδος, showing the stem Λύσιδ-, from which the infrequent translation Lysides), is a dialogue of Plato which discusses the nature of philia ( φιλία), often translated as friendship, while the word's original content was of a much larger and more intimate bond.Hoerber, Robert G. “Plato's ‘Lysis.’” Phronesis, vol. 4, no. 1, 1959, pp. 15–28JSTOR/ref> It is generally classified as an early dialogue. The main characters are Socrates, the boys Lysis and Menexenus who are friends, as well as Hippothales, who is in unrequited love with Lysis and therefore, after the initial conversation, hides himself behind the surrounding listeners. Socrates proposes four possible notions regarding the true nature of loving friendship as: # Friendship between people who are similar, interpreted by Socrates as friendship between good men. # Friendship between men who are dissimilar. # Friendship between men who are neither good nor bad and good ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laches (dialogue)
The ''Laches'' (; Ancient Greek, Greek: Λάχης) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. Participants in the discourse present competing definitions of the concept of courage or "manliness", ἀνδρεία in Greek. Characters *Socrates *Lysimachus – Son of the Athenian general and statesman, Aristides. * Melesias – A friend of Lysimachus. *Nicias – Athenian general and statesman, son of Niceratus. *Laches (general), Laches - Athenian general and statesman, son of Melanopus. *Aristides – Son of Lysimachus and grandson of the eponymous general and statesman. Summary Education and the value of military training Has military education a place in higher education? [178a–180a] Lysimachus, son of Aristides, and Melesias, son of Thucydides (politician), Thucydides (not the historian Thucydides), request advice from Laches (person), Laches and Nicias on whether or not they should have their sons (who are named after their famous grandfathers) trained to fight in armour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charmides (dialogue)
The ''Charmides'' (; ) is a dialogue of Plato, in which Socrates engages a handsome and popular boy named Charmides in a conversation about the meaning of ''sophrosyne'', a Greek word usually translated into English as "Temperance (virtue), temperance," "self-control," or "restraint." When the boy is unable to satisfy him with an answer, he next turns to the boy's mentor Critias. In the dialogue, Charmides and then later Critias champion that Temperance is "doing one's own work" but Socrates derides this as vague. The definition given next of know thyself, "knowing oneself" seems promising but the question is then raised if something can even have the knowledge of itself as a base. As is typical with Platonic early dialogues, the two never arrive at a completely satisfactory definition, but the discussion nevertheless raises many important points. The ''Charmides'' is one of Plato's most Homoeroticism, homoerotic dialogues. Socrates admires Charmides' beauty at the beginning of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
