Plato’s Masterpieces (2 volumes)

Description

This bundle includes two masterpieces by Plato:

Apology
In 399 BC, the philosopher Socrates stands before the court of Athens to defend himself against the charges of “corrupting the youth” and “not believing in the gods of the city, but in other daimonia.” In this dialogue, Socrates speaks plainly and honestly about who he is and the life he has led. The Apology is one of the four Socratic dialogues—along with Euthyphro, Phaedo, and Crito—through which Plato recounts the final days of Socrates.

Symposium
The Symposium takes place at a banquet hosted by the poet Agathon in Athens in 416 BC. Several distinguished Athenian intellectuals—including the philosopher Socrates, the comic playwright Aristophanes, the general Alcibiades, and others—each deliver a speech in honor of Eros, the god of love and desire. Through their words, a rich variety of perspectives on love emerges: love as a source of courage, as a guide to noble deeds, and as a force that elevates the human soul. The sequence of speeches culminates with Socrates, who, through the wisdom of the priestess Diotima, presents love as the pursuit of beauty and truth—a gradual ascent toward absolute Beauty itself.

Each book includes an introduction, the original ancient Greek text, and its English translation.