Symposium/The Death of Socrates

by Plato

With an Introduction by Jane O'Grady. Translated by Tom Griffith.

In Symposium, a group of Athenian aristocrats attend a party and talk about love, until the drunken Alcibiades bursts in and decides to discuss Socrates instead. Symposium gives an unsurpassed picture of the sparkling society that was Athens at the height of her empire.

The setting of the other dialogues is more sombre. Socrates is put on trial for impiety, and sentenced to death. Euthyphro discusses the nature of piety, Apology is Socrates' speech in his own defence, Crito explains his refusal to escape punishment, and Phaedo gives an account of Socrates' last day.

These dialogues have never been offered in one volume before. Tom Griffith's Symposium has been described as 'possibly the finest translation of any Platonic dialogue'. All the other translations are new.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, Nonfiction, History, Historical

211 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[joanet · Rating 5 out of 5]

la verdad me ha gustado mucho quien pensaba que me iba a gustar un libro de platón..... el banquete simplememte locuras me ha encantado leerlos hablar del AMOR que es mi tema favorito del mundo y el fedón pues también muy chulo joer que guay es la filosofia cuando la entiendo..........

[Rory Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of platos dialogues. As stated, it contains the Symposium and the 4 dialogues that deal directly with Socrates death. Each covers ideas like love, the soul, holiness, justice, and the need to live philosophically. It does process a fair amount of spirituality and mysticism required for some arguments which weakens it considerably, but it is still fascinating to read how the conclusions are reached. Written with the commons in mind it is very readable and easy to follow. It is also quite funny at times too. Recommended to anyone interested or curious. It's not at all daunting. You will enjoy it

[Álvaro Díaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una reflexión sobre el amor en sus distintas variantes. Un diálogo en busca de la verdad sobre el que muchas veces creímos, sobre todo en la más tierna juventud, era el motor del mundo. Quizá la obra más importante de este filósofo tras La República, de la que bebió claramente el cristianismo. Entender a Platón es, en muchos casos, entender en buena medida los valores que priman hoy en esta parte del mundo; en Occidente.

[Stoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Socrates really did be thinkin tho. Sentenced to death for too many big brain moments.

[Wyatt Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Praise Eros 🙌

[Max M · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Daimonion’ is a really interesting conceptualisation of divinity within ethics. Like it a lot, good read.

[Alexandru · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic must read. The part on love is fascinating. The part on death sad, but stoic. Although I disagree with some of ideas a great read and nice to get to know the Socratic method.

[Alec Westgarth-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who hasn't read a lot of Plato or any Greeks in quite a while I was a bit hesitant going in. Surprisingly, rather than a dry exegesis on the soul or forms, I found an at times funny and moving work portraying philosophy as a way of life. Socrates comes across as both a comic and tragic figure, and ultimately a kind of singularly strangely great figure. Plenty to ponder.

[paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

beidzot pabeidzu so gramatu! man patika, bet the name is misleading, gramata praktiski bija tikai par socrates un plato bija loti mazs pieminets

[Paolo Müller]

"Your notion of Love was just a mistake, and not a very surprising one either"

[Brett Lowey]

Socrates is hilarious - I love him!

While reading I identified strongly with the crowd of followers breathlessly hanging on every word, seeing how the man would navigate the labyrinths of thought they had decided to explore.

Both fun and fruitful.

[Anda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all fun to read in Greek but there are little hints in the Greek text that take one much further than the translation would. This is one of Plato's last dialogues and it shows. Phrase structure is complex and at times seems incomplete. Only it is complete and also intentional. Greek translates horribly in English. French, on the other hand, renders the Greek text much better.

[Andreu · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Guillermo Maddalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnifico diálogo entre amigos. Un tributo o elogio al amor impecable!!!! Digno de leer. Obra maestra!!!!

[Kroluna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenia unas altas expectativas sobre este libro y la verdad que las ha superado, Platón ídolo 🤙🤙

[Hugolane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have returned to these Plato Dialogues for the first time since college, though for some reason we were never assigned the Euthyphro, which I now ranks as my favorite dialogue by far. For more than the others Plato/Socrates seems to be pointing at the potential emptiness of the concepts he is interested in. You can also see just how annoying Socrates might well have been in person. Some 38 years on after my first encounter with the Apology and the Crito also stood up well; although, I just don't think I had the knowledge to assimilate their arguments properly or to understand their broader significance. The Symposium and the Phaedo wore less will, once one got beyond their somewhat different appeals to recognize the importance of inquiry, in large part because I just don't buy into the concept of pure forms and the arguments for the immortality of the soul have never done much for me. In particular, Diotima's explanations to Socrates did little for me beyond her point that desire/love is not an external thing located in the cherished person/item but lies within. Beyond that what struck me as rather discordant was the way both the Symposium and Phaedo are framed, as recalled experiences, something that seems at odds with Plato's emphasis on the philosopher's need to break away from imitation in order to uncover the true forms of concepts.

[Sunni · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were a lot more interesting that I thought they would be. The Symposium recounts a debating party held at the home of a well-known poet of the times who was entertaining other well-known celebrities. All of those in attendance take turns flaunting their intellectual prowess by making speeches on love. The Phaedo presents a discussion held in a prison cell where Socrates is being held shortly before his death. Accordingly immortality is the focus of the discussion.

I find it interesting that although many things have changed over the centuries, many things also have remained the same. Mankind is still struggling to answer questions regarding immortality and sexuality. While we may have better scientific answers to many things in modern society, we haven't progressed very far in the psychological aspect of things.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a special man who, when given a chance to suggest an alternative punishment to death, says “you can arrange to have me paid at the public expense for the service I provide you in telling you all how stupid you are.” I don’t think I’ve ever related to anything so hard.

I can imagine that the less gifted students of Socrates must have been the most annoying people ever to have lived and can easily imagine them getting their not-a-teacher murdered.

Fascinating book.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have my suspicions about the quality of the translation. And I haven’t been able to track down the source for the quote on the cover that calls it 'possibly the finest translation of any Platonic dialogue’. But I think it’s an excellent selection of dialogues for someone new to Plato. Penguin has a book called the Last Days of Socrates which combines the four dialogues dealing with Socrates’ trial and death, but adding the famous Symposium, as this one does, gives it more colour and weight.

[Niels Bak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess it goes without saying, that the language is a bit hard to read, because of how they spoke. Furthermore, the sentences are constructed, not to be read - but to argue. I think it should be used as a source, not as a bit of light bedtime reading. 2/5 bedtime reading. 4/5 source. 5/5 Socrates for being so badass going into death.

[Cal Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and versatile volume. The Symposium just has so much character to it, and the other works of this volume really get the brain ticking. One feels attached to Socrates in a strange way before he drinks the hemlock.

[James Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aristophanes in the symposium vindicates the just reality of Transgenderism; Alcibiades offers his gust energy and shallow observation; Socrates throughout his gentle polemic, and his effervescent truth.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The funniest thing is when Euthyphro quickly rushes off to avoid Socrates because he has had enough of his bullshit; fully made me cackle because I know he was secretly thinking to himself, 'damn no wonder you're getting prosecuted.'

[Alberto Lagomarsini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Puedo ser un buen libro pero lo único que ir se puede decir de la obra es que reconocen filosóficamente que el amor es lo más grande del universo. O sea, Dios aunque lo negaran o lo incomprendieran. Lo demás no aporta gran cosa.

[Erick Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si tubiera que elegir libros para llevarme de por vida, este compendio seria de mis elegidos. Los dialogos de platon en especial el banquete fueron de los libros que terminaron por engancharme con la filosofia.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend. It’s a great book to help challenge your perspective and appreciate philosophy more. Socrates is a man we all should know.

[Ritesh Sthapit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Socrates very finely illustrates that no matter how much we know, theres always more to learn.

[Paula Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Was educational for me as I hadn't touched on philosophers much. Very interesting.

[Laura Garvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

de las dos obras más bonitas que he leído en mi vida

[Albert Tapias Planas · Rating 3 out of 5]

El Banquete m’ha agradat molt més que el final de Sócrates.