The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy: The Complete Fragments and Selected Testimonies of the Major Presocratics

by Daniel W. Graham (Translator/Editor)

This two-part sourcebook gives the reader easy access to the language and thought of the Presocratic thinkers, making it possible either to read the texts continuously or to study them one by one along with commentary. It contains the complete fragments and a generous selection of testimonies for twenty major Presocratic thinkers including cosmologists, ontologists, and sophists, setting translations opposite Greek and Latin texts on facing pages to allow easy comparison. The texts are grouped in chapters by author in a mainly chronological order, each preceded by a brief introduction and an up-to-date bibliography, and followed by a brief commentary. Significant variant readings are noted. This edition contains new fragments and testimonies not included in the authoritative but now outdated Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. It is the first and only complete bilingual edition of the works of the Presocratic philosophers for English-speakers.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, Nonfiction

1040 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2010

Reviews

[Austen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great new translation of the Pre-Socratic philosophers. I paid an arm and a leg for this, and it was worth it.

[Ciuras Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have to read it so u get Plato better? I have no idea. Do you have to read it? Absolutely yes.
The thought I came back to again and again is: what do we believe now that in thousands of years people will look back and think: They were completely in the dark! I am saying this because a significant part of what they write about is cosmology and cosmogony. They try to understand the universe in a quasi naturalistic way. I dont think i can call them naturalists in the modern sense but they are for sure between that and mythology. I think in the same way the start of The Enlightenment was. Men who believe in gods but want to answer the question "how" not "who" or "why".
Another way to describe what they were doing is: shower thoughts. Given the fact how little they knew they were arriving at weird conclusion. They were as smart as us today but did not have all the facts and that made them think a lot of nuts stuff.
Also the problem with infinity and what is and what is not are really good problems that are interesting even today.
Each one writes in his style and tries to test different ideas but the ones i liked the most are: Xenophanes, Zeno, Democritus (his ethical fragments), Protagoras and Gorgias.

[Nicolae Ghita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece!

[Liam Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn't get much more extensive than this. Texts are accompanied by the original languages on the left facing page, Loeb style. The introductions to each philosopher are short and to the point. The main analytical work is saved for the commentary, which is thorough and clear.