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Chapter companions for Dialogues by Plato.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    The author dedicates his work to his former pupils at Balliol College and the University of Oxford, acknowledging their enduring friendship and support over fifty years.

  2. Chapter 2

    Preface to the First Edition

    In the preface, the translator discusses the challenges of determining the authenticity of Plato's dialogues, referencing the views of Schaarschmidt and Grote. He acknowledges the variety of doctrine and style across the dialogues, defends the inclusion of works like the Sophist and Politicus, and expresses his respect for Grote while disagreeing on several points, including the value of the Laws and the Sophists. He also thanks his collaborators and lists the scholarly works that aided his translation.

  3. Chapter 3

    Preface to the Second and Third Editions

    In this preface, the translator discusses the challenges of translating Plato into idiomatic English, acknowledges contributions from various scholars, and defends the spuriousness of the Platonic Epistles by citing internal inconsistencies, historical blunders, and lack of early testimony. He also notes Dr. Henry Jackson's theory of two distinct stages in Plato's theory of Ideas.

  4. Chapter 4

    Dialogues

    This chapter presents a collection of dialogues featuring Socrates and various interlocutors, exploring themes of justice, virtue, knowledge, and the ideal state through dialectical inquiry.

  5. Chapter 5

    Charmides

    Socrates discusses the nature of temperance (sophrosyne) with Charmides and Critias, exploring definitions such as 'doing one's own business' and 'knowledge of knowledge.' The dialogue ends in aporia, with Socrates admitting defeat in defining temperance, yet Charmides agrees to be 'charmed' by Socrates daily. The Thracian charm metaphor emphasizes curing the soul before the body.

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  1. Chapter 6Charmides
  2. Chapter 7Lysis
  3. Chapter 8Some Questions Relating to Friendship
  4. Chapter 9Lysis
  5. Chapter 10Laches
  6. Chapter 11Laches
  7. Chapter 12Protagoras
  8. Chapter 13Protagoras
  9. Chapter 14Euthydemus
  10. Chapter 15Euthydemus
  11. Chapter 16Cratylus
  12. Chapter 17Cratylus
  13. Chapter 18Phaedrus
  14. Chapter 19On the Decline of Greek Literature
  15. Chapter 20Phaedrus
  16. Chapter 21Ion
  17. Chapter 22Ion
  18. Chapter 23Symposium
  19. Chapter 24Symposium
  20. Chapter 25Meno
  21. Chapter 26On the Ideas of Plato
  22. Chapter 27Meno
  23. Chapter 28Euthyphro
  24. Chapter 29Euthyphro
  25. Chapter 30Apology
  26. Chapter 31Apology
  27. Chapter 32Crito
  28. Chapter 33Crito
  29. Chapter 34Phaedo
  30. Chapter 35Phaedo
  31. Chapter 36Gorgias
  32. Chapter 37The Myths of Plato
  33. Chapter 38Gorgias
  34. Chapter 39Republic
  35. Chapter 40Introduction and Analysis
  36. Chapter 41The Republic
  37. Chapter 42Book I
  38. Chapter 43Book II
  39. Chapter 44Book III
  40. Chapter 45Book IV
  41. Chapter 46Book V
  42. Chapter 47Book VI
  43. Chapter 48Book VII
  44. Chapter 49Book VIII
  45. Chapter 50Book IX
  46. Chapter 51Book X
  47. Chapter 52Timaeus
  48. Chapter 53Introduction and Analysis
  49. Chapter 54Timaeus I
  50. Chapter 55§ II
  51. Chapter 56§ III
  52. Chapter 57§ IV
  53. Chapter 58§ V
  54. Chapter 59§ VI
  55. Chapter 60§ VII
  56. Chapter 61§ VIII
  57. Chapter 62Timaeus
  58. Chapter 63Critias
  59. Chapter 64Introduction and Analysis
  60. Chapter 65Critias
  61. Chapter 66Parmenides
  62. Chapter 67Introduction and Analysis
  63. Chapter 68Parmenides
  64. Chapter 69Theaetetus
  65. Chapter 70Introduction and Analysis
  66. Chapter 71On the Nature and Limits of Psychology
  67. Chapter 72Theaetetus
  68. Chapter 73Sophist
  69. Chapter 74Introduction and Analysis
  70. Chapter 75Sophist
  71. Chapter 76Statesman
  72. Chapter 77Introduction and Analysis
  73. Chapter 78Statesman
  74. Chapter 79Philebus
  75. Chapter 80Introduction and Analysis
  76. Chapter 81Philebus
  77. Chapter 82Laws
  78. Chapter 83Introduction and Analysis
  79. Chapter 84The Preamble
  80. Chapter 85Excursus on the Relation of the Laws of Plato to the Institutions of Crete and Lacedaemon and to the Laws and Constitution of Athens
  81. Chapter 86Laws
  82. Chapter 87Book I
  83. Chapter 88Book II
  84. Chapter 89Book III
  85. Chapter 90Book IV
  86. Chapter 91Book V
  87. Chapter 92Book VI
  88. Chapter 93Book VII
  89. Chapter 94Book VIII
  90. Chapter 95Book IX
  91. Chapter 96Book X
  92. Chapter 97Book XI
  93. Chapter 98Book XII
  94. Chapter 99Appendix
  95. Chapter 100Appendix I
  96. Chapter 101Lesser Hippias
  97. Chapter 102Lesser Hippias
  98. Chapter 103First Alcibiades
  99. Chapter 104First Alcibiades
  100. Chapter 105Menexenus
  101. Chapter 106Menexenus
  102. Chapter 107Appendix II
  103. Chapter 108Second Alcibiades
  104. Chapter 109Eryxias
  105. Chapter 110Eryxias
  106. Chapter 111Endnotes