Eryxias

PlatoProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 39K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Eryxias by PlatoAuthor: Plato (spurious and doubtful works), 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1999

Editor's review

Eryxias is usually classified among the spurious or doubtful works in the Platonic corpus, and that status itself constitutes its chief value for reading: it shows us the fluid boundaries of the "Platonic dialogue" as a genre in antiquity, and how later writers imitated, continued, or borrowed the name. The text discusses the relation between wealth and virtue, continuing the Socratic style of cross-examination; it is short and serves as a light entry into Plato's ethical questions. For readers who have already read acknowledged works such as the Apology and Crito, it offers a comparative perspective: which argumentative methods and questions belong to the common vocabulary of Plato's circle, and which betray the hand of an imitator. The English translation is relatively plain, and the Project Gutenberg e-edition is convenient to search and compare. Read it as a "peripheral text" rather than a core classic; combined with an account of the authenticity problem, it can yield more reflection than simply reading one dialogue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Plato's core dialogues and want to explore spurious and doubtful works.
Readers interested in the authenticity of classical texts and authorship studies.
Students who want to practice reading classical philosophy with short English texts.
General readers concerned with the ethical question of wealth and virtue.

Not a good fit for

Readers with no prior contact with Platonic dialogues who need introductory guidance.
Readers expecting a systematic theory of wealth or an economic treatise.
Readers who prefer long, rigorous arguments and lack patience for short doubtful texts.

Reading tips

First read an acknowledged short Platonic dialogue as a reference, then read this book to sense the stylistic differences.
While reading, mark argumentative leaps or suspicious stylistic features as clues for the authenticity debate.
Compare with Platonic works on the same theme to see how views of wealth and virtue are handled.
The English text is short; read it in one sitting, then revisit the key passages.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is Eryxias genuinely by Plato?

The materials label it a "spurious and doubtful work," meaning scholars generally do not believe it came from Plato's own hand, or at least that the attribution is highly disputed. Read it as a text from Plato's circle or by a later imitator, not as a core work on a par with the Republic.

Can I read this book without a philosophy background?

The text itself is short and not especially difficult in language, but without background knowledge it is easy to miss the questions at issue. It is advisable to learn at least the basic form of Socratic dialogue, or to read an acknowledged short Platonic dialogue first; the book will then go more smoothly.

What language is this edition in?

The materials indicate the book is in English, a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg and classified under classical languages and literature. It is not a Greek-English facing edition and contains no detailed textual apparatus or scholarly notes; it suits general reading and preliminary acquaintance.

Do I need other materials to read this book?

It is advisable to use an introductory article on the authenticity of Platonic works to understand what "spurious" means in classical philology. This helps avoid taking the book's views directly as Plato's own and better appreciate the historical value of such texts.

Comments

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About the author

Plato Author · Ancient Greek

Plato (c. 427 BCE–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. He was born in Athens around 427 BCE and died in 347 BCE. He founded the Academy and laid the foundations of Western philosophy with his dialogues. The four works listed here—Alcibiades I, Lesser Hippias, Alcibiades II, and Eryxias—are spurious or doubtful dialogues attributed to him. Public information on their exact dating, authorship, and transmission is limited; they generally unfold as Socratic dialogues dealing with ethical, political, and educational questions. In classical scholarship they have long been discussed as part of the reception of Plato's works, and their style and thought have also influenced later research on the authenticity of the Platonic corpus.