Classical Studies

"Since the appearance of Sommerstein’s very successful literal translation less than twenty years ago, there have been at least five further new published attempts at rendering the play into English. It is certainly a bold enterprise to introduce yet one more translation onto the scene, but Peter Meineck has risen well to the challenge. The translation is straightforward and idiomatic, as well as well-paced and funny. . . Ian Storey’s Introduction is perfect for undergraduates.” —Max Nelson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“A distinctive and superior collection of texts suitable for both graduate and undergraduate courses. There is nothing like it elsewhere. Steinberger’s commentary is succint, accurate, and very useful.”
     —Dr. Melvin Kulbicki, York College of Pennsylvania

This study of the origins and progress of Greek science focuses especially on the interaction between scientific and traditional patterns of thought from the sixth to the fourth century BC. It begins with an examination of how particular Greek authors deployed the category of "magic," sometimes attacking its beliefs and practices; these attacks are then related to their background in Greek medicine and philosophical thought. In his second chapter Lloyd outlines developments in the theory and practice of argument in Greek science and assesses their significance. He next discuses the progress of empirical research as a scientific tool from the Presocratics to Aristotle. Finally, he considers why the Greeks invented science, their contribution to its history, and the social, economic, ideological and political factors that had a bearing on its growth.

"[A] model of eclectic methodology, giving a fascinating picture of ancient views of animals, man, and medicine at the interface of popular belief and philosophy, of folklore and science, of ideology and criticism."
     —Helen King, Medical History

This text brings together for the first time two complete key works from classical antiquity on the politics of Athens: Plato's Menexenus and Pericles' Funeral Oration (from Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War).

“It is. . . remarkable that Reeve’s is the first new English translation since Fowler’s Loeb edition of 1926. Fortunately, Reeve has done an excellent job. His version is not slavishly literal but is in general very accurate. It is also very clear and readable. Reeve is particularly to be congratulated for having produced versions of some of the more torturous passages, which are not only faithful to the text but also make good sense in English. The long and detailed introduction is worth reading in its own right.”
     —R. F. Stalley, The Classical Review

"This marvelously conceived new translation of Plato's most important dialogue will set the standard for classroom use for many years to come. . . . The authors' imaginative new interpretation will inspire students and generate scholarly controversy-and is thus certain to accomplish what it suggests is the true aim of Socratic inquiry: the weaving, unweaving, and perpetual re-weaving of the Logos."
     —Dr. George R. Lucas, Jr., Professor of Philosophy, US Naval Academy, Annapolis

“The beautifully crafted English of Reeve’s translation is as crisp and lucid as Aristotle’s Greek. One is constantly impressed with Reeve’s instinct for the right word in rendering the rich vocabulary of Aristotle’s thoughts about politics and for his ability to capture the subtleties of Aristotelian syntax. Highly recommended.” —David Keyt, University of Washington

“This is an admirable translation, meticulous in its attention to Aristotle’s Greek and judicious in its phrasing and choice of terms. It should prove invaluable to beginning students and scholars alike.” —Richard Kraut, Northwestern University

"This new translation of the Meno by Anastaplo and Berns has several distinctive features that make it useful for teaching and studying the dialogue. Generally achieving a balance between clarity and faithfulness, it includes valuable annotation, two appendices . . . and an innovative division of the text through the provision of numbers for each of it's speeches. . . . The overall result is a text that would give a reader unschooled in Greek a fairly reliable sense of the flow of ideas in the original."
     —William A. Welton, Loyola College, in Review of Metaphysics

"The Symposium challenges the translator who is also a poet in its range of styles which is unique among the Platonic dialogues. Not only does the translator have to mimic the distinct style of the narrator, Apollodoros, and the seven symposiasts . . . he has to mind and represent the action in this the most dramatic of the Platonic dialogues. Sharon's translation meets these challenges and is a brilliant recovery of the style and drama of the Symposium. I know of no other translation that is so appropriately various in the styles adopted by and for the speakers or which is so attentive to the drama of this dialogue which celebrates a tragic victory."
     —Diskin Clay, Duke University

This new edition of Hellenistic Philosophy—including nearly 100 pages of additional material—offers the first English translation of the account of Stoic ethics by Arius Didymus, substantial new sources on Epicureanism, Stoicism, and Scepticism, expanded representation of Plutarch and Cicero, and a fuller presentation of papyrological evidence. Inwood and Gerson maintain the standard of consistency and accuracy that distinguished their translations in the first edition, while regrouping some material into larger, more thematically connected passages. This edition is further enhanced by a new, more spacious page design.

"The Original Sceptics contains a wealth of analysis, argument and philological comment, and it undoubtedly succeeds in making the reader aware of the difficulties involved in discovering what the ancient sceptics really held.”
     —F. C. White, Australasian Journal of Philosophy

“An indispensable storehouse of information and analysis—essential reading nowadays just as in 1935, when it first appeared. . . . Plato’s Cosmology continues to be the constant reference point of any serious study of the Timaeus.”
    —John M. Cooper, Princeton University

"This is clearly the definitive edition in English of the Platonic writings. It replaces completely the Hamilton-Cairns collection. . . . The notes are at just the right level, and the index is very helpful.  The translations are both readable and accurate." —Michael D. Rohr, Rutgers University

"The most important publishing event in Platonic translation is the Complete Works edited by Cooper and Hutchinson. . . . Hackett has lavished great care in the production of this volume: fine India paper, elegant typography, sewn binding, and cloth boards. . . . It should be in every library and on the shelves of all lovers of Plato." —Steven J. Willett, Syllecta Classica

Drawn from the translations and editorial aids of Irwin and Fine's Aristotle, Selections (Hackett Publishing Co., 1995), this anthology will be most useful to instructors who must try to do justice to Aristotle in a semester-long ancient-philosophy survey, but it will also be appropriate for a variety of introductory-level courses. Introductory Readings provides accurate, readable, and integrated translations that allow the reader to follow Aristotle's use of crucial technical terms and to grasp the details of his argument. Included are adaptations of the glossary and notes that helped make its parent volume a singularly useful aid to the study of Aristotle.

“Gill’s and Ryan’s Parmenides is, simply, superb: the Introduction, more than a hundred pages long, is transparently clear, takes the reader meticulously through the arguments, avoids perverseness, and still manages to make sense of the dialogue as a whole; there is a fine selective bibliography; and those parts of the translation I have looked at in detail suggest that it too is very good indeed.”
—Christopher Rowe, Phronesis

"Keith Whitaker's insightful introduction to this notoriously daunting text is valuable for its clarity and sobriety. The lucid interpretation will be of interest to those versed in the text and will be of great help to any who encounter the dialogue for the first time. The engaging translation humanizes the discourse without compromising its precision-a notable achievement that will earn the gratitude of readers."
     —Joseph Cropsey, University of Chicago

This is an English translation of Plato presenting a new conception of the Theory of Forms. Socrates and others discuss the epistemological and metaphysical puzzles of the Parmenides, with aims to define the meaning of the Sophist. The glossary of key terms is a unique addition to Platonic literature by which concepts central to each dialogue are discussed and cross-referenced as to their occurrences throughout the work. In such a way students are encouraged to see beyond the words into concepts.

This comprehensive account of the history of ancient Greek thought circa 600 to 400 B.C. offers an accessible, nontechnical introduction to Presocratic philosophy. Translations of the surviving fragments of Presocratic writings serve as a foundation from which the discussion proceeds. Also included are maps, notes, and an index of names and terms. (Co-published in the U.K. by Gerald Duckworth and Company, Ltd. HPC holds rights in North America and U.S. Dependencies)

“An admirable account of a very difficult subject, remarkable for the erudition that clearly lies behind it as well as for its lucidity and good sense.”
     —Times Literary Supplement

Selections seeks to provide an accurate and readable translation that will allow the reader to follow Aristotle's use of crucial technical terms and to grasp the details of his argument. Unlike anthologies that combine translations by many hands, this volume includes a fully integrated set of translations by a two-person team. The glossary—the most detailed in any edition—explains Aristotle's vocabulary and indicates the correspondences between Greek and English words. Brief notes supply alternative translations and elucidate difficult passages.

Through criticism and analysis of ancient traditions, Kahn reconstructs the pattern of Anaximander’s thought using historical methods akin to the reconstructive techniques of comparative linguists.

“A classic. It provides an invaluable aid to anyone seeking to understand Plato and Aristotle in their historical context. Dover uses a variety of literary sources to set out, with clarity and deep sensitivity, popular views on moral, political, and religious matters in fourth-century Greece.”
     —Michael Morgan, Indiana University

“Not only one of the best but also the most comprehensive treatment of Stoicism written in this century.”
     —Times Literary Supplement

Includes an introduction, the ancient biography of Epicurus, the extant letters, ancient collections of maxims, doxographical reports, the testimony of Cicero, the testimony of Lucretius, and the polemic of Plutarch. Short fragments and testimonia from known works: From On Nature, From the Puzzles, From On the Goal, From the Symposium, From Against Theophrastus, Fragments of Epicurus’ letters. Short fragments and testimonia from uncertain works: Logic and epistemology, Physics and theology, Ethics.

"This is the best translation available of a lively and challenging dialogue, which sets before the reader profound questions about the use and misuse of reason."
     —Myles Burnyeat, University of Cambridge

This translation by Dorothea Frede of Plato’s dialogue on the nature of pleasure and its relation to thought and knowledge achieves a high standard of readability and fidelity to the Greek text. The volume includes a cogent introduction, notes, and comprehensive bibliography by Frede.

The revised edition of Grube’s classic translation follows and furthers Grube’s noted success in combining fidelity to Plato’s text with natural readability, while reflecting the fruits of new scholarship and insights into Plato’s thought since publication of the first edition in 1974. A new introduction, index, and bibliography by Professor Reeve are included in this new rendering.

“C.D.C. Reeve has taken the excellent Grube translation and, without sacrificing accuracy, rendered it into a vivid and contemporary style. It is intensity that is often lost in translation, but not here. This is not just a matter of style. The Republic is full of brilliant thoughts, and one needs to preserve brilliance to capture them. In the cave of translations, Reeve’s revision of Grube’s Republic is closest to the sun.” —Jonathan Lear, University of Chicago

“The book’s major parts, one on polarity and the other on analogy, introduce the reader to the patterns of thinking that are fundamental not only to Greek philosophy but also to classical civilization as a whole. As a leading classicist in his own right, Lloyd is an impeccable guide. His sophistication in adducing anthropological parallels to Greek models of polarity and analogy broadens his perspective, making him a forerunner in the study of what we are now used to calling semiotics. A striking example of Lloyd’s approach is his re-examination of the dichotomy of Olympian and chthonian gods in ancient Greek world view, which surpasses the reductionist and pseudo-historical models of sky-gods and earth-goddesses that are still commonly invoked to account for polarities in Greek pantheon. In the second part, dealing with analogy, three crucial metaphorical models for the universe turn out to be basis for a dazzlingly wide variety of scientific and philosophical perspectives. Each model is tested in the whole spectrum of Greek artistic, philosophical and scientific thought. This work is a treasure-house of insights for experts and non experts alike.”
—Gregory Nagy, Harvard University

M. J. Levett's elegant translation of Theaetetus, first published in 1928, is here revised by Myles Burnyeat to reflect contemporary standards of accuracy while retaining the style, imagery, and idiomatic speech for which the Levett translation is unparalleled. Bernard Williams's concise introduction illuminates the powerful argument of this complex dialogue and illustrates its connections to contemporary metaphysical and epistemological concerns.

This edition of Martin Ostwald's revised version of J. B. Skemp's 1952 translation of Statesman includes a new selected bibliography, as well as Ostwald's interpretive introduction, which traces the evolution in Plato's political philosophy from Republic to Statesman to Laws—from philosopher-king to royal statesman.

“This excellent translation in current idiomatic English continues the superb quality set by Sprague in her previous version of Plato’s Euthydemus. . . . Its accuracy and reliability make the present volume suitable for use in various courses in the humanities.”
     —The Classical Outlook

“A very readable translation that conveys both the philosophical and the dramatic context better than any existing translation. It is extremely accurate in conveying the movement of the argument and in noting significant points of philosophical usage. . . . I am very impressed with the vividness and the easy flow of the prose.”
     —John Cooper, Princeton University

“Myles Burnyeat, the Lawrence Professor of Ancient Philosophy at Cambridge, has revised Levett’s translation to catch the charm and wit of the original in modern English, and has written a magnificent introduction and commentary of 250 pages that is lucid, rigorous, fair and un-put-downable.”
     —Philip Howard, The Times (London)

“This volume is an impressive tour de force. It is state-of-the-art Aristotle: it employs the most recent philological, philosophical, and logical advances which since the 1970’s at least have rendered previous translations and commentaries obsolete. The translation is the first to take account of the recent epistemically orientated natural-deduction approach, which restores Aristotle’s reputation as a consummate logician and reveals much more of Aristotle’s method than previous approaches. Every page of Robin Smith’s commentary shows extensive learning, taste, imagination, and skill. . . . An important and lasting contribution, not only to Aristotle scholarship and to the history of logic, but also to the history of philosophy itself.”
    —John Corcoran, SUNY Buffalo

"A model of the kind of text one needs for lecture courses: the translation is extremely readable and made even more accessible by intelligent printing decisions (on dividing the text, spacing for clarification, etc.); the notes are kept to a minimum but appear when they are really needed for comprehension and are truly informative. And the introduction admirably presents both basic information and a sense of current scholarly opinion." —S. G. Nugent, Princeton University

"A fantastic book. Translation is graceful and elegant yet uncannily accurate. Footnotes very useful, especially for teaching purposes, and the price is surprisingly low." —Eve Browning Cole, University of Minnesota

“Reeve’s book is an excellent companion to Plato’s Apology and a valuable discussion of many of the main issues that arise in the early dialogues. Reeve is an extremely careful reader of texts, and his familiarity with the legal and cultural background of Socrates’ trial allows him to correct many common misunderstandings of that event. In addition, he integrates his reading of the apology with a sophisticated discussion of Socrates’ philosophy. The writing is clear and succinct, and the research is informed by a thorough acquaintance with the secondary literature. Reeve’s book will be accessible to any serious undergraduate, but it is also a work that will have to be taken into account by every scholar doing advanced research on Socrates.”
     —Richard Kraut, Northwestern University

Contains the Poetics and the first twelve chapters of the Rhetoric, Book III.

Richard Janko’s acclaimed translation of Aristotle’s Poetics is accompanied by the most comprehensive commentary available in English that does not presume knowledge of the original Greek. Two other unique features are Janko’s translations with notes of both the Tractatus Coislinianus, which is argued to be a summary of the lost second book of the Poetics, and fragments of Aristotle’s dialogue On Poets, including recently discovered texts about catharsis, which appear in English for the first time.

“This is an excellent translation. It achieves a very high standard of accuracy and readability, two goals very difficult to attain in combination when it comes to such a master of prose and philosophical argument as Plato. Because of this the book is suitable for courses at all levels in philosophy, from introductory courses on Plato, or problems in Philosophy, to graduate seminars.” —Gerasimos Santas, Teaching Philosophy

“Reason and Human Good in Aristotle opens up issues of interpretation which are as alive today as when it originally appeared. After almost two decades of extraordinary influence, this succinct book remains a ‘must’ for any serious bibliography of Aristotle’s Ethics.”
     —Sarah Broadie, Princeton University

A literal translation, allowing the simplicity and vigor of the Greek diction to shine through.

“Judicious in every respect: selection, translation and structuring of the texts, footnotes, bibliography, and index. . . . The book of choice for undergraduate courses.”
    —Edward M. Galligan, University of North Carolina

Includes an introduction, bibliography, On the Sects for Beginners, An Outline of Empiricism, On Medical Experience, an index of the persons mentioned in the text, and an index of the subjects mentioned in the texts.

“About as close to Aristotle’s Greek, syntax and all, as one can get in English.”
     —Arthur Madigan, S.J., Boston College

Includes a translator's Introduction, selected bibliography, note on the text, glossary of technical Terms, and a biographical index.

Reading the Republic without reference to the less familiar Laws can lead to a distorted view of Plato's political theory.  In the Republic the philosopher describes his ideal city; in his last and longest work he deals with the more detailed considerations involved in setting up a second-best 'practical utopia.'  The relative neglect of the Laws has stemmed largely from the obscurity of its style and the apparent chaos of its organization so that, although good translations now exist, students of philosophy and political science still find the text inaccessible. This first full-length philosophical introduction to the Laws will therefore prove invaluable.

Together these two dialogues contain Plato’s most important work on poetry and beauty.

Plato's Thought offers an excellent introduction to Plato, guiding the reader through Plato's Theory of Forms, and examining his views on art, education and statecraft. This edition includes an introduction, bibliographic essay, and bibliography by Donald Zeyl.