Plato's Phaedrus: A Commentary for Greek Readers (Volume 47) (Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture)

Composed in the fourth century b.c., the Phaedrus a dialogue between Phaedrus and Socratesdeals ostensibly with love but develops into a wide-ranging discussion of such subjects as the pursuit of beauty, the nature of humanity, the immortality of the soul, and the attainment of truth, ending with an in-depth discussion of the principles of rhetoric. This erudite commentary, which also includes the original Greek text, is designed to help intermediate-level students of Greek read, understand, and enjoy Platos magnificent work . Drawing on his extensive classroom experience and linguistic expertise, Paul Ryan offers a commentary that is both rich in detail andin contrast to earlier, more austere commentaries on the Phaedrus fully engaging . Line by line, he explains subtle points of language, explicates difficulties of syntax, and brings out nuances of tone and meaning that students might not otherwise notice or understand. Ryan sections his commentary into units of convenient length for classroom use, with short summaries at the head of each section to orient the reader. Never straying far from the text itself, Ryan provides useful historical glosses and annotations for the student, introducing information ranging from the architecture of the Lyceum to Athenian politics. Further historical and philosophical context is provided in the introduction by Mary Louise Gill, who outlines the issues addressed in the Phaedrus and situates it in relation to Platos other dialogues. Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Information Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 8 Abbreviations 10 Works Cited 12 Introduction 16 Plato’s Phaedrus 34 Commentary Part I: The Nonlover Has His Day 108 The Walk 110 The Speech of Lysias 139 The First Speech of Socrates 167 The First Interlude 153 The Second Interlude 189 Commentary Part II: The Palinode 200 The Kinds of Madness 202 The Soul in Deduction and Similitude 211 The Hyperuranian Experience 219 The Struggle and the Prize 225 The Soul Falls in Love 233 The Soul in Love 242 Commentary Part III: Toward an Art of Speaking 266 In the Heat of the Day 268 Knowledge, Truth, and Rhetoric 279 Definition, Collection, and Division 291 Handbooks and Devices 307 Toward an Art of Speaking 323 Two Cheers for the Written Word 342 Epilogue 359 Index of Greek Terms 364 Index of English Terms 370 Index of Proper Terms 374 "Composed in the fourth century b.c., the Phaedrus--a dialogue between Phaedrus and Socrates - deals ostensibly with love but develops into a wide-ranging discussion of such subjects as the pursuit of beauty, the nature of humanity, the immortality of the soul, and the attainment of truth, ending with an in-depth discussion of the principles of rhetoric. This erudite commentary, which also includes the original Greek text, is designed to help intermediate-level students of Greek read, understand, and enjoy Plato's magnificent work Drawing on his extensive classroom experience and linguistic expertise, Paul Ryan offers a commentary that is both rich in detail and - in contrast to earlier, more austere commentaries on the Phaedrus - fully engaging.