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Symposium (Oxford World's Classics) 1st Edition

by Plato (Author), Robin Waterfield (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 322 ratings
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In his celebrated masterpiece, Symposium, Plato imagines a high-society dinner-party in Athens in 416 BC. The guests--including the comic poet Aristophanes and Plato's mentor Socrates--each deliver a short speech in praise of love. The sequence of dazzling speeches culminates in Socrates' famous account of the views of Diotima, a prophetess who taught him that love is our means of trying to attain goodness, and a brilliant sketch of Socrates himself by a drunken Alcibiades, the most popular and notorious Athenian of the time. Engaging the reader on every page, this new translation conveys the power, humor, and pathos of Plato's creation and is complemented by full explanatory notes and an illuminating introduction.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199540195
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199540198
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 2009
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    7.7 x 0.5 x 5 inches
  8. Print length
    160 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'In his lucid introduction Waterfield highlights the artistry and subtleties which might elude non-classicists. He emphasises that Plato's Symposium is fun.' Sophia Sackville-West, London Evening Standard

Book Description

A new translation of Plato's masterpiece, Symposium, whichconveys the power, humor, and pathos of Plato's creation.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (January 15, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199540195
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199540198
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1250L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.7 x 0.5 x 5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 322 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Plato

    Plato

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    Plato (428-348 BCE) was a philosopher and mathematician in ancient Greece. A student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, his Academy was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Robin Waterfield

    Robin Waterfield

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Robin Anthony Herschel Waterfield (born 1952) is a British classical scholar, translator, editor, and writer of children's fiction. Waterfield was born in 1952, and studied Classics at Manchester University, where he achieved a first class degree in 1974. He went on to research ancient Greek philosophy at King's College, Cambridge until 1978, after which he became a lecturer at Newcastle University and then St Andrews University. He later became a copy-editor and later a commissioning editor for Penguin Books. He is now a self-employed writer, living in southern Greece, where he has Greek citizenship.

    Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
322 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic read for history
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
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Simple book.
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Paul Giurlanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Good translation, good notes
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014
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The Symposium is what it is: a classic of western culture. So, when one offers a review, it's not about the text itself (I think) but for the translation, presentation and notes. So: Wakefield's translation is the smoothest I've read of this great text. His modern English makes the homoerotic context of the dialogue clear, for one thing. I've taught this text to sleepy undergrads who were clueless about the terms "lover" and "beloved" in the speeches, assuming they were about a boy and a girl. But the notes are where Wakefield really shines. Wakefield gives not only a readable account of each of the speeches, a special discussion of love in Greek thought, and a literary analysis, but also a useful set of notes at the end. Over all, this is so much better than the tired British translations we used to read in college back in the old days.
37 people found this helpful
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McGrawfan12
5.0 out of 5 stars What Is Love
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2021
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The concept of love,in the Ancient Greek context, is examined from the philosopher Socrates' perspective. An interesting series of dialogues which is worth reading time and again to understand the nuances. Recommend to all who wish to expand their perspective on what love is,means and its nature in life.
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Mads Stokes
4.0 out of 5 stars I probably would've liked it by choice.
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2019
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Bought it for school and was forced to read it.
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A. Mishkin
5.0 out of 5 stars Love is lauded
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016
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Plato's wit places him upon the pinnacle of authors in the entirety of human history. Love is lauded, rather than an emotion engendered by lust, greed, or power, as a proliferation of virtue that transcends individual humanity in its desire to procreate. Personally, I believe that this is yet another of Plato's writing that gives credence to the possibility that Socrates was a literary device designed by Plato to communicate his ideal of virtue, which makes this book all the more interesting. Oxford world classics provides superlative translations with necessary notes.
One person found this helpful
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Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars The Eye-Opening Views on Love Make This a Must-Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2014
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A fascinating insight on several ancient views of love, including Aristotle's in-depth analysis of what love's properties are and what it is about. The preface contains very useful contextual information while relating it to different parts of Symposium. Plato's Symposium itself reads as a story, making it a read easier than it might be otherwise. All in all, the information is well thought out and dictated to the reader in a very efficient way. As someone who enjoys casual philosophy, I recommend it to anyone else who does.
5 people found this helpful
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Anon
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of amazing quotes to reference
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2015
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This is an absolutely LOVELY piece of writing. Absolutley worth owning. Lots of amazing quotes to reference, so much knowledge and wisdom. I want to have a symposium someday when I have a bunch of smart friends. Best introduction I've ever found was in this edition. BUY IT!
2 people found this helpful
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Ali K
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great price.
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2013
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The book itself is great. I love it. The cost was very reasonable. I bought it used, but when it came in, I could have sworn it was new. It even shipped earlier than expected. Great buy!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars a great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2023
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if you want to become better acquainted with the nature of love and what love is, I strongly recommend this book. Symposium is an exceptional literary work that delves deep into the human psyche. It is a thought-provoking and insightful book that explores the nature of love, desire, and relationships. The author's writing style is engaging and eloquent, making it easy for readers to become fully immersed in the story. From the very first page, I was hooked, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next.

One of the things that I appreciated about the Symposium is its ability to stimulate discussion and debate. The book raises many important questions about the nature of love and its role in our lives. These questions are not easy to answer, but they are worth contemplating, and I found myself pondering them long after I finished reading the book.

Overall, I highly recommend Symposium to anyone who enjoys thought-provoking literature that challenges the mind and touches the heart. This book is a true masterpiece that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.
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Adina Nazra
5.0 out of 5 stars Livre
Reviewed in France on November 30, 2023
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Très bon livre.
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Adina Nazra
5.0 out of 5 stars Livre
Reviewed in France on November 30, 2023
Très bon livre.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2018
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Interesting read.
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Adil L
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in India on July 10, 2019
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Translated to very easy to read language with a lot of notes and reference reading matter referred to.
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Graham Cammock
5.0 out of 5 stars Symposium is a beautiful eulogy to love.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2017
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Symposium is a beautiful narration of a high-society dinner party in Athens in 416 BC, in which all guests, including Aristodemus, Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Alcibiades, Aristophanes, Agathon and of course Socrates each give a short speech eulogising love. The peak of the dialogue is Socrates speech which re-tells his learning about love from a woman named Diotima. Diotima tells us that the object of love is goodness not beauty, and also that loves object is immortality through procreation through a beautiful medium. The final speech is that of Alcibiades who insists on eulogising Socrates. The book gives a lot of insight in to the homosexuality of ancient Athenian and Greek society, it's quite surprising if not a little shocking. Symposium is a beautiful little book, and easy to read, like all of Plato's dialogues. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Classical Greek culture.
4 people found this helpful
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