Among the most important and influential philosophical works in Western thought: the dialogues entitled Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo. Translations by distinguished classical scholar Benjamin Jowett.

Last Dialogue of Socrates is a fictional narrative poem in the tercet stanzas. It sings of an imaginary dialogue between the character Xanthippe, the widow of Socrates, and the character Plato who visits Xanthippe soon after the execution of his revered mentor in Athens. The situation in this story is the same as that in Phaedo of the historic philosopher Plato (423-347 BCE): On his last day in the Athenian prison, what things Socrates discussed with his devoted friends and how he met his death. But the content of the present fiction is substantially different from Plato’s Phaedo: The main topic of Plato’s Phaedo is Socrates’ arguments for the immortality of the soul. In this fiction, the character Socrates is portrayed to discuss various topics: On the nature of death; On the meanings of mystic words such as, ‘soul’, ‘immortality’, ‘gods’, ‘muses’, etc.; On the nature of justice; On the ethical problems of the Olympian gods as depicted by Homer, Hesiod, and other great Greek poets in their epics and tragedies. Socrates introduces the profound and revolutionary philosophic ideas of Xenophanes (c. 570- c. 475 BCE) who criticized Homer and Hesiod for their portrayal of the Olympian gods as humanlike and immoral. After discussions on the impossibility for any human to know the true nature of deity, they examine the tragedy Prometheus Bound of Aeschylus (c. 525- c. 455 BCE) to discuss the topic of divine justice. In time, the jailor comes in and sends away everyone except Xanthippe. Socrates takes a nap before his execution. When he wakes up, he relates to Xanthippe his mysterious last dream: How he happened to meet Prometheus, the compassionate saviour of the mankind from the Zeus’ plan of their extermination; how he repented to Prometheus for the people’s vile bigotry in disrespect of their saviour; how he learned the deep mystery of the vast cosmic drama of the universe. At sunset, Socrates thanks Xanthippe for her devotion, prays to Athena for the protection of his beloved family and dedicates his spirit to Prometheus. Then he drinks the poison in composure and meets his death in peace. Thus, Xanthippe finishes her recollection of the final day of Socrates. Deeply moved, Plato vows to Xanthippe that he will devote his life to studying what Socrates taught, and to immortalize his ideals by writing them into books for all mankind to study.

In Plato's Apology, Socrates says he spent his life examining and questioning people on how best to live, while avowing that he himself knows nothing important. Elsewhere, however, for example in Plato's Republic, Plato's Socrates presents radical and grandiose theses. In this book Sandra Peterson offers a hypothesis which explains the puzzle of Socrates' two contrasting manners. She argues that the apparently confident doctrinal Socrates is in fact conducting the first step of an examination: by eliciting his interlocutors' reactions, his apparently doctrinal lectures reveal what his interlocutors believe is the best way to live. She tests her hypothesis by close reading of passages in the Theaetetus, Republic and Phaedo. Her provocative conclusion, that there is a single Socrates whose conception and practice of philosophy remain the same throughout the dialogues, will be of interest to a wide range of readers in ancient philosophy and classics.

Rich in drama and humour, they include the controversial Ion, a debate on poetic inspiration; Laches, in which Socrates seeks to define bravery; and Euthydemus, which considers the relationship between philosophy and politics. Together, these dialogues provide a definitive portrait of the real Socrates and raise issues still keenly debated by philosophers, forming an incisive overview of Plato's philosophy.

This elegant collector's edition presents the classic philosophical work 'The Dialogues of Socrates' featuring gold cover embossing and gilded page-edges. Socrates' most dedicated student, Plato, offers a detailed and eye-opening account of the Socratic belief in one's own responsibility through Socrates' dialogue with his fellow Athenians. This collection includes six of Plato's dialogues focusing on the life of Socrates: Charmides, in which Socrates discusses the meaning of restraint; Symposium, depicting a contest of speeches and rhetoric over the subject of love; Euthyphro, in which Socrates and Euthyphro ponder the meaning of piety; Apology which includes Socrates' defence from his trial; Crito investigates the meaning of justice; Phaedo which recounts the day of Socrates death. All parts come together to create a moving read for newly curious philosophy students and experienced intellectuals alike. This beautiful pocket-sized gift edition contains these classic and unabridged tales, presented with a gold embossed cover design, ivory pages, beautifully designed endpapers and gold gilded page edges. Part of the Arcturus Ornate Classics series, this book makes wonderful gift for any philosophy lover.

The Final Days of Socrates is a book of four dialogues by Plato-Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo-centering, as most of Plato's dialogues do, around Socrates. These four dialogues cover the time leading up to Socrates' trial and through his death and depiction of the afterlife. Euthyphro concerns Socrates and Euthyphro, a known so-called religious expert, as they try to determine a definition for piety. Apology is Plato's version of Socrates' speech as he defends himself against the criminal charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the same deities as the state. The Crito is a dialogue between Socrates and a friend about justice, injustice, and the reaction to injustice. Finally Phaedo, one of Plato's most famous Socratic dialogues, depicts the death of Socrates and his argument for the existence of an afterlife. All four works are also included in the Cosimo omnibus editions of The Works of Plato. One of the greatest Western philosophers who ever lived, PLATO (c. 428-347 B.C.) was a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. Plato was greatly influenced by Socrates' teachings, often using him as a character in scripts and plays (Socratic dialogues), which he used to demonstrate philosophical ideas. Plato's dialogues were and still are used to teach a wide range of subjects, including politics, mathematics, rhetoric, logic, and, naturally, philosophy.

Socrates and the Socratic Dialogue assembles the most complete range of studies on Socrates and the Socratic dialogue. It focuses on portrayals of Socrates, whether as historical figure or protagonist of ‘Socratic dialogues’, in extant and fragmentary texts from Classical Athens through Late Antiquity. Special attention is paid to the evolving power and texture of the Socratic icon as it adopted old and new uses in philosophy, biography, oratory, and literature. Chapters in this volume focus on Old Comedy, Sophistry, the first-generation Socratics including Plato and Xenophon, Aristotle and Aristoxenus, Epicurus and Stoicism, Cicero and Persius, Plutarch, Apuleius and Maximus, Diogenes Laertius, Libanius, Themistius, Julian, and Proclus.

Euthyphro/Apology/Crito/Phaedo 'Nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death' The trial and condemnation of Socrates on charges of heresy and corrupting young minds is a defining moment in the history of classical Athens. In tracing these events through four dialogues, Plato also developed his own philosophy of a life guided by self-responsibility. Euthyphro finds Socrates outside the court-house, debating the nature of piety, while the Apology is his robust rebuttal of the charges against him. In the Crito, awaiting execution in prison, Socrates counters the arguments of friends urging him to escape. Finally, in the Phaedo, he is shown calmly confident in the face of death. Translated by HUGH TREDENNICK and HAROLD TARRANT with an Introduction and notes by HAROLD TARRANT

The greatest teacher of philosophy in all of history was Socrates, according to philosopher Peter Kreeft. In 2,400 years, no one has topped him or his Socratic method, teaching not by monologue, but by dialogue; not by lecturing, but by logical questioning. Yet of the hundreds of textbooks for beginning philosophers today, none uses his method. Kreeft has imagined Socrates University: a log, with Socrates at one end and a typical intelligent modern student beginner at the other, conversing about the problems at the heart of each major division of philosophy. Nothing teaches more effectively than concrete examples and apprenticeship. Like the real Socrates, this fictionalized version by Kreeft is grounded in common sense and commonsense logic, fair and open-minded on all issues but demanding good reasons for every opinion.