This article is part of the series: The Dialogues of Plato

Early dialogues :

Apology

Charmides - Cratylus

Crito - Euthydemus

Euthyphro -First Alcibiades

Gorgias

Hippias Major - Hippias Minor

Ion - Laches

Lysis -Menexenus

Meno - Phaedo

Protagoras

The Symposium

Middle dialogues :

The Republic - Parmenides

Phaedrus - Theaetetus

Late dialogues :

The Sophist – The Statesman

Philebus

Timaeus - Critias

Laws

Of doubtful authenticity

Second Alcibiades – The Rivals

Theages – Epinomis – Minos

Clitophon – Epistles

The Epistles of Plato are a series of thirteen letters traditionally included in the Platonic corpus. Their authenticity has been the subject of some dispute, and scholarly consensus has shifted back and forth over time. By the close of the Nineteenth Century, there was general agreement that none of the letters were actually written by Plato. Now, most of the letters have defenders of their authenticity. The exceptions are the First, Fifth, Ninth, and Twelfth, which are are almost certainly forgeries.^[1] Image File history File links Plato-raphael. ... (The) Apology (of Socrates) is Platos version of the speech given by Socrates as he defends himself against the charges of being a man who corrupted the young, did not believe in the gods, and created new deities. Apology here has its earlier meaning (now usually expressed by the... The Charmides (Greek: ) is a dialogue of Plato, discussing the nature and utility of temperance. ... Cratylus (Κρατυλος) is the name of a dialogue by Plato, written in approximately 360 BC. In the dialogue, Socrates is asked by two men, Cratylus and Hermogenes, to advise them whether names are conventional or natural, that is, whether language is a system of arbitrary signs or whether words have an... The Crito (IPA [kriːtɔːn]; in English usually [ˈkɹiːtɘʊː]) is a short but important dialogue by the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. ... Euthydemus (Euthydemos), written 380 BCE, is dialogue by Plato which satirizes the logical fallacies of the Sophists. ... Euthyphro is one of Platos known early dialogues. ... The First Alcibiades or Alcibiades I is a dialogue featuring Alcibiades in conversation with Socrates, ascribed to Plato, but his authorship is doubtful, though probably written by someone within a century or two of Platos other works. ... Gorgias refers to the last dialogue that Plato wrote before leaving Athens. ... Hippias Major (or What is Beauty) is one of the dialogues of Plato. ... Hippias Minor (or On Lying) is one of Platos early dialogues, written while the author was still young, although the exact date has not been established. ... Platos Ion aims to give an account of poetry in dialogue form. ... Laches, also known as Courage, is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato, and concerns the topic of courage. ... Lysis is one of the socratic dialogues written by Plato and discusses the nature of friendship. ... The Menexenus is a Socratic dialogue of Plato, traditionally included in the seventh tetralogy along with the Greater and Lesser Hippias and the Ion. ... Meno is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. ... It has been suggested that Phaidon be merged into this article or section. ... Protagoras is the title of one of Platos dialogues. ... The Symposium is a philosophical dialogue of Plato, written sometime after 385 BCE. It is a gathering of intellectually diverse, and apparently wise men who are of one mind about love, that the best kind is between an older man, the erastes, and his beloved boy, the eromenos. ... The Republic (Greek ) is an influential work of philosophy and political theory by the Greek philosopher Plato, written in approximately 360 BC. It is written in the format of a Socratic dialogue. ... Parmenides is one of the dialogues of Plato. ... Platos Phaedrus is a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus. ... The Theætetus (Θεαιτητος) is one of Platos great dialogues. ... The Sophist (Greek: Σοφιστής) is one of the late Dialogues of Plato, which was written much more lately than the Parmenides and the Theaetetus, probably in 360 BC.After he criticized his own Theory of Forms in the Parmenides, Plato proceeds in the Sophist with a new conception of the Forms... The Statesman, or Politikos in Greek and Politicus in Latin, is a four part dialogue contained within the work of Plato. ... Philebus is among the last of the late Socratic dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. ... Timaeus is a theoretical treatise of Plato in the form of a Socratic dialogue, written circa 360 BC The work puts forward speculation on the nature of the physical world. ... Critias, a dialogue of Platos, speaks about a variety of subjects. ... The Laws is Platos last and longest dialogue. ... The Second Alcibiades or Alcibiades II is a dialogue ascribed to Plato, featring Alcibiades conversing with Socrates, but there is a general consensus amongst scholars that this text is spurious, though again probably written by someone within a century or two of Platos other works. ... Theages is one of the dialogues of Plato, featuring Demodocus, Socrates and Theages. ... The Epinomis is a dialogue in the style of Plato, but today considered spurious by most scholars. ... Minos is one of the dialogues of Plato, featuring Socrates and a Companion. ... The Clitophon, a dialogue generally ascribed to Plato, is significant for focusing on Socrates role as an exhorter of other people to engage in philosophic inquiry. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... An epistle (Greek επιστολη, epistolē, letter) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ... Look up authenticity, authentic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Authenticity

The two letters with the greatest claim to actually having been written by Plato are the Seventh and the Eighth, on the supposition that these were open letters and therefore less likely to be the result of invention or forgery. This is not so much because of a presumption in favor of an open letter's authenticity as because of a presumption against that of a private letter: the preservation of the former is unsurprising, while the preservation, dissemination, and eventual publication of the latter requires some sort of explanation.^[2] For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience. ... Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ...

The other letters enjoy varying levels of acceptance among scholars. The Third, Fourth, and Thirteenth have the greatest support of the remaining letters, followed by the Sixth, Tenth, and Eleventh; only a few scholars consider the Second Letter to be genuine, while almost none dispute that the First, Fifth, Ninth, and Twelfth are spurious.^[3] R. G. Bury accepts only the Seventh and Eighth Letters as authentic, while L. A. Post excludes only the four universally disputed Letters from authenticity.

Structure of the Epistles

The numbering of each letter is due solely to their placement in traditional manuscripts, and does not appear to follow any discernable principle.^[4] L. A. Post, in his edition of the Thirteen Epistles of Plato, presented them in the order in which he thought they were written: Thirteenth, Second, Eleventh, Tenth, Fourth, Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Sixth (the four letters universally recognized as spurious are placed following these nine).^[5] A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ...

The addressees of the Epistles fall into three main categories. Four are addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse (i, ii, iii, xiii), four to Dionysius' uncle Dion and his associates (iv, vii, viii, x), and five to various others (the Fifth to Perdiccas III of Macedon; the Sixth to Hermias of Atarneus, Erastus, and Coriscus; the Tenth to Aristodorus; the Eleventh to Laodamas; and the Ninth and Twelfth to Archytas). Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... Perdiccas III was king of Macedonia from 365 to 359 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II. Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was underage when Alexander II was killed by Ptolemy of Aloros, who then ruled as regent. ... Archytas Archytas (428 BC - 347 BC) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, strategist and commander-in-chief. ...

First Letter

Main article: First Letter (Plato)

The First Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse, and is almost certainly a forgery. In it, Plato supposedly complains of his rude dismissal by Dionysius and predicts an evil end for him. It is interesting mainly for the number of quotations from the tragic poets which it preserves. Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ...

Second Letter

Main article: Second Letter (Plato)

The Second Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse in response to a supposed complaint he lodged against Plato and his associates that they were slandering him. The letter disclaims any responsibility for these slanders and further denies that they are even occurring. It then counsels Dionysius that a concern for his reputation after his death should incline him to repaire his relationship with Plato, since the interactions of political men with the wise is a topic of constant discussion. From this subject, the letter turns to a deliberately enigmatic discussion of "the First," in which Plato warns Dionysius to never write these doctrines down and to burn this letter upon committing its contents to memory. The Second Letter is the source of the oft-cited remark that "no writing of Plato exists or ever will exist, but those now said to be his are those of a Socrates become beautiful and new (καλός καί νέος)."^[6] Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ...

R. G. Bury argues that the Second Letter is almost certainly inauthentic, based primarily upon conflicts between it and Plato's Seventh Letter and Bury's own conclusion that its tone and content are decidedly un-Platonic.^[7] He considers it to be by the same author as the Sixth Letter.^[8]

Third Letter

Main article: Third Letter (Plato)

The Third Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse, complaining of two slanders aimed at Plato, viz. that he had prevented Dionysius II from transforming his tyranny into a monarchy and that Plato was to blame for all the misadministration in Syracuse. The letter responds by recounting Plato's activities in Syracuse, and has the flavor of an open letter. Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience. ...

Bury suggests that the Third Letter, if authentic, was probably written after Plato's third visit to Syracuse in 360 BCE, and probably after Dion's seizure of power in 357 BCE. He finds the tone to be anachronistic, however, remarks that the parallels to both the Apology of Socrates and the Seventh Letter argue against its authenticity.^[9] Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... (The) Apology (of Socrates) is Platos version of the speech given by Socrates as he defends himself against the charges of being a man who corrupted the young, did not believe in the gods, and created new deities. Apology here has its earlier meaning (now usually expressed by the...

Fourth Letter

Main article: Fourth Letter (Plato)

The Fourth Letter is addressed to Dion, the uncle and (by this time) ouster of Dionysius II of Syracuse. It encourages Dion in his political efforts, but admonishes him not to forget about the importance of virtue. Bury finds the mixture of flattery and reproof in the letter to be at odds with Plato's friendlier relationship with Dion, even granting that it may be an open letter, and notes conflicts with the Seventh Letter that militate against its authenticity.^[10] Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience. ...

Fifth Letter

Main article: Fifth Letter (Plato)

The Fifth Letter is addressed to Perdiccas III of Macedon, and councels him to listen to the advice of one Euphraeus. It then proceeds to defend Plato's abstinence from politics. Most scholars doubts its authenticity. Perdiccas III was king of Macedonia from 365 to 359 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II. Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was underage when Alexander II was killed by Ptolemy of Aloros, who then ruled as regent. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ...

Sixth Letter

Main article: Sixth Letter (Plato)

The Sixth Letter is addressed to Hermias, tyrant of Atarneus, and to Erastus and Coriscus, two pupils of Plato residing in Scepsis (a town near Atarneus), advising them to become friends. The letter claims that Plato never met Hermias, contrary to the account given of the latter's life by Strabo; contains a number of parallels to the Second Letter concerning the value of combining wisdom with power, the utility of referring disputes to its author, and the importance of reading and re-reading it; and concludes that all three addresses should publically swear an oath to strange deities, and to do so half-jestingly. For these reasons, Bury concludes that Sixth Letter is inauthentic and shares its author with the Second Letter.^[11] Atarneus (Ancient Greek Άταρνεύς) was an ancient city in the region of Aeolis, Asia Minor. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... The Greek geographer Strabo in a 16th century engraving. ...

Seventh Letter

Main article: Seventh Letter (Plato)

The Seventh Letter is addressed to the associates and companions of Dion, most likely after his assassination in 353 BCE. It is the longest of the Epistles and considered to be the most important. It is most likely an open letter, and contains a defense of Plato's political activities in Syracuse as well as a long digression concerning the nature of philosophy, the theory of the forms, and the problems inherent to teaching. Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... Socrates (central bare-chested figure) about to drink hemlock as mandated by the court. ... Theory of Forms typically refers to Platos belief that the material world as it seems to us is not the real world, but only a shadow of the real world. ...

Eighth Letter

Main article: Eighth Letter (Plato)

The Eighth Letter is addressed to the associates and companions of Dion, and was probably written some months after the Seventh Letter but before Dion's assassin, Callippus, had been driven out by Hipparinus. It councels compromise between the parties of Dion and Dionysius the Younger, the former favoring democracy, the latter, tyranny. The compromise would be a monarchy limited by laws. Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... Callippus (or Calippus) (circa 370 B.C.–circa 300 B.C.) was a Greek astronomer. ... Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ...

Ninth Letter

Main article: Ninth Letter (Plato)

The Ninth Letter is addressed to Archytas. Bury describes it as "a colourless and commonplace effusion which we would not willingly ascribe to Plato, and which no correspondent of his would be likely to preserve."^[12] Despite the fact that Cicero attests to its having been written by Plato,^[13], most scholars consider it a literary forgery. Archytas Archytas (428 BC - 347 BC) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, strategist and commander-in-chief. ... Cicero at about age 60, from an ancient marble bust Marcus Tullius Cicero (IPA: ; Classical pronunciation:  ; January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator, statesman, political theorist, lawyer and philosopher of Ancient Rome. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ...

Tenth Letter

Main article: Tenth Letter (Plato)

The Tenth Letter is addressed to an otherwise unknown Aristodorus, who is praised for having remained loyal to Dion, presumably during the latter's exile. The treatment of philosophy in simply moral terms, without any reference to intellectual qualities, is foreign enough to Plato's treatment for Bury to declare the letter a forgery.^[14] In any event, it consists of a bare three sentences, covering nine lines in the Stephanus pagination. Dion (408-354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius of Syracuse. ... Socrates (central bare-chested figure) about to drink hemlock as mandated by the court. ... It has been suggested that Moral reflex be merged into this article or section. ... An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to work, study, reflect, speculate on, or ask and answer questions with regard to a variety of different ideas. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Stephanus pagination is the system of reference and organisation used in the works of Plato. ...

Eleventh Letter

Main article: Eleventh Letter (Plato)

The Eleventh Letter is addressed to one Laodamas, who apparently requested assistance in drawing up laws for a new colony. It refers to someone named Socrates, though the reference in the letter to the advanced age of Plato means that it cannot be the Socrates who is famous from the dialogues. Bury would allow the authenticity of the letter, were it not for the fact that it claims that this Socrates cannot travel on account of having been enervated by a case of strangury.^[15] This article is about a political topic. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... This article is about the philosopher Socrates, not to be confused with the playwright Sophocles Socrates (Greek: , invariably anglicized as , Sǒcratēs; circa 470–399 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ... Strangury is a frequent need to urinate but with slow urine production. ...

Twelfth Letter

Main article: Twelfth Letter (Plato)

The Twelfth Letter is addressed to Archytas. It is only slightly longer than the Tenth Letter (four sentences, covering 12 lines in the Stephanus pagination), and considered to be spurious. It thanks Archytas for sending Plato some treatises, which it then goes on to praise effusively. Diogenes Laertius preserves this letter in his Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, as well as the letter from Archytas which presumably occassioned the Twelfth Letter;^[16] this letter points to the treatises having been those of Ocellos of Lucania, a Pythagorean. Because the writings which are attributed to Ocellos are forgeries from the First Century BCE, the Twelfth Letter is probably also a forgery, and by the same forger, intended to stamp the treatises with Plato's authority.^[17] Archytas Archytas (428 BC - 347 BC) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, strategist and commander-in-chief. ... Stephanus pagination is the system of reference and organisation used in the works of Plato. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Diogenes Laërtius, the biographer of the Greek philosophers, is supposed by some to have received his surname from the town of Laerte in Cilicia, and by others from the Roman family of the Laërtii. ... Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is a biography of the Greek philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius. ... The Pythagoreans were an Hellenic organization of astronomers, musicians, mathematicians, and philosophers; who believed that all things are, essentially, numeric. ...

Thirteenth Letter

Main article: Thirteenth Letter (Plato)

The Thirteenth Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse, and appears to be private in character. The portrait of Plato offered here is in sharp contrast to that the disinterested and somewhat aloof philosopher of the Seventh Letter, leading Bury to doubt its authenticity.^[18] Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Bury, Introduction to the Epistles, 385.
2. ^ Bury, Introduction to the Epistles, 390–2.
3. ^ Bury, Introduction to the Epistles, 391–2.
4. ^ Bury, Introduction to the Epistles, 385
5. ^ Post, Thirteen Epistles of Plato
6. ^ [Plato], Second Letter, 314c.
7. ^ Bury, Epistle II, 398.
8. ^ Bury, Epistle VI, 454–5.
9. ^ Bury, Epistle III, 422–3
10. ^ Bury, Epistle IV, 440–1
11. ^ Bury, Epistle VI, 454–5.
12. ^ Bury, Epistle IX, 591.
13. ^ Cicero, De Finibus, Bonorum et Malorum, ii. 14; De Officiis, i. 7.
14. ^ Bury, Epistle X, 597.
15. ^ Bury, Epistle XI, 601.
16. ^ Diogenes Laertius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Life of Archytus, iv
17. ^ Bury, Epistle XII, 607.
18. ^ Bury, Epistle XIII, 610–3.

Cicero at about age 60, from an ancient marble bust Marcus Tullius Cicero (IPA: ; Classical pronunciation:  ; January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator, statesman, political theorist, lawyer and philosopher of Ancient Rome. ... De Officiis (On Duties or On Obligations) is an essay by Marcus Tullius Cicero divided into three books, where Cicero explains his view on the best way to live. ... Diogenes Laërtius, the biographer of the Greek philosophers, is supposed by some to have received his surname from the town of Laerte in Cilicia, and by others from the Roman family of the Laërtii. ... Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is a biography of the Greek philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius. ...

References

• Bury, R. G. (1942) Editor and Translator of Plato's Timaeus, Critias, Cleitophon, Menexenus, Epistles, Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Post, L. A. (1925) Thirteen Epistles of Plato. Oxford.