A step by step, passage by passage analysis of the complete Republic. White shows how the argument of the book is articulated, the important interconnections among its elements, and the coherent and carefully developed train of though which motivates its complex philosophical reasoning. In his extensive introduction, White describes Plato’s aims, introduces the argument, and discusses the major philosophical and ethical theories embodied in the Republic. He then summarizes each of its ten books and provides substantial explanatory and interpretive notes.
Learn MoreReading 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.
Learn More"Kremer's is an attractive text because of its combination of simplicity and strong delivery, and this is true regarding his translation and his interpretive essay alike. He has striven for a scrupulous accuracy in his translation, and he has achieved this without sacrificing readability or neglecting the distinctive tone of Plato and Xenophon."
—Norma Thompson, Yale University
"[This volume] offers one-stop access to the political ideas of a major pre-modern thinker. The translations are fresh, accurate, supple, and clear, and the notes and comments are helpful. Ernest Fortin's excellent Introduction sets the central text, the City of God, in historical perspective and outlines problems Augustine faced in trying to reconcile Christian faith with the legitimate demands of civic life."
—Alan R. Perreiah, Teaching Philosophy
“The translation of Tatakis’ 1949 book is a welcome contribution to the field as it offers a remarkable overview of Byzantine philosophy for specialists and students alike. . . . Moutafakis has performed a great service to the English-speaking academic world not only with his very readable translation of what is standard reading material in many universities in Europe but also with the useful list (at the end of the book) of contributions to the field made after the original French edition.”
—Yannis Papadoyannakis, Religious Studies Review
Offering the first complete translation into modern English of Aquinas’ unfinished commentary on Aristotle’s Politics, this translation follows the definitive Leonine text of Aquinas and reproduces in English those passages of William of Moerbeke’s exacting yet elliptical translation of the Politics from which Aquinas worked. Bekker numbers have been added to passages from the Politics for easy reference. Students of the history of political thought will welcome this study of a great classic, a commentary by a student of Aristotle who is also a great political theorist in his own right.
Learn MoreThis 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).
Learn MoreThe second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube’s distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with an updated bibliography.
Learn More“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
Learn MoreThis 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.
Learn More“An excellent, wide-ranging collection of Athenian speeches illuminating central topics of political, social, and legal history, including male and female sexuality, the ancient economy, Greek law, and major episodes of civic strife. Both accurate and faithful to the orators’ prose style, Wolpert and Kapparis’ new translations come accompanied by informative introductions and notes, a glossary of legal terms, and a helpful bibliography. Highly recommended for courses in the history of classical Athens, ancient rhetoric, and Greek law.” —Robert W. Wallace, Northwestern University
Learn More“The Introduction is vibrant, comprehensive and persuasive. Manages to address the needs of undergraduates while constituting an original contribution to contemporary scholarship. Bravo!” —Alan Houston, University of California, San Diego
“Wootton’s Introduction is an excellent piece of work that offers both scholars and students a valuable guide to Machiavelli’s texts.” —Maurizio Viroli, Princeton University
Learn MoreOut of print - replaced by the third edition (September 2019), click here for more information.
Building on the strengths of the first edition, the second edition of the Irwin Nicomachean Ethics features a revised translation (with little editorial intervention), expanded notes (including a summary of the argument of each chapter), an expanded Introduction, and a revised glossary.
Learn MoreDesigned for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language, history, and culture, this new abridgment presents those selections that comprise Herodotus’ historical narrative. These are meticulously annotated, and supplemented with a chronology of the Archaic Age, Historical Epilogue, glossary of main characters and places, index of proper names, and maps.
Learn More"Philosopher-Kings broke new ground on its first appearance by delivering to an audience accustomed to looking for flaws in Plato's thinking an interpretation of the Republic that celebrates the coherence of Plato's argument as it ramifies through every cranny of that controversial work. Reeve's book swiftly became a classic of Platonic scholarship and has never lost its grip. Its reissue by Hackett is a very welcome event."
—G.R.F. Ferrari, University of California, Berkeley
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.
Learn More"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
Learn More“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
Learn More“Joe Sachs has an extraordinary ability to render ancient Greek into English sentences that are so clear and direct that they help readers to look past Aristotle's technical terminology and reflect on the philosophical issues in the text. For beginning students Sachs's translations are an ideal vehicle through which to engage Aristotle's philosophy. For those of us who are more advanced, they are sufficiently different from the traditional translations to open fresh ways of thinking about the texts. Sachs does a fine job with the Politics. The translation is very readable and accurate, and the notes and glossary are insightful. The introductory essay by Lijun Gu valuably emphasizes the importance of book IV."
—Edward Halper, University of Georgia
“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 anthology includes writings of both well-known theorists such as Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury as well as those lesser known, including Christine de Pisan and Marie de France, and will be of value to students of the history of political theory as well as those of medieval intellectual history.
Learn More“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
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
Learn More"Joe Sachs, known and respected for his excellent translations of Aristotle, deserves great praise for this new translation of Plato's Republic. Based on the latest definitive edition of the Greek text and guided by a sense that Greek in English need not read like an old, foreign tongue, Sachs' translation captures the flow of the conversation in an English that reads smoothly, even when the ideas expressed force one to pause and look again. Fluid, yet accurate, Sachs' translation allows the thoughtful reader deeper entry into this all-important book. The editorial guides and typographical signs to remind the reader of who has joined the argument most recently are all highly helpful and most welcome. I look forward to reading this with students." —Charles E. Butterworth, University of Maryland
Learn More“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
"This will be the preferred edition of Plato’s Statesman for teachers and students who are serious not only about reading the text in good translation, but also about working through its arguments." —Dustin Gish, College of the Holy Cross
"Having taught Plato's dialogues in my classes over the past forty-three years to upper level undergraduates, I can especially appreciate the value of this new edition of Plato's Statesman. The three translators have paid very close attention to the amazing fecund versatility of the Greek text, producing a translation that is as accurate and lively as possible and the best currently available for classroom use. The interpretative essay is unique in its highlighting of all of the issues that a thoughtful reader should be led to consider concerning this work. As has been the case with other works by these translators, the glossary leads any Greek-less reader as close as possible to the interconnections of the major words that sustain the flow and eddies of this perennially fascinating work." —Donald Lindenmuth, The Pennsylvania State University
Learn More“The original publication of Rowe’s translation in 1995 was a landmark event in the study of this fascinating but enigmatic dialogue. Based on a careful and convincing revised Greek text, the contemporary English of this unpretentious, clear, and—above all—accurate revised version make it by far the best available. In fact, Rowe’s translation is now and will surely remain the only acceptable choice.”
—John Cooper, Princeton University
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.
Learn MoreThe Hackett edition of Teresa of Avila's spiritual autobiography features Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez's authoritative translation of The Book of Her Life with a new Introduction by Jodi Bilinkoff that will prove especially valuable to students of Early Modern Spain, the history of Christian spirituality, and classic women writers. A map, chronology, and index are also included.
Learn MoreVolume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.
Learn MoreVolume one of a two-volume set. It may be purchased separately or in conjunction with volume two. Volume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.
Learn MoreVolume two of a two-volume set. It may be purchased separately or in conjunction with volume one. Both volumes are available in a cloth edition when purchased together as a set. Volume I, completed in 1968, gives a systematic account of classical Athenian law concerning family and property. Volume II, on the law of obligations and of procedure, was unfinished at the time of the author’s death in 1969. The part which concerns procedure was virtually complete and, edited by D. M. MacDowell, appeared in 1971. MacDowell has provided a new Foreword for this edition as well as a select bibliography (from 1967 to the present), which appears in both volumes. Together these distinguished works form the most detailed study of Athenian law in the last half-century.
Learn MoreIn this powerful contribution to our understanding of politics in fifth-century Athens, Connor constructs models of Athenian political groupings to explain the rise of the “new politicians,” young men who launched a new kind of democracy by appealing to the citizenry at large. With Pericles as prototype and Cleon as exemplar of the new politician, this engaging work provides an important insight into the politics of Athens at the height of its power.
Learn MoreThe first unabridged translation into American English, and the first to take into account the wealth of Thucydidean scholarship of the last half of the twentieth century, Steven Lattimore’s translation sets a new standard for accuracy and reliability. Notes provide information necessary for a fuller understanding of problematic passages, explore their implications as well as the problems they may pose, and shed light on Thucydides as a distinctive literary artist as well as a source for historians and political theorists.
"[Lattimore] gets closer to the Greek than either of his two available rivals, Richard Crawley and Rex Warner. . . . Lattimore’s uncompromising version now leads the field." —Peter Green, The Los Angeles Times Book Review
Learn More"This edition of the The Prince has three distinct and disparate objectives: to provide a fresh and accurate translation; to analyze and find the roots of Machiavelli's thought; and to collect relevant extracts from other works by Machiavelli and some contemporaries, to be used to illuminate and explicate the text. The objectives are all reached with considerable and admirable skill. The reader senses Professor Atkinson's empathy and feeling for even the tiniest movements in Machiavelli's mind. Professor Atkinson has done a great service to students and teachers of Machiavelli, who should certainly welcome this as the most useful edition of The Prince in English. "
—Mario Domandi, Italica, 1978
"This is an excellent, readable and vigorous translation of The Prince, but it is much more than simply a translation. The map, notes and guide to further reading are crisp, to-the-point and yet nicely comprehensive. The inclusion of the letter to Vettori is most welcome. But, above all, the Introduction is so gripping and lively that it has convinced me to include The Prince in my syllabus for History of Western Civilization the next time that I teach it. . . . Great price, too! And lovely printing and layout."
—Rachel Fulton, University of Chicago
Lampooned in 406 B.C.E. in a blistering Aristophanic satire, Socrates was tried in 399 B.C.E. on a charge of corrupting the youth, convicted by a jury of about five hundred of his peers, and condemned to death. Glimpsed today through the extant writings of his contemporaries and near-contemporaries, he remains for us as compelling, enigmatic, and elusive a figure as Jesus or Buddha. Although present-day (like ancient Greek) opinion on "the real Socrates" diverges widely, six classic texts that any informed judgment of him must take into account appear together, for the first time, in this volume. Those of Plato and Xenophon appear in new, previously unpublished translations that combine accuracy, accessibility, and readability; that of Aristophanes' Clouds offers these same qualities in an unbowdlerized translation that captures brilliantly the bite of Aristophanes' wit. An Introduction to each text and judicious footnotes provide crucial background information and important cross-references.
Learn More“In addition to its elegant and precise translation of Utopia, this edition offers the prefatory material and postscripts from the 1518 edition, and More’s letter to Giles form the 1517 edition. Mr. Wootton has also added Erasmus’s ‘The Sileni of Alcibiades,’ which is crucial for the interpretation he gives in his Introduction of the many ambiguities and contradictions in More’s text as well as his life. The Introduction is a most valuable guide for understanding this man who was a proponent of toleration and a persecutor of heretics, a courtier full of worldly ambition ending as a fearless martyr. The contradictions of the man translated into a complicated and contradictory historiography to which Mr. Wootton’s Introduction is a most intelligent guide. A welcome addition to the More literature.”
—J. W. Smit, Professor of History, Columbia University
“This is by far the best rendering of Hesiod’s poems in print. The translation is fully accurate but so readable one doesn’t want to stop; it exactly captures Hesiod’s rustic wisdom, his humour and his cautious pessimism. . . . Clear brief notes and a glossary make this a must for introductory courses: students will love it.”
—Richard Janko, University College, London