Theages
Part of the series on: The dialogues of Plato |
Early dialogues: |
Apology – Charmides – Crito |
Euthyphro – First Alcibiades |
Hippias Major – Hippias Minor |
Ion – Laches – Lysis |
Transitional & middle dialogues: |
Cratylus – Euthydemus – Gorgias |
Menexenus – Meno – Phaedo |
Protagoras – Symposium |
Later middle dialogues: |
Republic – Phaedrus |
Parmenides – Theaetetus |
Late dialogues: |
Clitophon – Timaeus – Critias |
Sophist – Statesman |
Philebus – Laws |
Of doubtful authenticity: |
Axiochus – Demodocus |
Epinomis – Epistles – Eryxias |
Halcyon – Hipparchus – Minos |
On Justice – On Virtue |
Rival Lovers – Second Alcibiades |
Sisyphus – Theages |
Theages is a dialogue attributed to Plato, featuring Demodocus, Socrates and Theages. There is debate over its authenticity;[1] W. R. M. Lamb draws this conclusion from his opinion that the work is inferior and un-Socratic, but acknowledges that it was universally regarded as authentic in antiquity.[2]
In the dialogue, Demodocus introduces his son Theages to Socrates for the first time, and they discuss Socrates' divine inner voice.[3] Four separate cases are described in which Socrates received a premonition from the gods, but in each case the advice was ignored with disastrous consequences.[3] Socrates is also presented as having a divine power which has a magical effect on his pupils, but which disappears when they abandon him to pursue other interests.[3]
Theages 125e8-126a4 is quoted by Nietzsche in Will to Power §958: "In Plato's Theages it is written: 'Each one of us would like to be master over all men, if possible, and best of all God.' This attitude must exist again" (trans. Walter Kaufmann).
References [edit]
- ^ Richard Kraut, in The Cambridge Companion to Plato (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 35.
- ^ Lamb, Introduction to the Theages, in Plato XII (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1927).
- ^ a b c John Madison Cooper, D. S. Hutchinson, (1997), Plato, Complete works, page 1734. Hackett Publishing.
External links [edit]
- HTML Greek text available via Greco interattivo
- Loeb Classical Library Greek-English edition by W.R.M. Lamb via archive.org
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