Books
- Plato: A Very Short Introduction
- Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture by Werner Jaeger, trans. Gilbert Highet (Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3)
Paideia, the shaping of Greek character through a union of civilization, tradition, literature, and philosophy, is the basis for Jaeger’s evaluation of Hellenic culture. Volume I describes the foundation, growth, and crisis of Greek culture during the archaic and classical epochs, ending with the collapse of the Athenian empire. The second and third volumes of the work deal with the intellectual history of ancient Greece in the Age of Plato during the fourth century BC, the age in which Greece lost everything that is valued in this world—state, power, liberty—but still clung to the concept of paideia. As its last great poet, Menander summarized the primary role of this ideal in Greek culture when he said: “The possession which no one can take away from man is paideia.“
- The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
Kagan, classical scholar and historian of international relations, ancient and modern, presents a sweeping new narrative of this epic contest that captures all its drama, action, and tragedy.
- Socrates: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Taylor
In this book, Christopher Taylor explores the relationship between the historical Socrates and the engaging and infuriating figure who appears in Plato’s dialogues, and examines the enduring image of Socrates as the ideal exemplar of the philosophic life—a thinker whose moral and intellectual integrity permeated every detail of his life, even in the face of betrayal and execution by his fellow Athenians.
- The Republic by Plato
Plato’s Republic, his most famous work, is a dialogue in which he considers the notion of justice.
Articles/Online Resources
- Apology by Plato
Plato’s Apology depicts Socrates’s trial and defense of himself.
- “The Delian League,” from Encyclopedia Britannica
This article gives a brief overview of the loose association of Greek city-states known as the Delian League.
- “Solon: Greek Statesman and Poet” by Theodore John Cadoux, Encyclopedia Britannica
This article gives a brief overview of the life and influence of Solon, the great Athenian statesman.
