The Works of Plato

What it is

This multi-volume set, published in 1848, presents an English translation of Plato's dialogues, including the Apology, Republic, Symposium, and many others, based on the Greek text edited by Stallbaum. It is part of Bohn's Standard Library series and is held as a scanned book by the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

This collection made Plato's entire surviving body of work accessible to English-speaking readers in the nineteenth century. It shows how Plato's philosophy was studied, translated, and transmitted long after his death, and includes ancient biographical accounts of Plato by writers such as Diogenes Laertius.

Look closer

• Why might a nineteenth-century publisher choose to translate all of Plato's works together in one set?
• What differences might you expect between a 'literal' translation and a more freely written one?
• What can the inclusion of ancient biographies of Plato tell us about how later readers wanted to understand him?