Plato

Menexenus (eBook, ePUB)

Plato's Satirical Funeral Oration - Patriotism, Politics, and the Use of Rhetoric
Übersetzer: Zengerink, Tim

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

What if patriotic speeches weren't just tributes-but tools for shaping power and belief?

In Menexenus, Plato delivers a rare blend of solemn tribute and biting satire through Socrates, who recites a eulogy allegedly written by Pericles' famed partner Aspasia. On the surface, it honors fallen Athenian heroes. Beneath, it dissects how civic pride and historical myth-making are wielded by those in power.

This modern translation presents one of Plato's most subversive dialogues in clear, contemporary language-unveiling its sharp commentary on politics, propaganda, and the fine line between remembrance and manipulation. Part funeral speech, part philosophical critique, Menexenus is a concise but powerful reflection on how societies define themselves through public speech.

What You'll Discover in This Modern Translation:

• A Satirical Take on Political Rhetoric - Witness Plato's ironic spin on traditional funeral orations and national pride.
• Insight into Athenian Democracy - Understand how rhetoric influenced political life and collective memory in classical Athens.
• Socrates as a Mock-Orator - Explore Socrates in a rare role, both paying tribute and questioning the tribute itself.
• A Contemporary Translation for the Modern Reader - Clear and faithful prose brings Plato's wit and wisdom to life.
• Timeless Themes of Patriotism and Propaganda - Learn how history can be glorified-or distorted-through carefully crafted speech.

If you've ever wondered how leaders shape national identity or how eloquent words can conceal deeper motives, Menexenus is Plato's answer-a brief but brilliant challenge to think beyond what is said, and ask why it is said.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: The Library of Alexandria
• Seitenzahl: 42
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Juli 2025
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781806292882
• Artikelnr.: 74883769

Autorenporträt

Plato (c.428 to c.347 bc) was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece, founder of the Platonist school of thought, and the Academy, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely considered the pivotal figure in the history of Ancient Greek and Western philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most famous student, Aristotle. Plato was the innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. Plato is also considered the founder of Western political philosophy. His most famous contribution is the theory of Forms known by pure reason, in which Plato presents a solution to the problem of universals known as Platonism (also ambiguously called either Platonic realism or Platonic idealism. He is also the namesake of Platonic love and the Platonic solids. His own most decisive philosophical influences are usually thought to have been along with Socrates, the pre-Socratics Pythagoras, Heraclitus and Parmenides, although few of his predecessors' works remain extant and much of what we know about these figures today derives from Plato himself. Unlike the work of nearly all of his contemporaries, Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years. Although their popularity has fluctuated over the years, the works of Plato have never been without readers since the time they were written.