Phaedrus and Letters VII and VIII

The inclusion of "The Seventh Letter" and "The EighthLetter," purportedly ascribed to Plato, in this edition ofthe *Phaedrus* deserves a comment or two. The translationand Introductions in this edition by Penguin Classics areby Walter Hamilton. The edition is copyrighted 1973, butthe copy I have has a last reprinting date of 1988.The "Introduction" to the Letters states: "Plato's writtenworks include, in addition to the dialogues, a collectionof thirteen letters. They have formed part of the Platoniccanon since the 1st century A.D. and possibly since the3rd century B.C., and one in particular, the Seventh,which is as long as all the rest together, is a documentof crucial importance for our knowledge of Plato's life.It opens with an account of his early development and ofhis reasons for abstaining from public affairs, and itrecords in detail the motives which led -- in later life --to his famous and unsuccessful excursion into the practicalpolitics of Sicily and his relations with Dionysius II ofSyracuse. It may almost be said that without the SeventhLetter, Plato's personal history would be unknown."Plato's relation in the 7th Letter is: "When I was ayoung man I expected, like many others to embark, assoon as I was my own master, on a political career."[But a revolution occurs in Athens...and the rule ofthe 30 is established.] "Naturally enough, in view ofmy youth,I expected that this government would bringabout a change from corrupt to upright administration,and I watched with the keenest interest to see whatthey would do. I found that it had taken these menno time at all to make the previous government look likean age of gold... So when I saw this and the kindof men who were active in politics and the principleson which things were managed, I concluded that it wasdifficult to take part in public life and retain one'sintegrity, and this feeling became stronger the more Iobserved and the older I became."The *Phaedrus,* on the other hand,deals with the nature of Love...and the Soul...andthe Realm of Reality and Truth beyond this worldof the senses and shadows... illusions...the Lovespoken of is spoken of in context with the Athenian mores of the time...it is the Love between two males...Hamilton's edition is excellent in many ways...hedivides the text at important places and inserts titlesand analyses which alert the reader to the topics whichare going to be discussed in the next section--andhis footnotes are excellent and enlightening as well.Here are examples of two of his title inserts at mostimportant places in the dialogue: The Myth./The Allegoryof the Charioteer and His Horses./The Procession of theGods and the Vision of Reality./The Fall, Incarnation,and Liberation of the Soul./The Privilege of thePhilosopher./Recollection as a Means to the Recaptureof Knowledge of the Forms./" ...and... "The CharioteerAllegory Resumed./The Subjugation of Appetite, typifiedby the Bad Horse, and The Awakening of Love for theLover in the Beloved./A Concluding