Why read Plato?
I am currently looking for something to read. Having spent a number of weeks reading Ezekiel in the LXX (Septuagint), it seems to me that ones ability to read “real” ancient greek isn’t enhanced much by reading a text which follows the Hebrew in such a strict manner. I have worn myself out working in Sophocles, so I don’t really want to wrap up any of the projects I have half finished in Attic tragedy. I discovered that the county library has most of the Loeb texts of Plato, an author I have never read. Greek philosophy has little intrinsic interest. I picked up the first volume of the dialogues of Plato and started reading Euthyphro. The irony in Socrates’ discussion of the charge brought against him makes it entertaining. I have no intention of doing anything serious with Plato, could care less about the secondary literature, but I will dabble in it for a while and use my classical grammars (Smyth, Cooper) to deal with the syntax. I may post on it now and then but don’t expect any serious exegesis, I’m not qualified.
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