Providing a challenging new interpretation of the Second Alcibiades from the Platonic corpus, this treatment sees the dialogue not only as a work of philosophic ethics, but also as one steeped in ancient literature, particularly Euripidean tragedy. The dialogue’s philosophy is underpinned by an epistemology paying special attention to one’s personal viewpoint, as its language shows.

Dramatically, it presents a Socrates who falls into a similar trap from the one he steers Alcibiades away from, facing the dangers of a tragic character thanks to their mutual attraction. Understood in this way the dialogue, here retranslated to bring out such features, is revealed as the work of an author with linguistic and literary gifts who is deeply conscious of the human condition. While reminiscent of the Academic Skeptic picture of Plato, it is the work of somebody still moving cautiously in that direction.

This series is devoted to writings associated with Plato (including those dubbed dubious or spurious) that have received comparatively little attention. Volumes in the series may be commentaries, monographs, collections of articles or proceedings of conferences devoted to one or more of these works.

Designed for scholars and advanced students, the series will make these works better known in their own right through studies characterized by rigorous and up-to-date scholarship presented in an accessible manner.