Reading Group: Plato’s Apology
This eight-week course continues the work begun in Reading Group: Plato’s Dialogues, with a narrower focus on the original Greek text of the Apology. As we read through the latter half of the dialogue, we will pay close attention to central components and qualities of Plato’s diction: word choice and semantic range, word order and hyperbaton, use of discourse particles, “comic” and colloquial speech, as well as use of more “literary” registers. Throughout, we’ll ask how Plato’s unique diction facilitates the making of dialogic form and of philosophical thought. We’ll also supplement our reading with brief comparanda from Aristophanes’ comic plays, so as to better understand the making of Platonic prose and the invention of philosophical dialogue. Reading the Apology will also offer us a chance to review, as necessary, the morphology and syntax of Attic prose. As such, the course is intended for students who have recently completed a grammar course and for those who once studied ancient Greek and are now looking for an opportunity to return to it. The course is capped at eight students.
Course Schedule
Friday, 5:00-6:30pm ETDecember 01, 2023 — January 19, 2024
8 weeks
$515.00
Registration Open