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The most important of the Socratic dialogues, The Republic is concerned with the construction of an ideal commonwealth and thus ranks among the earliest of Utopian works. In it, Plato seeks to define philosopher and justice, and questions our perception of reality. Without a doubt the greatest and most provocative work of political philosophy ever produced in the West, The Republic is here presented in the stately and melodious Jowett translation--a perfect mirror of the beauty of Plato's style.

Charles E. Butterworth

Joe Sachs, known and respected for his excellent translations of Aristotle, deserves great praise for this new translation of Plato's Republic. Based on the latest definitive edition of the Greek text and guided by a sense that Greek in English need not read like an old, foreign tongue, Sachs' translation captures the flow of the conversation in an English that reads smoothly, even when the ideas expressed force one to pause and look again. Fluid, yet accurate, Sachs' translation allows the thoughtful reader deeper entry into this all-important book. The editorial guides and typographical signs to remind the reader of who has joined the argument most recently are all highly helpful and most welcome. I look forward to reading this with students. (Charles E. Butterworth, University of Maryland)

Library Journal

Griffith's answer to the question "Why another translation of The Republic?" is that most current translations do not follow the form of a conversation, which Griffith feels the dialog is intended to convey. His aim was to translate the Greek text as if it were a conversation, and he has succeeded admirably. The text does indeed flow like a conversation, with the entire back-and-forth interaction that such exchanges involve. A comparison of his renderings of Books I, VII (the allegory of the cave), and VIII (the discussion of the four forms of unjust regimes) with the same passages in the second edition of Allan Bloom's translation of The Republic (Basic Bks., 1991) shows that Griffith's translation is, on the whole, much smoother and in that sense a more comfortable "read." Consider, for example, the first sentence in Book VII. Bloom's translation reads: " `Next, then,' I said, `make an image of our nature in its education and want of education, likening it to a condition of the following kind.' " Here is Griffith's translation: " `If we're thinking about the effect of educationDor the lack of it on our nature, there's another comparison we can make.' " Griffith's smoother style suggests that this new translation may find a greater audience than others have. Griffith has also written a very useful introduction that places the work in historical context and provides a glossary that will help readers identify individuals and places mentioned in the work. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.DTerry Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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