The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume I (of X) - Greece

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

20907

Title

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to prose. Volume I (of X) - Greece

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This anthology presents the finest prose from ancient Greece, curated by Henry Cabot Lodge. It explores timeless themes of love, virtue, and philosophy through selections from Plato, including Socrates' teachings on immortality and Alcibiades' satirical praise of the philosopher. The collection offers a portable gateway to the noblest recorded thoughts of mankind, inviting readers to engage with the enduring wisdom of the Western classics.

Summary up to 500 words

Volume I of *The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose* presents a curated selection of Greek literature spanning from 484 B.C. to 200 A.D., edited by Henry Cabot Lodge. The anthology justifies its format as a portable means to access the highest thoughts of civilization, acknowledging that while extracts cannot replace whole works, they serve to recall the masters and inspire further study. The collection focuses on essential dialogues that explore profound themes of love, virtue, and truth. A central feature is Plato’s *Symposium*, where Socrates recounts the teachings of the priestess Diotima regarding the nature of Love (Eros). Diotima argues that love is a desire for immortality and the good. She outlines an ascent of the soul, progressing from a love of physical beauty to an appreciation of beauty in institutions and laws, and finally to the contemplation of the Form of Beauty itself. This intellectual journey leads to the creation of virtue and wisdom. The volume also includes Alcibiades’ drunken entrance into the dialogue. Instead of crowning the poet Agathon as intended, he delivers a scathing, satirical encomium of Socrates. Alcibiades compares Socrates to the masks of Silenus: ugly on the outside but containing divine images within. He contrasts the true philosopher with pretenders who claim wisdom while living immoral lives, describing these hypocrites as apes who mimic heroic virtues only to betray them for material gain. Additionally, the text presents a dialogue on lying, featuring characters Tychiades and Philocles. They discuss the motives behind falsehoods, ranging from national myths and poetic fiction to personal deceit. The conversation highlights the Greek habit of creating anthologies, or 'gatherings of flowers,' to preserve the best passages. While poets and historians like Homer and Herodotus are noted for perpetuating myths that charm children or enhance city luster, the dialogue questions the satisfaction of those who prefer lies to truth without ulterior motive. Ultimately, the volume asserts that these selections, though incomplete, offer noble and lasting examples of the greatest intellects of all time, drawing readers back from the chatter of the moment to the enduring literature of Greece.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Literature