Abstract

C. J. Rowe's translation and commentary fills a gap in Phaedrus scholarship to date. The Greek text, provided on the pages facing the translation, is the Burnet Oxford edition with emendations, most of which are suggested by deVries in A Commentary on the Phaedrus of Plato. Because deVries has already produced a copious philological study, Rowe does not concentrate on the philological problems of the dialogue but refers the reader to deVries. Rowe strives for literalness in his translation, and although he sacrifices at times a smooth English style, his translation is lucid. He is more successful than his modern counterparts in providing a translation which gives a sense of the original with relatively little interpretive license. Rowe does not attempt to maintain word-for-word consistency, and, for example, uses four words to translate söphrosunë, usually stating in the notes that he is doing so. In cases where Rowe does not note that he is using several English words for the same Greek word or the same English word for different Greek words it is difficult for the reader with little or no Greek, for whom Rowe says the translation is primarily intended, to understand the connection between Plato's terms.