Eros, Wisdom, and Silence: Plato's Erotic Dialogues

'Once in a while one comes across a work that strikes one as the definitive word on the text it examines. This is such a work' - David Walsh. This substantial study presents an in-depth and meticulous study of Plato's treatment of love in Symposium , Phaedrus and the Seventh Letter. Rhodes' authoritative and impressive labour of love explores the contradictions inherent in love and Plato's dilemma that while love can lead one towards the divine, it can also lead to evil. Presented as a 'book about love... addressed to lovers', this is a compelling and pleasantly accessible study, enriched by Rhodes' personal interjections and the parallels that he subtly makes with modern sexual politics and desires.