Project Gutenberg 1999-03-01 Public domain in the USA. 509 Plato -428 -348 Πλάτων Jowett, Benjamin 1817 1893 Jowett, William Menexenus Socrates Produced by Sue Asscher, and David Widger "Menexenus" by Plato is a dialogue that takes the form of a rhetorical exercise written during the late classical period of ancient Greece. The text features a conversation between Socrates and his friend Menexenus and centers on a funeral oration that Socrates claims to recount from Aspasia, the esteemed companion of Pericles. The work primarily discusses themes of memory, honor, and the nature of rhetoric in the context of Athenian society and its values. The dialogue begins with Socrates discussing the role of rhetoric in praising the dead, reflecting on the artifice of public speeches that often obscure the darker aspects of history. As Socrates delivers the oration, he extols the virtues of Athenian ancestors who fought bravely in significant battles such as Marathon and Salamis, while highlighting the nobility of their actions and the city's inherent greatness. The oration contains an ironic undertone as it blends genuine appreciation with satirical commentary on the exaggerations common in such speeches. Ultimately, the "Menexenus" serves as both an homage to Athenian valor and a critique of rhetorical practices, revealing Plato's nuanced view on the use of language in shaping public perception and memory. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Classical literature Rhetoric, Ancient Rhetoric -- Philosophy B PA Text Browsing: History - General Browsing: Literature Browsing: Philosophy & Ethics 90727 90736 2024-09-01T10:40:39.356656 2023-10-01T09:42:38.730569 text/html text/html 85763 2013-01-16T10:45:00 text/html; charset=us-ascii 29935 2013-01-16T10:45:46 text/html; charset=us-ascii application/zip 73174 2024-09-01T10:40:42.897608 application/epub+zip 72086 2024-09-01T10:40:40.623629 application/epub+zip 72088 2024-09-01T10:40:39.846629 application/epub+zip 142011 2024-09-01T10:40:44.631606 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 132782 2024-09-01T10:40:42.271650 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 132832 2022-09-01T12:04:05.181257 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 77894 77870 2024-09-01T10:40:39.131630 2023-10-01T09:42:38.544584 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 77736 2008-10-23T09:41:08 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 28739 2008-10-23T09:41:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19677 2024-09-01T10:40:44.774602 application/rdf+xml 10851 2024-09-01T10:40:40.194659 image/jpeg 2844 2024-09-01T10:40:40.021614 image/jpeg 75244 2024-09-01T10:40:39.366632 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia