Platonic Drama and its Ancient Reception

Charalabopoulos

By Stacy Cacciatore

Nikos G. Charalabopoulos, Platonic Drama and its Ancient

Reception. Cambridge classical studies. Cambridge; New York:

Cambridge University Press, 2012. Pp. xxi, 331. ISBN

It is quite likely, as many scholars have suggested, that Plato used performance of his dialogues as a teaching tool in the Academy but there is very little evidence of any specific kind for ancient performances of Plato

Charalabopoulos takes us on an interesting journey through the issues, but he

struggles to make a compelling case.

He claims that it is not “improper” to use Plato for our own particular

agenda, but only if “the reading will bring us closer to Plato and not vice versa”

In the fourth and final chapter, Charalabopoulos promises to evoke “the unknown story of Plato the playwright”.