The Trial of Socrates: An Annotated Translation and Analysis of Plato’s Euthyphro, Apology of Socrates, and Crito

[About the Author]

Platōn/Plato (Greek name, Πλάτων, 424/3-348/7 BC)

An ancient Athenian philosopher and dramatist, Plato is renowned for presenting his ideas through dialogues and for founding the famed Platonic Academy—one of the earliest models of modern higher education and a source of inspiration for the names of many later academic institutions. He is the earliest Western philosopher whose complete works have been fully preserved. The enduring value of his writings lies in their rich variety of approaches, eloquent style, profound themes, and groundbreaking originality. Plato’s thought has exerted a lasting and profound influence on the Western intellectual tradition.

Plato's birth name was Aristoclēs, while Plato was a nickname, reportedly derived from the broadness and robustness of his shoulders. Both of his parents came from distinguished aristocratic families in Athens. His father, Aristōn, claimed descent from Codrus, the legendary last king of Athens, and is believed to have died around the time of Plato’s birth. His mother, Perictionē, belonged to a lineage that traced its ancestry to the early archon Dropidēs, a relative of the renowned seventh-century BCE lawgiver Solōn. Plato's extended family also included influential political figures such as his uncle Charmidēs and his cousin Kritias, both of whom were active in Athenian politics.

Plato became acquainted with Socrates at a young age. The execution of Socrates in 399 BCE had a profound and lasting impact on him. Disillusioned by the political climate and deeply affected by the trial, Plato abandoned any aspirations of a political career and instead turned fully to the pursuit of philosophy. Over the course of his life, he made three journeys to Sicily in an attempt to guide local rulers toward philosophical governance. These efforts, however, ultimately proved unsuccessful.

In 380 BCE, Plato founded the Academy in Athens—an institution dedicated to philosophical inquiry, education, and writing. It attracted students from across the Greek world, the most famous of whom was Aristotle, who joined the Academy in 367 BCE. After 361 BCE, Plato withdrew from any remaining political engagement and devoted himself entirely to philosophical work until his death in 348/7 BCE.

Plato authored a significant body of work, including at least twenty dialogues that have survived to the present day. In these texts, he explored philosophical questions through dramatic dialogues characterized by literary elegance, intellectual depth, and remarkable originality.


[About the Translator]

Hsei-Yung Hsu (Atayal name, Yukan Domi)

Professor of Philosophy at National Taiwan University, he holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow. He has taught at the Philosophy Department of Tunghai University, the Philosophy Department and the Programme of Western Classical and Medieval Culture held by the Department of Foreign Languages at Fu Jen Catholic University, and has been a visiting professor at the University of Oxford. His main research areas are western ancient ethics and political philosophy. His publications include the book The Concept of Justice in Ancient Greece: Ethical Values and Political Ideals from Homer to Aristotle (2016), and annotated Chinese translations of Lucretius De Rerum Natura (2018) and Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics (2023), which are all published by NTU Press.

導讀
柏拉圖簡介
蘇格拉底及柏拉圖年表暨時代大事
關於譯文

蘇格拉底的審判

《尤希弗若》
《蘇格拉底的辯護》
《克里同》

附錄　柏拉圖《塞艾提投斯》與蘇格拉底的審判
參考書目
名詞索引
古代人、神名索引