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Instruction Language: Ancient Greek
Day & Time: Mondays, 12:00–13:30 EDT / 18:00–19:30 (CET/CEST).
Course Duration:
Start Date: July 27, 2026
End Date: September 28, 2026
Lesson Structure:
Duration: 90 minutes per session
Total Instructional Hours: 15 hours total
Abstract: This seminar offers a comprehensive reading of Plato’s Apology of Socrates in the original Greek, focusing on its structural integrity, thematic depth, and the ethical interrogations raised by Socrates’ defense.
Comprehensive Description: Leveraging the prose of one of Antiquity’s most brilliant stylists, this course aims to refine students’ philological mastery while exploring complex theoretical questions. The seminar is conducted entirely in Ancient Greek (immersion method). Participants are expected to engage with the text beforehand to facilitate in-class discussions on interpretive guidelines and noteworthy passages. To ensure a nuanced understanding of Socratic thought, the instructor will introduce supplemental texts from Plato and contemporary authors, alongside targeted vocabulary exercises designed to internalize Attic forensic and philosophical terminology.
Course Units:
Unit I: The figure of Socrates and the Athenian judicial system (Excerpts from Diogenes Laertius).
Unit II: The exordium (prooimion) and proposition (prothesis) (17a1–19a7).
Unit III & IV: Refutation (lysis) of the "old accusers": Negative and positive components (19a8–24b2).
Unit V: Refutation (lysis) of the "new accusers" (24b3–28b2).
Unit VI & VII: The digressions (parekbaseis): Addressing objections (28b3–34b5).
Unit VIII: The peroration (epilogos) (34b6–35d8).
Unit IX & X: The second and third speeches: Verdict and final reflections (35e1–42a5).
Language Level:
Framework Reference: Designed for students who have completed Athenaze Vol. II or possess an equivalent command of Attic prose.
General Description: Advanced level. Students must be capable of navigating complex syntactic structures, summarizing content, and maintaining a conversation in Ancient Greek within a fully immersive environment.
Estimated Self-Study Time:
Time Commitment: 3–4 hours per week.
Preparation Type: Critical reading of the assigned Greek text is mandatory prior to each session to ensure active participation in the seminar's dialectic.
Required Textbooks:
Primary Text: Platonis Opera, ed. J. Burnet, Vol. 1 (Oxford University Press).
Disclaimer: The acquisition of the physical or digital editions of the required textbooks is mandatory for course participation. Please ensure materials are secured prior to the first session.
Selected Further Reading:
T.C. Brickhouse & N.D. Smith, Plato’s Socrates (Oxford, 1994).
E. de Strycker & S.R. Slings, Plato’s Apology of Socrates: A Literary and Philosophical Study (Leiden, 1994).
G. Vlastos, Socrates, Ironist and Moral Philosopher (Cambridge, 1991).
Instruction Language: Ancient Greek
Day & Time: Mondays, 12:00–13:30 EDT / 18:00–19:30 (CET/CEST).
Course Duration:
Start Date: July 27, 2026
End Date: September 28, 2026
Lesson Structure:
Duration: 90 minutes per session
Total Instructional Hours: 15 hours total
Abstract: This seminar offers a comprehensive reading of Plato’s Apology of Socrates in the original Greek, focusing on its structural integrity, thematic depth, and the ethical interrogations raised by Socrates’ defense.
Comprehensive Description: Leveraging the prose of one of Antiquity’s most brilliant stylists, this course aims to refine students’ philological mastery while exploring complex theoretical questions. The seminar is conducted entirely in Ancient Greek (immersion method). Participants are expected to engage with the text beforehand to facilitate in-class discussions on interpretive guidelines and noteworthy passages. To ensure a nuanced understanding of Socratic thought, the instructor will introduce supplemental texts from Plato and contemporary authors, alongside targeted vocabulary exercises designed to internalize Attic forensic and philosophical terminology.
Course Units:
Unit I: The figure of Socrates and the Athenian judicial system (Excerpts from Diogenes Laertius).
Unit II: The exordium (prooimion) and proposition (prothesis) (17a1–19a7).
Unit III & IV: Refutation (lysis) of the "old accusers": Negative and positive components (19a8–24b2).
Unit V: Refutation (lysis) of the "new accusers" (24b3–28b2).
Unit VI & VII: The digressions (parekbaseis): Addressing objections (28b3–34b5).
Unit VIII: The peroration (epilogos) (34b6–35d8).
Unit IX & X: The second and third speeches: Verdict and final reflections (35e1–42a5).
Language Level:
Framework Reference: Designed for students who have completed Athenaze Vol. II or possess an equivalent command of Attic prose.
General Description: Advanced level. Students must be capable of navigating complex syntactic structures, summarizing content, and maintaining a conversation in Ancient Greek within a fully immersive environment.
Estimated Self-Study Time:
Time Commitment: 3–4 hours per week.
Preparation Type: Critical reading of the assigned Greek text is mandatory prior to each session to ensure active participation in the seminar's dialectic.
Required Textbooks:
Primary Text: Platonis Opera, ed. J. Burnet, Vol. 1 (Oxford University Press).
Disclaimer: The acquisition of the physical or digital editions of the required textbooks is mandatory for course participation. Please ensure materials are secured prior to the first session.
Selected Further Reading:
T.C. Brickhouse & N.D. Smith, Plato’s Socrates (Oxford, 1994).
E. de Strycker & S.R. Slings, Plato’s Apology of Socrates: A Literary and Philosophical Study (Leiden, 1994).
G. Vlastos, Socrates, Ironist and Moral Philosopher (Cambridge, 1991).
