Diotimos Library · Plato Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Introduction · Branch 1 of 20
Title page
The Lovers: Title page
p. 1Plato, The Lovers
ΕΡΑΣΤΑΙ
The Greek text of John Burnet (Oxford, 1901; second edition, 1910), in a later impression printed by John Johnson with a new English translation and notes
The complete dialogue · 132a–139a · Greek and English, with Notes
Translation by Diotimos Editions · 2026
Socrates
Reading The Lovers · Title page · Title page
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Socrates recalls a debate between two rival lovers about what philosophy is: much learning, a knowledge of many crafts, or the knowledge by which we know ourselves and judge rightly. This complete edition presents the dialogue, 132a–139a, across thirteen Greek–English page pairs, with an introduction, Key Words of the Dialogue, an outline, glossary, critical apparatus, and thirty translator’s notes. The dialogue is transmitted among Plato’s works; its authorship remains disputed.
Historical Text and Translation
The Greek follows John Burnet’s Platonis Opera, volume II (Oxford, 1901; second edition, 1910), in a later Oxford impression printed by John Johnson. The supplied edition checks the Perseus Digital Library transcription against the printed pages and retains Burnet’s paragraphing, verse, editorial signs, and critical apparatus. The supplied PDF preserves the complete printed layout.
About Diotimos Editions
Diotimos Editions prepared this independent English translation directly from the Greek. Socrates’ narration, the rival lovers’ exchanges, and the distinctions between learning, craft, usefulness, justice, and temperance remain aligned with the Greek. All thirty translator’s notes accompany their passages. The introduction and Key Words of the Dialogue precede the text; the Outline, Editorial Note, Glossary of Key Terms, and Note on this Edition follow it.
Rights
The ancient Greek work and Burnet’s printed edition are in the public domain. The Perseus digital Greek transcription and its modifications are attributed to the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, and reused under CC BY-SA 4.0. The independent English translation and Diotimos editorial matter are © 2026 Diotimos Editions.
- supplied-bilingual-editionComplete revised Greek–English edition (PDF)
- supplied-reading-editionComplete revised edition (EPUB)
- supplied-english-reading-editionEnglish reading edition (EPUB)
- greek-sourcePerseus Digital Library · Burnet Greek text
- greek-transcription-licenseCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0