Division of the works of Plato

I here reproduce and transcribe[1] the ancient division of the works of Plato, as given by St. George William Joseph Stock’s[2] edition of the Meno. (I wanted to have a way to link people to this division, and I know of no such page yet.)

I made this black and white version; see footnote for original colors.[3]

Plato’s works – Λόγος Πλατωνικός

1. Expository, or hyphegetic (ύφηγητικός)

1.1. Theoretical (θεωρεματικός)

1.1.1. Physical (φυσικός)

1.1.1.1. Timaeus (Τίμαιος)

1.1.2. Logical (λογικός)

1.1.2.1. Statesman, or Politicus (Πολιτικός)
1.1.2.2. Cratylus (Κρατύλος)
1.1.2.3. Parmenides (Παρμενίδης)
1.1.2.4. Sophist, or Sophistes (Σοφιστής)

1.2. Practical (πρακτικός)

1.2.1. Ethical (ήθικός)

1.2.1.1. Apology (Απολογία Σωκράτους)
1.2.1.2. Crito (Κρίτων)
1.2.1.3. Phaedo (Φαίδων)
1.2.1.4. Phaedrus (Φαίδρος)
1.2.1.5. Symposium (Συμπόσιον)
1.2.1.6. Menexenus (Μενέξενος)
1.2.1.7. Cleitophon (Κλειτοφών)
1.2.1.8. Letters (Επιστολαί)
1.2.1.9. Philebus (Φίληβος)
1.2.1.10. Hipparchus (Ἵππαρχος)
1.2.1.11. Anterastae (Ἀντερασταὶ)

1.2.2. Political (πολιτικός)

1.2.2.1. Republic (Πολιτεία)
1.2.2.2. Laws (Νόμοι)
1.2.2.3. Minos (Μίνως)
1.2.2.4. Epinomis (Επινομις)
1.2.2.5. Critias (Κριτίας)

2. Inquisitory, or zetetic (ζητητικός)

2.1. Exercitatory, or gymnastic (γυμναστικός)

2.1.1. Elicitory, or maieutic (μαιευτικός)

2.1.1.1. Alcibiades I (Αλκιβιάδης Α΄)
2.1.1.2. Alcibiades II (Αλκιβιάδης Β΄)
2.1.1.3. Theages (Θεάγης)
2.1.1.4. Lysis (Λύσις)
2.1.1.5. Laches (Λάχης)

2.1.2. Tentative, or peirastic (πειραστικός)

2.1.2.1. Euthyphro (Ευθύφρων)
2.1.2.2. Meno (Μένων)
2.1.2.3. Ion (Ίων)
2.1.2.4. Charmides (Χαρμίδης)
2.1.2.5. Theaetetus (Θεαίτητος)

2.2. Controversial, or agonistic (άγωνιστικός)

2.2.1. Probative, or endeictic (ένδεικτικός)

2.2.1.1. Protagoras (Πρωταγόρας)

2.2.2. Eversive, or anatreptic (άνατρεπτικός)

2.2.2.1. Euthydemus (Ευθύδημος)
2.2.2.2. Hippias Major, or Greater Hippias, or Hippias I (Ιππίας μείζων)
2.2.2.3. Hippias Minor, or Lesser Hippias, or Hippias II (Ιππίας ελάσσων)
2.2.2.4. Gorgias (Γοργίας)

⁂

Stock’s explanation of the division (from his Introduction, §5)

Quite apart from the division into trilogies or tetralogies, there was current also among the Ancients a subtle logical division of the works of Plato, which possesses a real philosophical value.

It is assumed, to begin with, that the works of Plato fall into two main classes, one in which there is a more or less definite conclusion present in the author’s mind, to which he wishes to guide the reader, the other in which the object is vague inquiry. This gives us the two principal ‘characters’ of the λόγος Πλατωνικός—ύφηγητικός and ζητητικός. The foregone conclusion may be of a merely speculative nature or one bearing upon life and practice. Thus we are led to a subdivision of the first of the two main classes into theoretical and practical; and these again are subdivided respectively into physical and logical, ethical and political. It is on the other side of the division that we must look for the Meno. The ‘inquisitory’ dialogues are all so many exhibitions of the art of mental wrestling, but may be distinguished into dialogues of practice and of combat (γυμναστικός and άγωνιστικός). The latter may end either in proving one’s own proposition or upsetting the adversary’s (ένδεικτικός or άνατρεπτικός); the former may assume the shape either of eliciting a conclusion from an unpractised thinker or of demolishing his successive attempts to reach one (μαιευτικός or πειραστικός). Here then are the eight infimae species which we reach in our division. Plato’s works are either — physical, logical, ethical, political, elicitory, tentative, probative[4], or eversive. Below these there is only the enumeration of the individual dialogues falling under each class, which gives scope for difference of opinion, and we find the list presented by Albinus very different from that of Diogenes Laertius. As to the tentative nature of the Meno, however, all are agreed.

Notes

[1] Special thanks to this on-line Greek keyboard and to this list of work names in Greek for speeding this up. For more good material on the dialogues and their tetralogies, I highly recommend the website plato-dialogues.org.

[2] A note on Stock’s name. He was not canonized; his first name was “St. George”, with the title included, cf. https://www.zinzin.com/observations/2012/who-was-st-george-william-joseph-stock/

[3] Here:

[4] [Stock’s footnote] It is worth noticing that Albinus has έλεγκτικός in his list (Hermann’s Plato, vol. vi. p. 148), and makes no mention of ένδεικτικός. The latter therefore may be a mistake in Diogenes Laertius, iii. §49. The Protagoras is the only dialogue referred to this head.