Plato and the Tyrant
The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece
2 October 2026
Territory Rights — Worldwide.
Description
A rare biographical portrait of the philosopher Plato, showing how the ideas in his masterwork, Republic, were tested amidst a bloody civil war
In Plato and the Tyrant, acclaimed classicist James Romm uses a little-known set of Plato’s personal letters to introduce the man behind the ethereal image and to explore the formation of his most famous work, Republic. In the second half of his life, Plato involved himself in the affairs of the two Dionysii, a father and son who ruled Syracuse, at that time the greatest power in the Greek world. Plato’s interventions in the violent contest between Dionysius the Younger and his brother-in-law, Dion—with whom Plato may have had a long love affair—were the backdrop and perhaps the motivation for his masterwork. In a thrilling narrative, Romm captures how Plato’s experiment in enlightened autocracy spiralled into catastrophe and gives us a new account of the origins of Western political philosophy.
Reviews
"Longlisted – The Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award, 2026"
"An intellectual thriller... a deft and engaging work of history, philosophy and biography…" — The Washington Post
"This is a work of history, but it is as compelling as any novel… Romm does a superb job of imaginatively reconstructing the backstory to a philosophical masterpiece." — Tim Whitmarsh, Literary Review
"[A] finely sifted story... includes abundant historical and social context..." — The Wall Street Journal
"Books of the Year 2025: Part 1" — History Today
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9781324093190
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£23.74
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