The Literary and Dialogic Form of the Sun, Line, and Cave Imagery in Plato’s Republic

Abstract

The paper analyzes the sections of the Republic in which Socrates does not undertake a discussion of the «longer way» (VI, 504a-7e) and instead substitutes an account of the sun (507e-9c), the line (509c-11e), and the cave (VII, 514a ff) not as metaphysical and political doctrine, but rather as part of a conversation between Socrates and Glaucon presented in literary form. More specifically, it analyzes the passages in relation to the source-texts Plato uses for their composition. The main source-text he rewrites is the Thrinakian episode of the Odyssey XII, 260 ff. The ascent from the cave is a more complex literary composition and only a summary of its structure is presented. To conclude, the discussion between Socrates and Glaucon on the education of the guardians (VII, 521c-533a) is based on the education Strepsiades receives in Aristophanes’ Clouds (126-322 especially).

Key words: Plato, Ancient Philosophy, Republic, Homer, Aristophanes