Review by Choice Review
Dillon (Greek, Trinity College, Dublin) presents an account of the leaders and philosophy of Plato's Academy in the century following Plato's death (347-274 BCE). He pieces together the fragmentary available information, gathered mainly from Diogenes Laertius, a third century CE "ancient-story teller," along with whatever can be corroborated with the extant writings of historical contemporaries. Dillon thus manages to fill a book with valuable information that goes a long way toward diminishing the intellectual obscurity of this period. With the paucity of reliable primary source material, Dillon perforce engages in a good bit of speculation, but always tries to substantiate it with scholarly references. His main thesis is that the principal heirs of Plato's Academy (there's a chapter on each-- Speusippus, Xenocrates, and Polemo--and a chapter on minor figures) were innovative thinkers in their own right, even if their main goals were to consolidate Plato's thought and leave a legacy of Platonism that would have great influence on Aristotle and Stoicism. Although a good deal of this book is a piecing together of previously published papers, and despite Dillon's style being a bit prolix, this is a valuable book. Good bibliography, but somewhat sparse index. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. P. A. Streveler emeritus, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
