Plato, Phaedo

The Hackforth Translation (Cambridge)

Citation: Plato. Plato’s Phaedo. Translated with an introduction and commentary by R. Hackforth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1955.

Note: Known for its extensive philosophical commentary interleaved with the text, often used by scholars to understand the specific Greek terminology regarding the “separation of soul and body.”

The Gallop Translation (Oxford World’s Classics)

Citation: Plato. Phaedo. Translated with notes by David Gallop. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.

Note: This version is a staple in university settings; Gallop’s notes are essential for tracing the logical progression of the “Affinity Argument” and the “Final Argument.”

The Grube/Cooper Translation (Hackett)

Citation: Plato. Phaedo. Translated by G. M. A. Grube. 2nd ed. Revised by John M. Cooper. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1977.

Note: This is perhaps the most accessible scholarly translation, frequently cited in multidisciplinary studies (including art history) due to its presence in the Plato: Complete Works volume.

The Fowler Translation (Loeb Classical Library)

Citation: Plato. Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Phaedrus. Translated by Harold North Fowler. Loeb Classical Library 36. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1914.

Note: Essential for researchers who need the original Greek text on the left-hand page and the English translation on the right.