/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.12825540]

Do i really have to read the Iliad to start this shit

[Anonymous No.12825555]

No you don't have to, it's just easier if you do.

[Anonymous No.12825562]

>>12825540
You have to spend at least 3 years in ancient Athens and master the Greek language before reading this. You must also have seen every single play referenced in his writings, and be able to recite every single poem or myth he references by heart.

[Anonymous No.12825573]

>>12825555
im just broke and I always prefer to buy the books that are really important. Starting with the greeks is expensive, Mythology is no longer sold in the edition of the chart, Iliad and the Odyssey are like 21$ together and the Presocratics are around 12$.... I just wanna read plato

[Anonymous No.12825605]

>>12825573
Just read Plato, it's fine
The Iliad and The Odyssey are worth reading, if you go with a good verse translation, but not essential as long as you have a general understanding of the major themes, the importance the poems had on the culture of golden age Athens and of course the narraiive outline
You don't need to read Edith Hamilton's mythology, I'm pretty sure most kids nowadays have heard a lot of the stories of greek myths thanks to moives/ tv and story books based on them
Presocratics aren't that important, and the Oxford World Classics collection I assume you're thinking of is missing a load of stuff so don't go with that if you do really need to always go with physical copies


Don't spend your life tyring to neatly decide how you'll go about reading, just read books man

[Anonymous No.12825628]

>>12825573
You don't need Mythology, any and all info in it can be found online if you're on a budget.

[Anonymous No.12825634]

The Iliad is the enjoyable one though.

[Anonymous No.12825641]

You don't need Plato to start with Harry Potter, don't be bothered by the memes.

[Anonymous No.12825643]

>>12825562
this. otherwise you're a pseud

[Anonymous No.12825650]

>>12825573
>Starting with the greeks is expensive

Literally everything is free online nigga.

[Anonymous No.12826346]

>>12825650
>>12825573
yeAH nigga, this shit is free, its in the public domain, it was written more than 2000 yeaars ago lmaooo

[Anonymous No.12826400]

Definitely not necessary.
>>12825573
>>12825605
Being at least acquainted with the basics of the presocratics will be really helpful. Alternatively, you could just look up the basics whenether one of them gets mentioned or is a part of the dialogue.

[Anonymous No.12826434]

It’s not necessary and here’s the reason why: everything reference in the Iliad is more like a saying to Plato. The Iliad and the Odyssey were such common knowledge that essentially those phrases within the book became common parlance, like how people say ‘David and Goliath’ when referencing two enemies that are a match for each other or ‘using a scapegoat’, a reference to a Biblical Judaic law.

I mean honestly, those two poems (which most of the citizens memorized by rote) were basically the Bible for them anyway.

That’s why you see Plato referencing it constantly. But you’ll understand the point he is trying to make just fine. Finish brainlet Plato shit so you can get to Aristotle fast, don’t want to become too complacent. Make sure you read the following :

Republic
Laws
Timaeus/Critias

After reading the Timaeus read the following by Aristotle
The Categories
On Interpretation
Metaphysics

There, now you’re ready to read any other Aristotle. Aristotle is the tricky one, Plato is easy mode. But be careful with Plato as well, he is frequently metaphorical (but never ironic or sarcastic, don’t confuse the two)

[Anonymous No.12826438]

>>12825573
>the Presocratics are around $12
I have an Epub if you want anon

[Anonymous No.12826469]

>>12825605
>>12826434
>>12826400
Yea, thanks guys ive decided on buying the presocratics plus Plato's five dialogues when I finish up with the presocratics Ill most likely check out the Iliad and the Odyssey then from there move to the five dialogues and after that ill try to get to Aristotle after finishing up the rest of Plato.

Ty for the adv guys

[Anonymous No.12826471]

>>12825643
>>12825562
This but unironically

[Anonymous No.12826505]

>>12826434
Eh, sometimes Plato can put in a quick quip. He's occasionally sarcastic, just rarely and it's obvious when he is.

[Anonymous No.12826607]

>>12826505
I think it’s a meme. They see Plato using exclamation points and think he isn’t being genuine. But no one had the shitty morality they do today. He was actually being genuine when he used the ‘By God!’ And stuff like that. It’s almost hard to perceive when we live in today’s age, but yeah I don’t think he was sarcastic at all. :3

[Anonymous No.12826622]

Iliad and Odyssey, Thucydides and Herodotus are better than Aristotle. Aristotle is dry and boring, but still worth it. The Oreseteia and Oedipus trilogy are also must reads. Then Romans! Aeneid, Metamorphoses, Marcus, Tacitus Annals, Plutarch, Suetonius, Augustine.. Get the bible in there. Finish with Divine Comedy and DeCameron. DESU this is only interesting if you are into literature. If you want to be a better person, then IDC what you read.

[Anonymous No.12827872]

bump

[Anti-/lit/ !N4bnZoKwfU No.12827905]

Apology Crito and Phaedo stand on their own just fine. I would imagine Republic does as well.

Even Ion, which is about poetry, makes perfect sense with only a vague idea of Homer.

You really dont need to read Homer to read Plato. Jump right in, dont be shy.

[Anonymous No.12828186]

>>12826505
>>12826607
my understanding is that Plato never used sarcasm but not everything should be taken at face value. Sometimes the stuff he says is part of his rhetoric to illustrate his point

[Anonymous No.12828243]

>>12826434
You can read any work by either Plato or Aristotle without reading any other work by either of them prior