The Platonic Letters: Readings and Receptions

In collaboration with the Department of Classics, Leeds University.

The letters attributed to Plato have had a colourful history. Although now almost universally regarded as spurious, they nevertheless hold an important place in the history of both the Platonic tradition and the wider Greek epistolary tradition. Circulating with the Platonic corpus, they have enjoyed a wide readership and prompted a fascinating variety of responses. The question of authenticity has, perhaps unfortunately, tended to dominate modern scholarship.

This international and interdisciplinary conference aims to move beyond the question of authenticity and to consider the varied roles of the Platonic Letters within the philosophical and literary tradition. It brings together experts in ancient philosophy and epistolary literature from the UK, the USA, Australia and Europe to discuss the impact and reception of the Letters throughout antiquity. Topics to be discussed include the Letters’ philosophical relevance and influence on later philosophical works, literary readings of individual letters, the arrangement of the collection, and the question of their importance for later composers of literary and fictional letters.

With the generous support of the Classical Association, we are able to offer small number of bursaries for graduate students, to cover conference fee and accommodation expenses.

For further information, please email [email protected] or [email protected].  

Further details and booking information will be available soon at