Die akademischen Lehrgespräche Platons sind uns indirekt greifbar in den Berichten des Aristoteles und den lückenhaften Resten der Schultradition. Aus diesem zerstreuten und erklärungsbedürftigen Quellenmaterial ein zuverlässiges Bild von Inhalt und Aufbau der platonischen Lehre gezeichnet zu haben, ist das Verdienst Konrad Gaisers.
Die Berichte über Platon und die Alte Akademie in zwei herkulanensischen Papyri. Supplementum Platonicum. - SPL 1
‹Supplementum Platonicum 1‹ contains a completely revised text edition (compared to the edition published by S. Mekler, Berlin 1902) of the main section of Philodemus‹s book on the philosophers of Plato‹s Academy: (Plato, Speusipp Speusippos, Xenokrates Xenocrates, Herakleides, ChaironChiron, Polemon, Krantor Crantor, Adeimantos, Krates Crates, Arkesilaus). For the first time, our most important source of material on Plato‹s school has become accessible in a translation and a detailed commentary. The critical analysis of the sources shows that in Philodemus‹s work extensive reports by Antigonus of Carystustos and also by Dicaearchus, Philochorus, Neanthes, Diocles, Timaeus, Diodorus, Demochares, Hermippus and Arcesilauss have been preserved. Thus the volume provides classical studies and the history of philosophy with new insights into the history of Plato‹s Academy and his school of thought, into the biographical literature of Hellenism and Philodem‹s way of working.
Konrad Gaiser (1929-1988) was a prominent interpreter of Plato in the latter half of the 20th century, also contributing original interpretations of other authors such as Thucydides, Xenophon, Menander, and Philodemus. This collection gathers his most significant shorter works, excluding those focused on Greek Comedy, spanning nearly three decades. Gaiser’s Platonic studies reveal the crucial role of mathematics and the oral theory of principles in understanding the dialogues, often in surprising and illuminating ways. He addresses a remarkable variety of hermeneutical, philological, and philosophical issues with clarity and readability. His interpretations present a coherent image of Plato as both a poet and an open-minded metaphysical thinker. Gaiser's methodological rigor and insightful reflections on diverse topics promise to inspire future research and deepen our understanding of classical thought.