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chrudos's review against another edition
2.0
I was really looking forward to this book and initially it met my expectations, but after a while I spotted some historical inaccuracies which made me wonder how pervasive it is in the book. Later on it became obvious that the author had an agenda, she wanted to prove how visionary Socrates was and therefore she made him as appealing to today's tastes as possible. Quite a substantial part of the book was trying to argue that Socrates was a feminist and that this was one of the reasons why he was eventually so hated. Even if it was true that he treated women with more respect, I do not think it was very important aspect of who he was (unless you have an agenda like the author of the book). Granted, it shows what were his priorities and that he was open-minded. But it was not a political gesture. Overall, all that the author describes about Socrates ends up as a cultural event. That makes it probably very digestible for the target audience, but it also makes it very empty. Finally, the whole parallel between Socrates' life and the life of Athenian democracy was very repetitive and tiring. 2 stars.
tiagilles's review against another edition
4.0
a clever and fitting excuse to take a tour around 5th century Athens and its surroundings, fills in the picture and makes a very particular man in a very particular time matter then and matter now...
Alcibiades comes off like an absolute rock star
Alcibiades comes off like an absolute rock star
fjp11907's review against another edition
5.0
what a wonderful book! so fresh! Her prose floats through voluminous details.
christinecc's review against another edition
5.0
I give it five stars because this book was exactly what I needed, even if I can't speak to its depth or accuracy.
Still fresh in my interest in classical philosophy and the history of Athens, I looked for an overview that would tell me more about the philosophers of the time as well as the culture they lived in. This delivered! And as an added bonus, it shed a lot of light on the events I had trouble following in Mary Renault's fantastic "The Last of the Wine." Who knew the Peloponnesian War was so complicated and yet so fascinating to follow?
Recommended, and here I go to re-read "The Last of the Wine" with new appreciation in the near future.
Still fresh in my interest in classical philosophy and the history of Athens, I looked for an overview that would tell me more about the philosophers of the time as well as the culture they lived in. This delivered! And as an added bonus, it shed a lot of light on the events I had trouble following in Mary Renault's fantastic "The Last of the Wine." Who knew the Peloponnesian War was so complicated and yet so fascinating to follow?
Recommended, and here I go to re-read "The Last of the Wine" with new appreciation in the near future.
northeastbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Bettany Hughes has done it again. This
is an amazing book. Examining the Athens
of Socrates, she develops a sharper picture
of the gadfly philosopher and his times.
If you get a chance read her first book on
"Helen of Troy".
is an amazing book. Examining the Athens
of Socrates, she develops a sharper picture
of the gadfly philosopher and his times.
If you get a chance read her first book on
"Helen of Troy".
lnatal's review against another edition
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week:
Written by Bettany Hughes. We think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did. His aphorism 'The unexamined life is not worth living' may have originated twenty-five centuries ago, but it is a founding principle of modern life.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
Episode 2: The young Socrates listens to the great thinkers of Athens and begins to form his own philosophical thoughts on life.
Episode 3: War engulfed much of Socrates' life. Now a young man, he must take up his sword and fight for his beloved Athens.
Episode 4: Socrates debates with the young men of Athens, suggesting that their future may lie in a simpler life of good.
Episode 5: The Spartans break down Athenian walls and Socrates is barred from associating with the city's youth. His card is marked.
Socrates was a soldier, a lover, a man of the people. He philosophised neither in grand educational establishments nor the courts of kings but in the squares and public arenas of Golden Age Athens. He lived through an age of extraordinary materialism, in which a democratic culture turned to the glorification of its own city; when war was declared under the banner of democracy; and, when tolerance turned into intimidation on streets once populated by the likes of Euripides, Sophocles and Pericles.
For seventy years he was a vigorous citizen of one of the greatest capitals on earth, but then his beloved Athens turned on him, condemning him to death by poison. Socrates' pursuit of personal liberty is a vibrant story that Athens did not want us to hear. But Bettany Hughes has painstakingly pieced together Socrates' life, following in his footsteps across Greece and Asia Minor, and examining the new archaeological discoveries that shed light on his world. "The Hemlock Cup" relates a story that is as relevant now as it has ever been.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wdf44
Written by Bettany Hughes. We think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did. His aphorism 'The unexamined life is not worth living' may have originated twenty-five centuries ago, but it is a founding principle of modern life.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
Episode 2: The young Socrates listens to the great thinkers of Athens and begins to form his own philosophical thoughts on life.
Episode 3: War engulfed much of Socrates' life. Now a young man, he must take up his sword and fight for his beloved Athens.
Episode 4: Socrates debates with the young men of Athens, suggesting that their future may lie in a simpler life of good.
Episode 5: The Spartans break down Athenian walls and Socrates is barred from associating with the city's youth. His card is marked.
Socrates was a soldier, a lover, a man of the people. He philosophised neither in grand educational establishments nor the courts of kings but in the squares and public arenas of Golden Age Athens. He lived through an age of extraordinary materialism, in which a democratic culture turned to the glorification of its own city; when war was declared under the banner of democracy; and, when tolerance turned into intimidation on streets once populated by the likes of Euripides, Sophocles and Pericles.
For seventy years he was a vigorous citizen of one of the greatest capitals on earth, but then his beloved Athens turned on him, condemning him to death by poison. Socrates' pursuit of personal liberty is a vibrant story that Athens did not want us to hear. But Bettany Hughes has painstakingly pieced together Socrates' life, following in his footsteps across Greece and Asia Minor, and examining the new archaeological discoveries that shed light on his world. "The Hemlock Cup" relates a story that is as relevant now as it has ever been.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wdf44
ellanarose's review against another edition
5.0
Bettany Hughes has a unique ability to give all the facts while still putting you right in the middle of the action.
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