Nowhere to Go But Up: Philosophic Ascent in Plato
In the archaic and classical thought-worlds, a good place to go hunting for wisdom was down below, in the underworld. Plato introduces a new kind of otherworld, the world of forms, which is reached by journeying upward.
Primary Sources
Orphic and Homeric Hymns
This remarkable collection offers an intimate look at the intersection of ancient Greek theology, ritual practice, and poetic tradition. By weaving together the Orphic perspective on cosmogony with the Homeric celebration of divine exploits, the text presents a world where every natural force—from t
The Mystical Initiations; or, Hymns of Orpheus
This volume is an act of defiance against the modern reduction of religion to mere history or folklore. Taylor argues that the Greek theological tradition is a coherent, scientific approach to reality that utilizes polytheism to express the hierarchy of a single, unified source. By translating these
Orphica
Gottfried Hermann does not offer a polished myth but a raw, confrontational look at how we inherit the ancient past. He forces the reader to confront the reality that many famous works were misattributed, patched together, or distorted by centuries of scribal error. The text exposes the vanity of th
Orphica (Abel Edition, with Proclus Hymns & Hymn to Isis)
Eugen Abel reconstructs the Orphic tradition by stripping away centuries of editorial clutter. He aligns fragmented myths and hymns into a logical sequence, transforming obscure lore into a cohesive theological system. The text argues that music, ritual, and language possess the power to move mounta
Orphic Fragments
Otto Kern reconstructs the fragmented legacy of Orpheus to reveal the evolution of Greek religious thought. The text examines the historical validity of Orpheus while documenting his influence on figures like Pythagoras and Plato. It presents a radical theology where the creator Phanes is swallowed
Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Vol. 1 (Loeb)
This book acts as an accidental time capsule for ancient philosophy. While scholars debate the accuracy of his claims, Diogenes Laertius provides a rare, grounded view of philosophers as living, breathing people rather than abstract statues. He documents how these schools of thought formed, collapse
Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Vol. 2 (Loeb)
This volume is not a polite history of ideas. It is a collection of biographical sketches that capture the personality, wit, and scandals of figures like Diogenes the Cynic, Zeno, and Pythagoras. The author avoids academic jargon to focus on the human reality behind the philosophy. He records their