# Phaedrus

**Author:** Plato
**Tags:** Love, Classical literature, Socrates, 470 BC-399 BC, Rhetoric, Ancient, Soul, Rhetoric, Lysias, Early works to 1800
**Price:** Free
**Formats:** DOCX, EPUB, FB2, PDF, TXT
**Downloads:** 32
**Added:** 10.07.2026
**URL:** https://samolit.com/books/96533

## Description

Plato's Phaedrus invites readers into a sun-drenched Athenian landscape, where Socrates encounters the young, impressionable Phaedrus. Their conversation begins with Phaedrus's recitation of a speech by the rhetorician Lysias, which argues provocatively for the advantages of a non-lover over a passionate one. Socrates, however, is not convinced, and in a series of eloquent speeches, he guides Phaedrus into a profound exploration of love, rhetoric, and the very nature of the soul. Through the famous chariot allegory, Socrates describes the soul's journey, driven by both noble and base impulses, yearning for a glimpse of true beauty and knowledge. The dialogue delves into the concept of divine madness, suggesting that certain forms of love are a sacred path to understanding. Ultimately, Phaedrus moves beyond the mere art of persuasion to consider how rhetoric can be used truthfully, leading the soul towards wisdom and higher ideals, and questioning the lasting power of the written word.