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Book Review: Plato and the Tyrant by James Romm

My first read of 2026 was James Romm's recent work: Plato and the Tyrant: The fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece. And what a way to start the reading year. Hopefully all the books I read in 2026 will be as unique and interesting as this one was. 




Plato and the Tyrant is basically three strands rolled into a single cohesive narrative. It's a history of the city state of Syracuse and its interactions with rival powers, a biography of many of the men and women of the era, including Plato, Dionysius (the Elder and Younger), and Dion, as well as an interesting analysis of the Republic and how Plato developed it in light of his experiences visiting Syracuse.  

Basically, the story of Plato and the Tyrant is the story of Plato's attempt to shape a couple of Syracusan tyrants into enlightened philosopher kings who could reshape governance in the Hellenic world and end the general decline that Plato thought was happening.  But Plato's involvement in Syracuse turned out to be quite the disaster. 

Does it all sound complicated? Yes, I think it does sound a little dense for someone that is not an expert or a well-read amateur classicist. Full disclosure - I am neither of those. I am one of those regular guys that just enjoy reading history in my spare time. 

But I really enjoyed this one as it was written with good pace and with compelling details. This wasn't just a textual analysis of the Republic utilizing Plato's interactions with the two tyrants Dionysius. Indeed, Romm looks into Syracuse's conflicts with Carthage, its war on the Italian mainland, and its interactions with the Greek homeland. 

In fact, Romm really gives us a good account of the dramatic events revolving around Plato's visit to Syracuse, like being sold into slavery and narrowly escaping death on another visit.  

Am I keeping this one on my bookshelf?  Absolutely, this was a fantastic read that I am happy to keep in my collection.

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Publication date: May, 2025     Publisher: W. W. Norton   Page Count: 368 pages


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