Staff profile

Christopher Rowe (Head of Department 2004-8) formally retired in 2009 as Professor of Greek.

His latest major publication is Plato: Theaetetus and Sophist (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy), published by CUP in December 2015. His first book was The Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics: a study in the development of Aristotle's thought (CUP, 1971); more recently, he co-authored, with Terry Penner, a monograph on Plato's Lysis (CUP 2005, in the series Cambridge Studies in the Dialogues of Plato edited by M.M.McCabe), and was sole author of Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing (CUP 2007), a major study on Plato as a writer of philosophy. He has written commentaries on Hesiod (Bristol Classical Press, 1978), and on four dialogues of Plato: Phaedrus (Aris & Phillips, 1986, with translation), Phaedo (CUP, 1993), Statesman (Aris & Phillips, 1995, with translation), and Symposium (Aris & Phillips, 1998, with translation); he has edited or co-edited four volumes: Reading the Statesman: Proceedings of the III. Symposium Platonicum (Academia Verlag, 1995), The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought (CUP, 2000, with Malcolm Schofield), New Perspectives on Plato, Modern and Ancient (Harvard University Press for the Center for Hellenic Studies, 2002, with Julia Annas), and The Circle of Socrates: Readings in the First-Generation Presocratics (Hackett, 2013, with George Boys-Stones); he has also translated Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, to accompany a fine, full philosophical commentary by Sarah Broadie (OUP 2002), and produced three volumes of translations for Penguin: Plato, Phaedrus (2005),The Last Days of Socrates (2010: part republished as The Defence of Socrates, one of the Penguin Little Black Classics, 2015), and Plato, Republic (2012). [An exhaustive list of his publications from 1969 to 2013 inclusive is to be found in George Boys-Stones, Dimitri El Murr and Christopher Gill (edd.), The Platonic Art of Philosophy (CUP, 2013), pp.312-24.]

In the course of his career Professor Rowe served, inter alia, as Chair of the Council of University Classical Departments, Chair of Council of the Classical Association, interim Chair of the Classical Association Journals Board (the Managing Board for Classical Quarterly, Classical Review and Greece & Rome), President of the Hellenic Society, and Joint Editor of Phronesis, based in Leiden (1997-2003), for which he is now a member of the Advisory Board; he is also a member of the Founding Editorial Board of History of Political Thought (Exeter), and of the editorial boards of the Academia Verlag series International Plato Studies (Sankt Augustin), of Méthexis (Buenos Aires, then Milan, now Leiden), and of Philosophie Antique. Problèmes, Renaissances, Usages (Lille). He is currently series editor of the Brill series Philosophia Antiqua (Leiden. 2015-).

He has been a Junior Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington DC, and a Solmsen Fellow at the Institute for Research in the Humanities, Wisconsin-Madison. He has held a Leverhulme Personal Research Professorship (1999-2004), the chief outcomes of which were the translation of Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics and the monograph Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing (see above).

Professor Rowe was appointed OBE in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to scholarship. He continues to publish, and to give occasional seminars and lectures in the UK, continental Europe and the US, as Emeritus Professor of the Department.

• Socrates and Plato
• Aristotle
• Greek political theory
• Greek philosophy

Authored book

• Boys-Stones, G. R. & Rowe, C. J. (2013). The Circle of Socrates. Readings in the First-Generation Socratics. Hackett Publishing Co.
• Rowe, Christopher (2012). Plato, Republic (new translation, with introduction and notes). Penguin.
• Rowe, Christopher (2011). Classics and the Life of Plocrates. Classical Association Presidential Address. Classical Association.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). The Last Days of Socrates. Penguin.
• Rowe, Christopher. (2007). Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Penner, Terry & Rowe, Christopher. (2005). Plato's Lysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Chapter in book

• Rowe, Christopher (Published). The First Generation Socratics and the Socratic Schools. In From the Socratics to the Socratic Schools: Classical Ethics, Metaphysics and Epistemology. Zilioli, Ugo Routledge. 26-42.
• Rowe, Christopher (2015). Plato, Socrates, and the genei gennaia sophistike of Sophist 231b. In Second Sailing: Alternative Perspectives on Plato. Nails, Debra & Tarrant, Harold Societas Scientiarum Fennica. 132: 149-67.
• Rowe, Christopher (2013). La fin du Théetète. In La mesure du savoir. Êtudes sur le Théétete. D. El Murr Vrin. 173-187.
• Rowe, Christopher (2013). 'Socrates and his Gods: from the Euthyphro to the Eudemian Ethics'. In Politeia [essays in honour of Malcolm Schofield]. Lane, Melissa & Harte, Verity Cambridge University Press. 313-328.
• Rowe, Christopher (2013). On justice and the other virtues in the Republic: whose justice, whose virtues? In Proceedings of the International Plato Symposium 2010. S.Kato, N.Notomi & L.Brisson Academia Verlag. 49-59.
• Rowe, Christopher (2012). Socrates in Plato's Laws. In Presocratics and Plato: Festschrift at Delphi in Honor of Charles Kahn. Patterson, Richard, Karasmanis, Vasilis & Hermann, Arnold Parmenides Publishing. 367-387.
• Rowe, Christopher (2011). Socratic citizenship. In The Notion of Citizenship in Greek Philosophy. E.Moutsopoulos & M.Protopapas-Marneli Academy of Athens Research Centre on Greek Philosophy. 58-69.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). On Grey-haired Babies: Plato, Hesiod, and visions of the past (and future). In Plato and Hesiod. G.R.Boys-Stones & J.H.Haubold Oxford University Press. 298-316.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). The relationship of the Laws to other dialogues: a proposal. In A Handbook to Plato’s Laws. C.Bobonich Cambridge University Press. 29-50.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). Self-examination. In The Cambridge Companion to Socrates. D.Morrison Cambridge University Press. 201-214.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). Plato. In The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. M.Gagarin Oxford University Press. 5: 297-307.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). Thomas Taylor the Platonist. In Argumenta in dialogos Platonis, Teil I: Platoninterpretation und ihre Hermeneutik von der Antike bis zum Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts. A.Neschke-Hentschke Basel. 315-325.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). The Good and the Just in Plato’s Gorgias. In Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. In Honor of G.Santas. G.Anagnostopoulos Philosophical Inquiry/Polyentupo Editions. 169-189.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). L'argument relatif à la pleonexia dans le premier livre de la République deux conceptions de ce que c'est qu' “avoir davantage”. In Aglaïa. Autour de Platon. Mélanges offerts à Monique Dixsaut. A.Brancacci, D.El Murr & D.Taormina Vrin. 289-305.
• Rowe, Christopher (2010). Boys, Kingship, and Board-games: a note on Plato, Politicus 292E-293A. In Il quinto secolo. Studi di filosofia in onore di Livio Rossetti. S.Giombini & F.Marcacci Aguaplano-Officina del Libro. 529-533.
• Rowe, Christopher & OKell, Eleanor (2009). The “Research-Teaching Nexus” and the Learning-Teaching Relationship: who’s in charge?’. In Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 8. 180-190.
• Rowe, Christopher (2009). Greek Political Theory. In The Oxford Handbook of Hellenic Studies. Boys-Stones, G. R., Graziosi, B. & Vasunia, P. Oxford University Press. 401 - 409.
• Rowe, Christopher (2009). Charioteer and his Horses: an example of Platonic myth-making. In Plato’s Myths. C.Partenie Cambridge University Press. 134-147.
• Rowe, Christopher. (2007). Plato and the Persian Wars. In Cultural Responses to the Persian Wars. Bridges, E., Hall, E. & Rhodes, P. J. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 85-104.
• Rowe, Christopher (2005). What difference do Forms make to Platonic epistemology? In Virtue, Norms, and Objectivity: Issues in Ancient and Modern Ethics. Gill, Christopher Oxford: Clarendon Press. 215-232.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Reply to Richard Kraut. In Plato and Aristotle's Ethics. Heinaman, R. Aldershot: 168-176.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Plato on knowing and merely believing. In Ideal and Culture of Knowledge in Plato. Detel, W.,, Becker, A., & Scholz, P. Stuttgart: 57-68.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). The status of the 'myth' in Plato's Timaeus. In Plato Physicus Cosmologia e antropologia nel Timeo. Natali, C., & Maso, S. Amsterdam: Adolf Hakkert. 21-31.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Plato. In The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Philosophy. Sedley, D.N. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 98-124.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). The treatment of anger in Aristotle's Ethics and Rhetoric. In On Aristotle's Poetics and the Art of Rhetoric. Koutras, D.N. Athens: 366-376.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Socrates and Plato on virtue and the good an analytical approach. In New Images of Plato. Scolnicov, S., & Reale, G. Sankt Augustin: Academia Verlag. 253-264.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Socrates, the laws and the Laws. In Plato's Laws: from theory into practice (Proceedings of the VI Symposium Platonicum). Scolnicov, S., & Brisson, L. Sankt Augustin: Academia Verlag. 87-97.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Plato, Socrates and developmentalism. In Desire, Identity and Existence Studies in Honour of T.M.Penner. Reshotko, N. Kelowna, BC, Canada: 17-32.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). 'All our desires are for the good' reflections on some key Platonic dialogues. In Plato Ethicus Philosophy is Life. Migliori, M., & Napolitano Valditara, L.M. Sankt Augustin: Academia Verlag. 256-272.
• Rowe, Christopher (2003). Reply to Roger Crisp. In Plato and Aristotle's Ethics. Heinaman, R. Aldershot: 79-86.
• Rowe, Christopher (2002). Handling a philosophical text. In The Classical Commentary History, Practices, Theory. Gibson, R.K., & Kraus, C.S. Leiden: Brill. 295-318.
• Rowe, Christopher (2002). The Politeiai of Zeno and Plato. In The Philosophy of Zeno. Scaltsas, T., & Mason, A. Larnaka: 291-308.
• Rowe, Christopher (2002). Zwei oder drei Phasen? Der Mythos im Politikos. In Platon als Mythologe Neue Interpretationen zu den Mythen in Platons Dialogen. Janka, M., & Schäfer, C. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. 160-175.
• Rowe, Christopher (2001). The concept of philosophy in Plato's Phaedo. In Plato's Phaedo Proceedings of the Second International Symposium Pragense. Havlicek, A., & Karfik, F. Prague: OIKOUMENH. 34-47.
• Rowe, Christopher (2001). Socrates. In Fifty Major Thinkers on Education from Confucius to Dewey. Palmer, Joy A. London: Routledge. 5-10.
• Rowe, Christopher (2000). The nature and function of Platonic utopianism. In Utopias. Le Saux, F., & Thomas, N. Durham: University of Durham. 37-53.
• Rowe, Christopher (2000). The Lysis and the Symposium aporia and euporia? In Plato: Euthydemus, Lysis, Charmides Proceedings of the V Symposium Platonicum. Robinson, T.M., & Brisson, L. Sankt Augustin: Academia Verlag. 204-216.
• Rowe, Christopher (2000). Aristotle for and against democracy. In Politicical Equality and Justice in Aristotle and the Problems of Contemporary Society. Koutras, D.N. Athens: 408-416.
• Rowe CJ (1999). Myth, history and dialectic in Plato's Republic and Timaeus-Critias. In From Myth to Reason? Studies in the Development of Greek Thought. Buxton, RGA Oxford: Oxford University Press. 263-78.

Conference Paper

• Rowe, Christopher (2013), One Dialogue or Two? Reading Plato's Republic, in Balansard, Anne & Koch, Isabelle eds, Lire les Dialogues. Paris, 245-252.

Edited book

• Rowe, Christopher (2015). Plato, Theaetetus and Sophist. Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.
• Annas, Julia & Rowe, Christopher. (2002). New Perspectives on Plato, Modern and Ancient. Washington, DC: Harvard University Press for Center for Hellenic Studies (Trustees for Harvard University).
• Rowe, C.J., Schofield, M. Harrison, S. & Lane, M. (2000). The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Political Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Edited Sources, Research Data Sets and Databases

• Rowe CJ (1998). Plato: Symposium. Warminster: Aris & Phillips.

Journal Article

• Rowe, Christopher (2015). Methodologies for Reading Plato. Oxford Handbooks Online 02/15.
• Rowe, Christopher (2015). Aristotle's Other Ethics: some recent translations of the Eudemian Ethics. Polis, The Journal for Ancient Political Thought 32: 211-232.
• Rowe, Christopher (2015). Plato versus Protagoras: the Statesman, the Theaetetus and the Sophist. Diálogos 47(98): 143-166.
• Rowe, Christopher (2011). Reading Socrates in Plato’s Dialogues. Hermathena 186: 25-41.
• Rowe, C. (2010). How to Read Plato: Some Rival Approaches. The Journal of Greco-Roman Studies 42: 161-179.
• Rowe, Christopher (2002). Socrate, les lois et les Lois. Revue francaise d'histoire des idées politiques 16: 259-273.
• Rowe, Christopher (2001). Killing Socrates Plato's later thoughts on democracy. Journal of Hellenic Studies 121: 63-76.
• Rowe, Christopher (2001). Just how Socratic are Plato's 'Socratic' dialogues? Plato (internet journal of the International Plato Society)
• Rowe, Christopher (2001). Modelli di ermeneutica platonica nei secoli XIX e XX. Plato (internet journal of the International Plato Society)
• Rowe, Christopher (2000). Uccidere Socrate: le idee di Platone sulla democrazia nei dialoghi 'tardi'. Dianoi. Annali di Storia della Filsosofia, Università di Bologna 5: 15-37.
• Rowe CJ (1996). A reply to van Eck. Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 14: 227-240.

Translated Book

• Rowe, Christopher. (trans.) (2005). Plato Phaedrus . London: Penguin Books Ltd
• Broadie, Sarah & Rowe, Christopher. (trans.) (2002). Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics translation, introduction and commentary . Oxford: Oxford University Press