Plato's myth voice: The identification and interpretation of inspired speech in Plato

Using new evidence for the interpretation of mythical, oracular, and religious discourse since 430BC we will examine such discourse in the myths and 'inspired' passages of Plato, focussing particularly on differences from the standard argumentative discourse. We aim to discover the philosophical and practical significance, for the Platonic community, of discourse that asserts superiority over logic while challenging listeners to grasp its deeper meaning. We consider how far later Platonists could recognise Plato's myth voice as the vestiges of an oral society founded on myth-telling progressively faded, and whether the decline of allegorical traditions led to basic misunderstandings in the iterpretation of Plato today.