Research

Fritz-Gregor Herrmann’s area of research is Ancient Philosophy and Literature, with a focus on Plato, Greek tragedy and Thucydides. His special interest is the relationship between words and ideas, and the way in which tradition and innovation in language influence the way thoughts are developed, formulated, expressed and presented. He is currently working on conceptualisations of decision-making in early Greek thought and on continuities and differences between the political psychologies of Thucydides and Plato. His teaching covers Ancient Philosophy and Literature as well as Greek and Latin Language. Past and present PhD research topics supervised include Plato on Poetry, Mathematics in Plato’s Republic, and Aeschylus’ Theology.

Select Publications

• 2011 (forthcoming) Plato and the Poets, co-edited with Pierre Destrée, Brill, Leiden (link).
• 2010, ‘Greek Religion and Philosophy: the God of the Philosopher’, in: D. Ogden, A Companion to Greek Religion, second edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, 385-397
• 2007 Words and Ideas. The roots of Plato’s Philosophy, Classical Press of Wales, Swansea 
• 2007 Pursuing the Good. Ethics and Metaphysics in Plato’s Republic, co-edited with Douglas Cairns and Terry Penner, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 
• 2006 New Essays on Plato. Language and Thought in Fourth-Century Greek Philosophy, Classical Press of Wales, Swansea

Recent Conference Papers

• 2010  March  ‘Aristotle, Politics I.2, 1253a19-29’, 16th Conference of the European Society for Ancient Philosophy, Athens, Old University
• 2009 October ‘Critias Lecteur de Platon’, La Muse au long couteau : Critias, de la création littéraire au terrorisme d’État. Colloque international et pluridisciplinaire, Bordeaux, Institut Ausonius
• 2009 September ‘Critias between Athens and Sparta’, Das Antike Sparta. Internationale Tagung. Regensburg
• 2009 September ‘Stasis: Thucydides on the Origins of Civil War’, Communities in Conflict: Civil Wars and their Legacies, International Colloquium, Swansea