RepublicAuthoritative new edition of Plato's Republic by acclaimed translator Christopher Rowe 'We set about founding the best city we could, because we could be confident that if it was good we would find justice in it' The Republic, Plato's masterwork, was first enjoyed 2,400 years ago and remains one of the most widely read books in the world as a foundational work of Western philosophy, and for the richness of its ideas and virtuosity of its writing.