Plato
Grube / Reeve · 1992
The Hackett translation by Grube, revised by C. D. C. Reeve, is the one most courses use and the one I'd start with — accurate, clear, and genuinely readable. Reeve raised the philosophical precision without losing Grube's plainness. If you want to follow Plato's argument rather than admire the prose, this is it. This is where I'd start.
Allan Bloom · 1968
Allan Bloom's translation is the literal one — he keeps as close to the Greek as English allows, on the principle that you should wrestle with what Plato actually wrote, not a smoothed paraphrase. It comes with a long, famous (and opinionated) interpretive essay. Harder going than Grube/Reeve, and worth it if you're studying the text closely.
Desmond Lee · 1955
Desmond Lee's Penguin translation is the smoothest read of the group — it prioritizes clear, flowing English and helpful section headings over word-for-word fidelity. The easiest way in if you mainly want to enjoy the Republic as a piece of writing.
Benjamin Jowett · 1871
Benjamin Jowett's Victorian translation is out of copyright and free everywhere. It's elegant and historically important, but the 19th-century English is dated and less precise than modern versions. Free and complete — fine for sampling, though I'd read a modern translation to follow the argument.
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