Plato’s eschatological myths: Between immersion and distance

The doctoral thesis Plato’s Eschatological Myths: Between Immersion and Distance aims to uncover the functions of Platonic myths within the dialogues in which they are embedded. Through the lenses of cognitive narratology and discourse linguistics, I conduct an in-depth analysis of the linguistic and narrative devices Plato employed in the eschatological myths of the Republic, the Phaedo, the Gorgias, and the Phaedrus, while also considering the dynamics of appropriation of traditional mythological material characterising these myths. Exploring the response(s) that Plato may have expected his myths to elicit in his narratees, I investigate the extent to which the myths aim to emotionally engage their narratees or, conversely, force them to become aware of the epistemological distance that separates them from the narrated events.