Burnyeat and Frede argue that the seventh of the letters ascribed to Plato is no more genuine than any other letter purporting to be from a philosopher before Epicurus; that its true author is far too remote from Plato for it to give any reliable evidence about Plato’s thoughts and activities; and that it is to be appreciated as a fine tragedy in prose. This review criticizes some of the details of their arguments, while endorsing and amplifying their conclusion.