AST, GEORG ANTON FRIEDRICH German classical scholar, was born at Gotha and died at Munich, where he was professor of classical literature for 15 years. His works are Platons Leben and Schri f ten (1816), an edition of Plato's works (1819-32), with Latin translation and commen tary, and Lexicon Platonicum . Ast denounced as spurious many of the Platonic dialogues which had hitherto been accepted as genuine. He also wrote many books on philosophy.