Volume 4

The works of Plato. A new and literal version, chiefly from the text of Stallbaum ... By Henry Cary [vol. II, Henry Davis, vols. III-VI, George Burges] / [Plato].

  • Plato
Date:
1848-1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of Plato. A new and literal version, chiefly from the text of Stallbaum ... By Henry Cary [vol. II, Henry Davis, vols. III-VI, George Burges] / [Plato]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    502/570 (page 494)
    else rather than a love of honour in the case of things honour¬ able. For I consider it just, that they, who are in good truth worthy men, and who act in this manner, should obtain the renown due to them. At present, matters are, to speak with god’s will, doing well; but in those that relate to the future there is the greatest contest. For to excel in fortitude, swift¬ ness, and strength, would seem to be in the power of some others but to excel all the others in truth, justice, magnifi¬ cence, and the graceful bearing relating to all these, any one would agree to honour in reason those, who establish their claim to qualities such as these. Now then what I am say¬ ing is manifest. But at the same time we ought to remind ourselves, that it is proper ^to excel the rest of men, whom you know more than boys.^ Hence we ought to become manifest, as being such as we say; especially since, so to say, with god’s will, it will be easy: for to others it has happened that it was necessary for them to have wandered in many a place, ^if they were about to be known.^ But that which is now existing about you is such, so that persons from the whole of the inhabited (earth), if one may speak in rather an arrogant style, are looking to one spot, and in that spot to yourself especially. Since then you are beheld by all men, prepare to exhibit yourself, as that celebrated Lycurgus of the olden time, and Cyrus, and if there is any one else, who has ever been thought to excel in moral and political (virtues); espeeially since many, and indeed nearly all here say, there is a great expectation that, when Dionysius is taken off, affairs will be in a ruinous state, through the am¬ bition of yourself, and Heraclides, and Theodotus, and others of your acquaintances. Let then, the most of all, such a person not exist. But if he should exist, do you appear as a healer, ^and ye will proceed ^ I confess I hardly understand here krkpMV tivmv. 2—2 Such is the literal translation of the Greek, which I cannot under¬ stand; nor could, I suspect, Ficinus, whose version is, “ oportere nos, ut te non latet, plus ah aliis quam viros a pueros diff'erre—” unless it he said that he found in his MS., as remarked hy Stephens, TrpocrrjKsi ttXsov 7] Tvai^iov dvSpag, t&v dW(i)v dv6pu)7ro)v diacpepeiv, mq olaQa S^ttov. 2—* The Greek is ei fikWovm yvoyaOrivai. Ficinus has “ ad id conse- quendum.” ^ Such is the translation of the Greek. But Ficinus has “ ut res in melius deducantur,” as if he had found in his MS. wpog rb fSsXriov dv ’iXOoi Trdv, not irpbg rb (SkXrLcrrov eXOoir civ. One MS. subsequently collated reads (SeXtiov.