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.

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    say is held* in dishonour by the rest^ of mankind, how is it not now betrayed by you together with myself, as far as de¬ pends upon you? If, indeed, we had been inhabitants of Megara, you would surely have come to me as an assistant for what I had called you, or I should have considered you the meanest of men. But now, excusing yourself by the length of the journey, ^and the danger of the voyage, and the great¬ ness of the trouble,^ think you that you shall avoid .perchance the charge of cowardice ? It will be far from this.” To language like this, what would have been a becoming answer? There is none. But^ I came with reason and justice, as much as it is possible for a man, having left my own pursuits, which were not unbecoming, under a tyranny, which was neither suited to my discourses nor myself. But by my coming I liberated myself (from any charge), and ex¬ hibited myself to be unreproved by Zeus, who presides over hospitality and the allotment of philosophy, which would have been exposed to reproach, had I acted an effeminate part, and through cowardice shared in disgrace and shame. On my arrival then—for there is no need to be prolix—I found all the affairs of Dionysius full of sedition and calumnies on the part of a tyranny respecting Dion. I defended Dion, therefore, to the utmost of my power; but I was able to do but little. But nearly in the fourth month after my arrrival, Dionysius ac¬ cused Dion of plotting against his power, and putting him on board a small vessel, sent him out with dishonour. Where¬ upon all of us, who were the friends of Dion, were fearful lest he should accuse and punish some one of us as an accomplice in the plot of Dion. And a report went abroad at Syracuse, that I had been put to death by Dionysius, as being forsooth In lieu of (pepsaOai, Plato wrote either (pOeipeaOai, “wanders,” or (TTps^saOai, “ tost about.” 2 The phrase in Plato is perpetually rwv aWojv. Hence for Xoittwv I should prefer aXoycJv, “ irrational—” ^® The Greek is Kai to fieyeOoQ rov ttXov Kal roii ttovov. But Ficinus has “ periculumque navigationis atque labores,” as if he had found in his MS. Kai rov Kivdvvov rov ttXov Kai rovg ttovovq. The three genitives however require each its own distinctive noun. Compare k'lv^v- voi Kai TTovoi in Alcib. II. p. 142, B. *—The Greek is ovk iariv' aXX’ rfXBov. Plato wrote ovk kariv dXXrj i] xjXQov, i. e. There is no other than that I came—