A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PLATO. PLATO. 393
was instructed in grammar, music, and gymnastics v. 29:; Val. Max. viii. 7. ~ 3; Vita Anon. 1. c.).
by the most distinguished teachers of that time. Others, in inverted order, mnake him travel first to
(Diog. La'rt. iii. 4; comp. Hermann, Geschichte Sicily and then to Egypt (Quintil. i. 12. ~ 15;
und Sgstenl des Platonischen Systenms, p. 98, note 48, Diog. La'rt. iii. 6), or from Sicily to Cyrene and
p. 99, note 49.) At an early age (ec rveov) he had Egypt, and then again to Sicily (Appuleius, 1. c.
become acquainted, through Cratylus, with the p. 47; comp. Clinton, F. H. vol. ii. p. 366). As
doctrines of Heracleitus (Arist. AlIetaph. i. 6; his companion we find mentioned Eudoxus (Strab.
comp. Appuleius, de Doctr. Plat. p. 47. Elm.); xvii. 29, in opposition to Diog. La'rt. viii. 87), or
through other instructors, or by means of writings, Simmias (Plut. de Daemen. Socr. 7), or even Euriwith the philosophical dogmas of the Eleatics and pides, who died 01. 93. 2 (Diog. Laert. iii. 6).
of Anaxagoras * (Diog. Lairt. 1. c.; Vita Anon. ap. More distant journeys of Plato into the interior of
Tychsen, p. 1 3); and wlhrat is related in the Asia, to the Hebrews, Babylonians, and AssyPhaedo and Parmenides of tle philosophical studies rians, to the Magi and Persians, are mentioned
of the young Socrates, may in part be referable only by writers on whom no reliance can be placed
to Plato. In his 20th year he is said to have (Clem. Alex. adv. Gent. p. 46; Vita Anon. p. 14;
betaken himself to Socrates, and from that time comp. Diog. LaErt. iii. 7; Lactant. Instit. iv. 2;
onwards to have devoted himself to philosophy. comp. Cic. Tusc. Disp. iv. 19). Even the fruits of
(Diog. Laert. iii. 6; Suidas s. v. makes this into his better authenticated journeys cannot be traced
an intercourse of twenty years' duration with So- in the works of Plato with any definiteness. He
crates.) The intimacy of this relation is attested, may have enlarged his mathematical and astronobetter than by hearsay accounts and insufficient mical knowledge, have received some impulses and
testimonies (Diog. Laert. iii. 5; Paus. i. 30. ~ 3, incitements through personal intercourse with
&c.; Xen. ileese. ini. 6. ~ 1), by the enthusiastic Archytas and other celebrated Pythagoreans of his
love with which Plato not only exhibits Socrates age (Clem. Alex. Cic. Val. Max. &c. 11. cc.), have
as he lived and died-in the Banquet and the made himself acquainted with Egyptian modes of
Phaedo,-but also glorifies him by making him life and Egyptian wisdom (Plat. de Leg. ii. p. 656,
the leader of the investigations in the greater part vii. pp. 799, 819, Phaedo, p. 274, Phileb. p. 18,
of his dialogues; not as though he had thought Tim. 21; comp. Epinomz. p. 986); but on the
himself secure of the assent of Socrates to all the fundamental assumptions of his system, and its
conclusions and developments which he had him- development and exposition, these journeys carl
self drawn from the few though pregnant principles hardly have exercised any important influence; of
of his teacher, but in order to express his con- any effect produced upon it by the pretended
viction that he had organically developed the re- Egyptian wisdom, as is assumed by Plessing
sults involved in the Socratic doctrine. It is (3Memnonizmn, ii. p. 288, &c., 504, &c.; Versuchl
therefore probable enough that, as Plutarch relates zur A4ufklarung der PLilosophie des altesten Ailter(Marius, 46; comp. Lactant. Din. Jizst. iii. 19. thums, ii. 2, p. 879, &c.) and others, no traces are
~ 17), at the close of Iris life he praised that dis- to be found (comp. Hermann, 1. c. i. 55, &c.).
pensation whicht had made him a contemporary of That Plato during his residence in Sicily through
Socrates. After the death of the latter he betook the intervention of Dion, became acquainted with
himself, with others of the Socratics, as Ilermo- the elder Dionysius, but very soon fell out with
dorus had related, in order to avoid threatened the tyrant, is asserted by credible witnesses (espepersecutions (Diog. Lairt. ii. 106, iii. 6), to Eu- cially by Hegesander ap. Athen. xi. 116, p. 507,
cleides at Megara, who of all his contemporaries b; Diod. xv. 7; Plut. Dion, 4, 5; Diog. Laeirt.
had the nearest mental affinity with him. That iii. 18, 19. The Platonic epistle vii. pp. 324, 326,
Plato during his residence in Megara composed 327, mentions only the acquaintance with Dion,
several of his dialogues, especially those of a dia- not that with the elder Dionysius). More doubt
lectical character, is probable enough, though there attaches to the story, according to which he was
is no direct evidence on the subject (Ast, conz given up by the tyrant to the Spartan ambassador
Leben und den Scrifien des Plato, p. 51; Van Pollis, by him sold into Aegina, and set at liberty
Heusde, Init. Plat. doct. i. p. 72; Hermann, ibid. by the Cyrenian Anniceris. This story is told in
pp. 46, 490). The communication of the Socratic very different forms. On the other hand, we find
conversation recorded in the Theaetetus is referred the statement that Plato came to Sicily when about
to Eucleides, and the controversial examination, forty years old, so that he would have returned to
contained in the Sophistes (p. 246) and apparently Athens at the close of the 97th Olympiad (B.c.
directed against Eucleides and his school, of the 389 or 388), about twelve years after the death of
tenets of the friends of certain incorporeal forms Socrates; and perhaps for that reason O1. 97. 4,
(ideas) cognisable by the intellect, testifies esteem was set down by the chronologers whom Eusebius
for him. Friendship for the mathematician Theo- follows as the period when he flourished. After
dorus (though this indeed does not manifest his return he began to teach, partly in the gymnaitself in the way in which the latter is introduced slum of the Academy and its shady avenues,
in the Theaetetus) is said to have led Plato next to near the city, between the exterior Cerameicus and
Cyrene (Diog. Lairt. iii. 6; Appul. 1. c.). Through the hill Colonus Hippius, partly in his garden,
his eagerness for knowledge he is said to have which was situated at Colonus (Timon ap. Diog.
been induced to visit Egypt, Sicily, and the Greek Lahrt. iii. 7, comp. 5; Plut. de Exilio, c. 10, &c.).
cities in Lower Italy (Cic. de Rep. i. 10, de Fin. Respecting the acquisition of this garden again,
and the circumstances of Plato as regards property
Hermogenes is mentioned as the Eleatic generally, we have conflicting accounts (Plut. Diog.
teacher of Plato, probably through a misunder- Laert. Appul. 11. cc.; A. Gell. N. A. iii. 17,
standing of the mention of him in the Cratylus, comp. Hermann, 1. c. p. 77, &c.). Plato taught
pp. 384, 394; in the anonymous writer, Hermippus gratuitously (Diog. LaErt. iv. 2; Ollypiod. et
is named with hardly better reason. Anon.), and agreeably to his maxims (PA-ced. p.