Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

...were faithfully rendered. These are the things provided in that Greek edition of Diogenes.

But the Latin translation owes this especially to my edition: that it has been cleared of many (though not all) errors menda; literally "blemishes," used here for typographical or scribal mistakes which previous editions had committed. It is manifest that these occurred because those who printed the first edition—using the translator’s own original manuscript or at least a copy sent by him—were unable to read certain shorthand marks, and in some places even certain words written out in full and without abbreviation. (It is of such great importance to send manuscripts to printers that are easy to read original Greek: εὐανάγνωστα (euanagnosta)!)

A single example could be the particle Quanquam meaning "although", which was placed in some spots instead of Quámque meaning "and how", in others instead of Quomodo meaning "how", or in place of another particle. I remember also that in a certain place "Io" was used instead of Ideo meaning "therefore"; this happened because of the abbreviation by which some write that little word, namely with an i and an o carrying a tittle A "tittle" or titulus was a small mark or stroke over a letter in a manuscript used to indicate that letters had been omitted to save space..

Furthermore, although it was clear that such errors originated not from the translator but (as I said) from those who misread his manuscript, those who boasted that they had restored many things in this translation were so far from actually doing so that they did not even correct these obvious mistakes.

These are the things, my dear Crato, which I wanted you to know concerning both editions of Diogenes—that is, the Greek as well as the Latin—which I have given and dedicated to you as a perpetual pledge of our friendship. Moreover, since my edition of Herodotus Henri Estienne’s 1570 edition of Herodotus was another major achievement of his press; he frequently bundled his publications for important patrons. was published by me at the same time as Diogenes, I have sent it to you along with him. Farewell.