THE LIFE OF PLATO BY MARSILIO.

THE PRINCIPAL DISCIPLES OF PLATO.

His disciples were Speusippus the Athenian, Xenocrates of Chalcedon, Aristotle of Stagira, Philippus of Opus, Hestiaeus of Perinthus, Dion of Syracuse, Amicles of Heraclea, Erascus and Doriscus of Scepsis, Timolaus of Cyzicus, Hebeon of Lampsacus, Pithon and Heraclides of Aenus, Hippotales and Calippus the Athenians, Demetrius of Amphipolis, Heraclides of Pontus, and many others; and with these two women, Lasthenia of Mantinea and Axiothea of Phlius, who used to wear men's clothing. They also say that Theophrastus was a listener of his, as were the orator Hyperides, Chamaeleon, Lycurgus, and Demosthenes, who was also a devoted student of his, along with Menesistratus. Inscribed on the vestibule of the Academy was: Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here. Which indeed he wished to be understood not only regarding the measurement of lines, but also regarding the proper measure of the emotions. Ficino interprets the famous mathematical requirement for entry into Plato's school as a metaphor for moral and emotional self-control.

THE BOOKS WHICH PLATO WROTE, COLLECTED BY POSTERITY INTO NINE GROUPS OF FOUR. original: "quaternitates" - these are the famous Tetralogies, the traditional grouping of Plato's dialogues.


The First Tetralogy,	Charmides: or on Temperance
	Laches: or on Courage
Euthyphro: or on Holiness	Lysis: or on Friendship.
The Apology of Socrates: that is, the Defense
Crito: or on what he did in prison	The Sixth Tetralogy,
with Socrates: or on Action.
Phaedo: or on the Immortality of the Soul:	Euthydemus: or the Contentious
or on the Soul.	Protagoras: or on the Morals of the
	Professors of Wisdom The Sophists.
The Second Tetralogy,	Gorgias: or on Rhetoric
	Meno: or on Virtue.
Cratylus: or on the Right Reason of Names
Theaetetus: or on Knowledge	The Seventh Tetralogy,
The Sophist: or on Being
The Statesman: or on Kingship.	Hippias Major: or on the Beautiful: or
	on the Honorable
The Third Tetralogy,	Hippias Minor: or on Falsehood
	Ion: or on Poetic Frenzy: or on the Iliad
Parmenides: or on the One Principle of All,	Menexenus: or on Ancient Attica:
and on the Ideas.	or the Funeral Oration.
Philebus: or on the Highest Good, or
on Pleasure	The Eighth Tetralogy,
The Symposium: or on Love
Phaedrus: or on the Beautiful.	Clitophon: or the Exhortation
	The Republic: 10 books, or on Justice
The Fourth Tetralogy,	Timaeus: on the Nature of the World
	Critias: or the Atlantic: or on Atlantic
Alcibiades I: or on the Nature of Man	Antiquity.
Alcibiades II: or on Prayer
Hipparchus: or on the Love of Gain: or	The Ninth Tetralogy,
on the Desire for Profit
The Lovers: or on Philosophy.	Minos: or on Law
	The Laws: 12 books.
The Fifth Tetralogy,	Epinomis: i.e., an Appendix to the Laws: or
	The Philosopher
Theages: or on Wisdom	Twelve Epistles.

All these books of Plato we ourselves have translated from the Greek language into Latin. Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) was the first to translate Plato's complete works into Latin in the West. There are truly three types of Platonic dialogues: for he either refutes the Sophists, or exhorts the young, or teaches adults. Those things which Plato discusses in his own voice in the Epistles, or in the books of the Laws and the Epinomis, he wishes to be held as most certain. But those things which he disputes in the other books through the mouths of Socrates, Timaeus, Parmenides, and Zeno, he wishes to be held as probable truths.