THE PREFACE OF MARSILIO FICINO TO THE BOOK "ON THE SUN" ADDRESSED TO THE MAGNANIMOUS PIERO DE' MEDICI

I am pursuing daily, Magnanimous Piero, the new translation of Plato Ficino refers to his monumental project of translating Plato's complete works from Greek into Latin begun long ago under your family's auspices. As you are well aware, I am explaining it with frequent divisions of the chapters and with arguments as lengthy as the subject matter itself demands.

Thus, when I recently arrived at that Platonic mystery where he most skillfully compares the Sun to God himself, I decided to explain such a great matter at somewhat greater length. I did this especially because our Dionysius the Areopagite A 5th-century Christian theologian whom Ficino believed was a direct disciple of St. Paul; he blended Christian thought with Neoplatonism—the foremost of the Platonists, whose translation I currently have in my hands—gladly embraces a similar comparison of the Sun to God.

Therefore, while I was working by the light of this Sun, as if by a lamp, through many nights of study, I thought to select this most choice matter from the larger work and commend it in its own short volume. I decided to send this mystery concerning the Sun—a gift of Phoebus original: "Phębeū munus"; Phoebus is an epithet for Apollo, the god of the sun and music, as it were—to you above all others. For you are a foster son of Phoebus, the leader of the Muses, and a patron of the Muses yourself. Indeed, this entire new translation of Plato is dedicated to you alone.

I send this so that, in the meantime, by this light—which is like a moon—you might predict what the entire Platonic work will be like, just as the moon reflects the Sun. And if you have ever loved my Plato (or rather, yours for a long time now), may you, ignited by this light, love him more ardently hereafter, and embrace that which you love with your whole mind.