The Complete Works of the Divine Plato

...we offer to the lovers of wisdom. How many philosophers, good God! Space does not permit saying more about Aristotle. I think it worthwhile to mention a few things about Plato from the same Cicero and St. Augustine, so that candidates for philosophy might be incited to love and embrace him more and more by the authority of such great men.

Cicero, therefore, says in The Orator: "By far the prince among all who have ever written or spoken, both in abundance of speech and in weightiness, is Plato." In the same work: "Demosthenes was a frequent listener to Plato." In the first book On the Nature of the Gods: "Plato was the master of Aristotle." In the second book: "For let us listen to Plato, as if to a certain god of philosophers, who is pleased that there are two motions, etc." In On Famous Orators: "For who is richer in speaking than Plato? If Jupiter spoke Greek, the philosophers say, he would speak just so." In the Tusculan Disputations, Book 4: "By Hercules, I would rather err with Plato—whom I know how much you value, and whom I admire from your own mouth—than think the truth with those others." Cicero is expressing his profound devotion to Plato, suggesting that even Plato's errors are more valuable than the "truths" of lesser thinkers. In the third book of The Orator: "Plato was a master not only of the tongue, but also of the mind and of virtue." In the same place: "The Platonic books are wonderfully written." In To His Brother Quintus, Book 1, Letter 1: "And indeed that prince of genius and learning, Plato, thought that republics would finally be happy if either the learned [should rule, or the rulers should learn philosophy], etc." In To Atticus, Book 4, Letter 15: "As for the fact that you miss the character of Scaevola in those books you praise, I did not remove him lightly, but did the same thing as that god of ours, Plato, did in his Republic original: "πολιτείᾳ" (politeia)." In the second book On the Laws: "Wherefore that wisest man of Greece, and by far the most learned (Plato), greatly fears this stain."

But what of Saint Augustine? In Book 3 of Against the Academics, he says: "Plato, a man most wise and learned of his times, who spoke in such a way that whatever he said became great, and spoke such things that however he said them, they did not become small; he is said to have learned many things from the Pythagoreans after the death of his master Socrates, whom he had singularly loved." And a little later: "After those times, within a short interval, all stubbornness and obstinacy died away, and that face of Plato—which in philosophy is the purest and clearest—shone forth once the clouds of error were removed, etc." In The City of God, Book 8, Chapter 4: "But among the disciples of Socrates, Plato shone with an excellent glory, not indeed undeservedly, such that he completely obscured the others. Since he was an Athenian, born of a noble rank among his people, and far surpassed his fellow students in wonderful genius, yet thinking himself and the Socratic discipline insufficient for perfecting philosophy, he traveled as far and wide as he could, wherever the fame of perceiving some noble knowledge drew him." And a little later: "Socrates is remembered to have excelled in the active life; but Pythagoras insisted more on the contemplative, with whatever powers of intelligence he could. Accordingly, Plato is praised for having perfected philosophy by joining both together."

These are the words of Saint Augustine. We present that very Plato to you, kind reader, no longer breathing, it is true, but still in a certain way living in these books, and illuminating the minds of those who consult them with the lights of true philosophy. We present him, I say, as is proper for him to be presented: namely, printed and fashioned from the most corrected copies with the greatest possible attention, and accompanied by a most approved translation. For the translation of Marsilio Ficino Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) was the primary figure of the Neoplatonic Renaissance; his Latin translation of Plato remained the standard for centuries. has always seemed to excel all others in the judgment of the more learned.

Moreover, taking care for the convenience of the work—which will bring no inconvenience to you, I hope—we have moved his most learned arguments and commentaries to the end of the work, carefully noting to which parts they belong. In their place, we have put back a brief summary prefixed to each dialogue, by which the thesis and scope of the discussion is indicated. Furthermore, we have used slightly smaller type, both for the sake of easier carrying and to assist buyers of more modest means by the moderate price. Farewell: use and enjoy our labors happily, and please, in your humanity, forgive us where you notice we have slipped.