- Source
- Diogenes Laertius. Hicks, R. D., editor. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1925.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.8-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0004.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.9.105
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-09-23
The passage records the life of Phaedo of Elis, who was ransomed from servitude in a brothel to study philosophy, lists his genuine and spurious dialogues, and traces the succession of the Elian-Eretrian school down to Menedemus.
Φαίδων Ἠλεῖος, τῶν εὐπατριδῶν, συνεάλω τῇ πατρίδι καὶ ἠναγκάσθη στῆναι ἐπʼ οἰκήματος· ἀλλὰ τὸ θύριον προστιθεὶς μετεῖχε Σωκράτους, ἕως αὐτὸν λυτρώσασθαι τοὺς περὶ Ἀλκιβιάδην ἢ Κρίτωνα προὔτρεψε1· καὶ τοὐντεῦθεν ἐλευθερίως ἐφιλοσόφει. Ἱερώνυμος δʼ ἐν τῷ Περὶ ἐποχῆς καθαπτόμενος δοῦλον αὐτὸν εἴρηκε. διαλόγους δὲ συνέγραψε γνησίους μὲν Ζώπυρον, Σίμωνα, καὶ δισταζόμενον Νικίαν, Μήδιον, ὅν φασί τινες Αἰσχίνου, οἱ δὲ Πολυαίνου· Ἀντίμαχον ἢ Πρεσβύτας· καὶ οὗτος διστάζεται· σκυτικοὺς λόγους· καὶ τούτους τινὲς Αἰσχίνου φασί. Διάδοχος δʼ αὐτοῦ Πλείστανος Ἠλεῖος, καὶ τρίτοι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ οἱ περὶ Μενέδημον τὸν Ἐρετριέα καὶ Ἀσκληπιάδην τὸν Φλιάσιον, μετάγοντες ἀπὸ Στίλπωνος2. καὶ ἕως μὲν τούτων Ἠλιακοὶ προσηγορεύοντο, ἀπὸ δὲ Μενεδήμου Ἐρετρικοί· περὶ οὗ λέξομεν ὕστερον διὰ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν κατάρχειν αἱρέσεως.
Phaedo of Elis, of noble family, was captured along with his native city and was forced to stand in a brothel; but closing the little door, he associated with Socrates until he induced the circle of Alcibiades or Crito to ransom him; and from that time on he philosophized as a free man. Hieronymus, however, in his work On the Suspension of Judgment, attacks him and says that he was a slave. He composed dialogues, of which the genuine ones are Zopyrus and Simon; of doubtful authenticity are Nicias and Medius—which some say belongs to Aeschines, and others to Polyaenus—Antimachus or The Old Men, which is likewise doubted, and the Cobblers' Discourses, which some also say belong to Aeschines. His successor was Pleistanus of Elis, and third in succession from him were the circle of Menedemus of Eretria and Asclepiades of Phlius, who migrated over from Stilpo. Up to their time they were called the Elian school, but from Menedemus onward the Eretrian school; of whom we shall speak later, because he too founded a school.
- 2.9.105ἕως αὐτὸν λυτρώσασθαι τοὺς περὶ Ἀλκιβιάδην ἢ Κρίτωνα προὔτρεψε
In the subordinate clause introduced by ἕως, the subject of προὔτρεψε is most naturally Phaedo, carried over from the preceding clauses (ἠναγκάσθη, μετεῖχε). The verb governs an accusative and infinitive construction: the accusative phrase τοὺς περὶ Ἀλκιβιάδην ἢ Κρίτωνα functions as the subject of the infinitive λυτρώσασθαι, while αὐτὸν serves as its direct object (referring back to Phaedo). Although some interpreters supply Socrates as the subject of προὔτρεψε based on external biographical traditions, syntactically Phaedo remains the grammatical subject.
- 2.9.105καὶ τρίτοι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ οἱ περὶ Μενέδημον τὸν Ἐρετριέα καὶ Ἀσκληπιάδην τὸν Φλιάσιον, μετάγοντες ἀπὸ Στίλπωνος
A nominal sentence structure in which the copulative verb (such as ἦσαν or ἐγένοντο) is omitted. The subject is the phrase οἱ περὶ Μενέδημον..., and the predicate adjective is τρίτοι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ("third in succession from him"). The circumstantial participle μετάγοντες is used intransitively or reflexively in the sense of "migrating / transferring allegiance" from Stilpo.