Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

​and that, in the words of Homer, the Egyptians are physicians above all men. Plato indeed resolved to consort also with the Magi; but on account of the wars in Asia he abandoned the plan. Returning to Athens, he spent his time in the Academy. This is a suburban gymnasium with a wooded grove, named after a certain hero Hecademus, as Eupolis also says in his Exempt from Service: "In the well-shaded walks of the god Hecademus." Moreover, Timon also says, speaking with reference to Plato: "And among them all there was led a flat-faced platistakos, but a sweet-voiced speaker, equal in style to the cicadas, which, perching upon the tree of Hecademus, send forth a lily-soft voice."

​For previously it was called Hecademeia with an epsilon. At any rate, the philosopher was also a friend to Isocrates. And Praxiphanes recorded a certain conversation of theirs concerning poets, which took place in the country at Plato's house when Isocrates was entertained as his guest. Aristoxenus also says that he served on three military campaigns: once to Tanagra, a second time to Corinth, and a third at Delium; where he also won the prize for valor. Moreover, he made a combination of the Heraclitean, Pythagorean, and Socratic doctrines; for he philosophized on sensible things according to Heraclitus, on intelligible things according to Pythagoras, and on political matters according to Socrates.

​Some, among whom is Satyrus, say that he sent instructions to Dion in Sicily to purchase three Pythagorean books from Philolaus for one hundred minae. For they say he was in affluent circumstances, having received from Dionysius more than eighty talents, as Onetor also says in the work entitled Whether the Wise Man Will Make Money. Furthermore, he was greatly aided by the comic poet Epicharmus, having transcribed the greatest part of his works, as Alcimus says in his letters To Amyntas, which are four in number. There, in the first book, he says as follows: "Plato also appears saying many things from Epicharmus. Now one must consider: Plato says that the sensible is that which never abides in quality nor in quantity, but is always in flux and changing,

​inasmuch as if one should remove number from these things, they are neither equal nor specific, nor having quantity, nor having quality. And these are the things of which there is always becoming, but whose nature never possesses being. On the other hand, the intelligible is that from which nothing is lost nor added. And this is the nature of eternal things, which happens always to be similar and the same. And truly Epicharmus has spoken clearly concerning sensible and intelligible things: ' —Nay, the gods were always present and never failed, and these things are always present alike and through the same things always. —Yet it is said that Chaos was born first of the gods. —How could that be? Seeing it had neither that from which nor that into which it might first come. —Did nothing then come first? —By Zeus, not even second,

​of these things at least whereof we now speak thus, but these things always were... If to an odd number, or if you will, to an even, someone should wish to add a pebble, or to take one from those that are present, does it seem to you that it would still be the same? —Not to me at least. —Nor again, if to a cubit's measure someone should wish to add another length, or cut off from that which was before, would that measure still exist? —Surely not. —Look now upon men in this way too: for the one grows, while the other indeed wanes, and all are in alteration through all time. And that which alters according to nature and never abides in the same state, this would always be different from that which has altered. And you indeed and I were other people yesterday, and are other now, and again shall become other, and never the same according to this argument.'"