Humanitext Reader

Plato · Letters §10.358

Praise of Aristodorus for Loyalty and True Philosophy

Passage 29 of 34 · Greek

Summary

Plato praises Aristodorus for being a loyal friend of Dion and exhibiting the wisest character in philosophy, encouraging him to persist in his current habits.

§10.358Πλάτων Ἀριστοδώρῳ εὖ πράττειν.
Plato to Aristodorus sends greeting.
ἀκούω Δίωνος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἑταῖρον εἶναί τέ σε νῦν καὶ γεγονέναι διὰ παντός, τὸ σοφώτατον ἦθος τῶν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν παρεχόμενον· τὸ γὰρ βέβαιον καὶ πιστὸν καὶ ὑγιές, τοῦτο ἐγώ φημι εἶναι τὴν ἀληθινὴν φιλοσοφίαν, τὰς δὲ ἄλλας τε καὶ εἰς ἄλλα τεινούσας σοφίας τε καὶ δεινότητας κομψότητας οἶμαι προσαγορεύων ὀρθῶς ὀνομάζειν.
I hear that you are now and have been all along one of the closest friends of Dion, presenting the wisest character of those that pertain to philosophy; for the steadfast, the faithful, and the sound—this is what I assert to be true philosophy, while the other kinds of wisdom and cleverness which tend toward other objects, I think I name correctly in calling them subtleties.
ἀλλʼ ἔρρωσό τε καὶ μένε ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσιν οἷσπερ καὶ νῦν μένεις.
But farewell, and continue in those very habits of character in which you now remain.

Notes

  1. 358cἀκούω Δίωνος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἑταῖρον εἶναί τέ σε — Although ἀκούω can take a genitive (Δίωνος) meaning "I hear from Dion," here it introduces the accusative and infinitive construction (ἑταῖρον εἶναί τέ σε). Therefore, Δίωνος is a possessive genitive qualifying ἑταῖρον ("friend of Dion"). The phrase ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα is used adverbially to mean "above all" or "most especially," modifying ἑταῖρον.
  2. 358cπαρεχόμενον — Although this participle might appear to be neuter singular (nominative/accusative), it is actually a masculine accusative singular present middle participle agreeing with σε (the subject of the infinitive clause). It takes the preceding τὸ σοφώτατον ἦθος τῶν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ("the wisest character of those that pertain to philosophy") as its direct object, meaning "showing" or "presenting."
  3. 358cπροσαγορεύων ὀρθῶς ὀνομάζειν — The participle προσαγορεύων is in the nominative singular, agreeing with the subject of the main verb οἶμαι (first-person singular "I"). It functions circumstantially with the infinitive ὀνομάζειν ("to name correctly"), expressing the means: "I think I name them correctly by calling them [subtleties]."

Cite this passage

Plato, Letters §10.358. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg036.humanitext-grc2:10.358

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