Humanitext Reader

Plato · Letters §12.359

Praise of Archytas's Treatises and Sending of Unfinished Works

Passage 31 of 34 · Greek

Summary

A letter from Plato to Archytas of Tarentum. Plato praises the memoirs sent by Archytas and informs him that he has sent back his own unfinished memoirs in their current state.

§12.359Πλάτων Ἀρχύτᾳ Ταραντίνῳ εὖ πράττειν.
Plato to Archytas of Tarentum sends greeting.
τὰ μὲν παρὰ σοῦ ἐλθόνθʼ ὑπομνήματα θαυμαστῶς ὡς ἅσμενοί τε ἐλάβομεν καὶ τοῦ γράψαντος αὐτὰ ἠγάσθημεν ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα, καὶ ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν εἶναι ὁ ἀνὴρ ἄξιος ἐκείνων τῶν πάλαι προγόνων·
We received the memoirs which came from you with wonderful pleasure, and we admired their author as much as possible; and it seemed to us that the man is worthy of those ancient ancestors of his.
λέγονται γὰρ δὴ οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι Μύριοι εἶναι—οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν τῶν ἐπὶ Λαομέδοντος ἐξαναστάντων Τρώων—ἄνδρες ἀγαθοί, ὡς ὁ παραδεδομένος μῦθος δηλοῖ.
For these men are said to be Myrioi—and these were of the Trojans who emigrated in the time of Laomedon—excellent men, as the handed-down myth shows.
τὰ δὲ παρʼ ἐμοὶ ὑπομνήματα, περὶ ὧν ἐπέστειλας, ἱκανῶς μὲν οὔπω ἔχει, ὡς δέ ποτε τυγχάνει ἔχοντα, ἀπέσταλκά σοι·
On the other hand, the memoirs in my possession, about which you wrote, are not yet in a satisfactory state; but such as they happen to be, I have sent them to you.
περὶ δὲ τῆς φυλακῆς ἀμφότεροι συμφωνοῦμεν, ὥστʼ οὐδὲν δεῖ παρακελεύεσθαι. ʽἁ̓ντιλέγεται ὡς οὐ Πλάτωνος. ʼ
As for their safekeeping, we are both in agreement, so there is no need to give any exhortations. ʽIt is disputed as not being Plato's.ʼ

Notes

  1. 359dθαυμαστῶς ὡς — An idiomatic expression where the adverb `θαυμαστῶς` (wonderfully) is fused with the relative adverb `ὡς`. It means "wonderfully" or "exceedingly," here modifying the adjective `ἅσμενοι` (glad).
  2. 359eὡς δέ ποτε τυγχάνει ἔχοντα — A construction consisting of the conjunction `ὡς` and the verb `τυγχάνω` with the participle `ἔχοντα` (being in a state). It functions like a relative clause without an antecedent, expressing a concessive sense: "however they happen to be" or "in whatever state they currently are."
  3. 359eʽἁ̓ντιλέγεται ὡς οὐ Πλάτωνος.ʼ — A marginal note (scholion) preserved in the manuscript tradition. It indicates ancient doubts regarding the authenticity of this letter as Plato's.

Cite this passage

Plato, Letters §12.359. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg036.humanitext-grc2:12.359

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