Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §48.1

Plato on the Two Principles of Nature

Passage 38 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus discusses Plato, who succeeded the earlier thinkers, noting that in his physical inquiry Plato established two principles: the substrate as matter (the 'all-receiving') and the cause or mover associated with divine and good power.

§48.1Fr. 48 Ὁ μέντοι Θ. τοὺς ἄλλους προϊστορήσας "Τούτοις" φησὶν "ἐπιγενόμενος Πλάτων τῇ μὲν δόξῃ καὶ τῇ δυνάμει πρότερος τοῖς δὲ χρόνοις ὕστερος καὶ τὴν πλείο στην πραγματείαν περὶ τῆς πρώτης φιλοσοφίας ποιησάμενος ἐπέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοῖς φαινομένοις ἁψάμενος τῆς περὶ φύσεως ἱστορίας, ἐν ᾗ δύο τὰς ἀρχὰς βούλεται ποιεῖν, τὸ μὲν ὑποκείμενον ὡς ὕλην ὃ προσαγορεύει πανδεχὲς, τὸ δʼ ὡς αἴτιον καὶ κινοῦν ὁ πεο ριάπτει τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῇ τἀγαθοῦ δυνάμει.
However, Theophrastus, having first investigated the others, says: "Plato, who succeeded them, being prior to them in reputation and power, though later in time, and having made the greatest study of first philosophy, devoted himself also to appearances, applying himself to the inquiry concerning nature, in which he wishes to make two principles: on the one hand, the substrate as matter, which he addresses as 'all-receiving', and on the other, the cause and mover, which he attaches to the power of God and of the Good."

Notes

  1. §48.1τῇ μὲν δόξῃ καὶ τῇ δυνάμει — Datives of respect, meaning 'in reputation and in power (prior)'. The contrasted phrase τοῖς δὲ χρόνοις ('in time') is also a dative of respect.
  2. §48.1ἐπέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοῖς φαινομένοις — The phrase ἐπιδίδωμι ἑαυτόν with the dative means 'to devote oneself to'. The conjunction καὶ ('also/even') emphasizes that Plato, besides metaphysics, also directed his attention to physics (appearances).
  3. §48.1ὁ πεο ριάπτει — This is understood as a corruption or printing error for the relative pronoun ὃ (neuter singular accusative) and the verb περιάπτει (from περιάπτω, 'to attach, attribute to' in the third person singular present). The antecedent is τὸ δʼ ὡς αἴτιον καὶ κινοῦν ('the other as cause and mover').

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §48.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:48.1

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