§360ὡς τὰς ἁπάντων τούτων δυνάμεις ἔχοντα ἐμέ.
as if I possessed the powers of all of them.
κἀγὼ βλέψας πρὸς τὸν παῖδα, πάντα, ἔφην, ἀξιῶ Λουκίῳ πιστεύειν σὲ πλὴν τούτου. καὶ ὁ Λούκιος τὴν μὲν εὐπορίαν τῆς ἀποκρίσεως ἐδόκει μοι ἐπαινέσαι, οὐ μέντοι τήν γε ἀναχώρησιν ἐνεγκεῖν ἡδέως.
And looking at the boy, I said, "I think you should believe Lucius in everything, except this." And Lucius seemed to me to praise the readiness of my answer, yet not to bear my withdrawal with pleasure.
πάλιν δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀμειβομένου καὶ λέγοντος ἐν μελέτῃ τε καὶ δεξιὰ πρὸς ἐμὲ, ὑπολαβὼν ἅμα παίζων, ἀλλὰ μέντοι, ἔφην, εἰ οὕτως οἷός τʼ εἶ λέγειν, θαυμάσαιμʼ ἂν, εἰ ἐμοῦ γε δέοιο διδασκάλου. μετὰ ταῦτα ἐδόκουν προελθὼν ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας ἅμα νεανίσκῳ τινὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τὴν μὲν λεπτότητα τοῦ ἀέρος γνωρίζειν τε καὶ ἀποδέχεσθαι, μεταβολῶν δὲ πολλῶν διʼ ὀλίγου γιγνομένων καὶ ἅμα καὶ νότου συμπεσόντος, καὶ τοτὲ μὲν ὡς χειμῶνος, τοτὲ δὲ ὡς θέρμης οὔσης, φάναι ἐπισημαινόμενος ὅτι λεπτὸς μὲν ὁ ἀὴρ οὗτος, ὁ δὲ οἴκοι βεβαιότερος. μετὰ ταῦτα ἐχωροῦμεν ᾗ τὸ Λύκειον, καὶ νεώς τις ἐξεδέχετο πάνυ μέγας καὶ καλὸς, οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ἑκατόμπεδος· καὶ ἔδει ἀναβαίνειν ἀναβασμούς τινας πρὸς τὸν νεών.
And when the boy answered again and spoke to me both earnestly and cleverly, I interrupted him, playing at the same time, "But indeed, if you are able to speak in this way, I should wonder if you have any need of me as a teacher." After this, I seemed to go out of the house with one of my young companions and to notice and welcome the fineness of the air, and since many changes occurred in a short time, and a south wind also fell, and at one time it was like winter, and at another like summer, to say as I pointed out that "This air is fine, but the one at home is more stable." After this, we proceeded to where the Lyceum was, and a very large and beautiful temple met us, not less than a hundred feet long; and it was necessary to ascend some steps to the temple.
εἱστήκεσαν δὲ ὥσπερ οἱ τοὺς θαλλοὺς ὀρέγοντες ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν μοι δοκεῖν.
And there stood, as it seemed to me, on this side and on that, people like those who offer olive branches.
ἀνιόντι οὖν μοι παιδάριον προὔτεινεν ᾠὰ τρία· κἀγὼ, παρῆλθον γὰρ οὐ λαβὼν, ἐνθύμιον ἐποιησάμην ὅτι χρὴ μέντοι λαβεῖν τοῦ συμβόλου ἕνεκα.
So as I was going up, a young boy offered me three eggs; and I, since I had passed by without taking them, reflected that I ought indeed to take them for the sake of the omen.
ἐπιστραφεὶς οὖν καὶ λαβὼν ᾔειν ἄνω.
So turning back and taking them, I went upwards.
καὶ ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τῷ ναῷ γίγνομαι, τὰ μὲν ᾠὰ δίδωμί τινι τῶν περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἑστῶτι πρός τινι κίονι, ὁ δʼ ἔμελλε παρʼ αὑτοῦ προσθήσειν ἕν.
And when I arrived at the temple, I gave the eggs to one of those standing near a pillar around the sacred place, and he was about to add one from his own.
αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν τῷ προνάῳ γενόμενος ὁρῶ τὸν νεὼν Πλάτωνος ὄντα τοῦ φιλοσόφου, καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐκείνου μέγα καὶ καλὸν ἑστηκὸς, ἐκ δεξιᾶς δʼ αὐτοῦ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅστις εἱστήκει.
And I myself, having come into the pronaos, saw that the temple was that of Plato the philosopher, and his statue was standing there, large and beautiful, and on his right stood I know not who.
καθῆστο δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐδοῦ γυνὴ μάλʼ εὐσχήμων, ἣ διελέγετο περί τε τοῦ Πλάτωνος καὶ τοῦ ἕδους.
And on the threshold sat a very elegant woman, who was speaking about Plato and the statue.
συνεπελάμβανον δέ τινες καὶ ἄλλοι τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἅμα ὡς περὶ παλαιοῦ διελέγοντο.
And some others also joined in the conversation and at the same time spoke of it as ancient.
κἀγὼ, τοῦτο μὲν, ἔφην, οὐκ ἔνεστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι καὶ παλαιόν· ὅ τε γὰρ τύπος τῆς ἐργασίας ἐλέγχει νεώτερος ὢν Πλάτωνός τε οὐ πολὺς ἦν λόγος ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ Πλάτωνος, ἀλλʼ ὕστερον, ἔφην, προὔβη §361δόξα. εἰπόντος δέ τινος ὡς καὶ τρεῖς ἔδει νεὼς εἶναι Πλάτωνός γε, τί δʼ οὐ καὶ Δημοσθένους, ἔφην ὑπερβαλὼν, ὀγδοήκοντα, καὶ Ὁμήρου γε, οἶμαι; καὶ ἔτι ταῦτα λέγων, ἀλλʼ ἴσως, ἔφην, τοὺς μὲν νεὼς τοῖς θεοῖς προσήκει καθιεροῦν, τοὺς δὲ ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐλλογίμους τῇ τῶν βιβλίων ἀναθέσει τιμᾶν, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτῶν, ἔφην, ἡμῶν τιμιώτατα ἃ φθεγγόμεθα, ὡς δὴ τοὺς μὲν ἀνδριάντας καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα τῶν σωμάτων ὄντα ὑπομνήματα, τὰ δὲ βιβλία τῶν λόγων. τοιαῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ ἀκούσας ἐπανῄειν.
And I said, "This, indeed, cannot be said to be ancient; for the style of the workmanship proves it to be newer, and there was not much talk of Plato during the lifetime of Plato himself, but later," I said, "it advanced, his fame." And when someone said that there ought to be even three temples for Plato, I said in exaggeration, "Why not eighty for Demosthenes, and for Homer too, I suppose?" And while still saying these things, I said, "But perhaps, it is fitting to dedicate temples to the gods, but to honor illustrious men by the dedication of their books, since even of ourselves, what we speak is most honorable, since statues and images are memorials of bodies, but books are of speeches." Having said and heard such things, I was on my way back.
καὶ κατιδὼν ἐπιόντα τὸν σύντροφον τοὺς χρόνους ἀνενεούμην, ὁπόσοις τισὶ πρότερον γενοίμεθα Ἀθήνησιν ἅμα.
And seeing my companion approaching, I renewed the memory of the times, how many years before we had been together in Athens.
ἐπιστρέψαντος δέ μου ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν, ἵνʼ οἴκαδε εἰσέλθοιμι, διῇξε σέλας ἐκ δεξιᾶς καὶ κατέσκηψεν οὕτω δή τι παρʼ αὐτὰς ἄκρας μου τὰς κόμας ὥστε ἐθαύμαζον εἰ μὴ ἡμμέναι εἶεν.
And when I turned as if toward the Acropolis in order to go indoors, a lightning flash darted from the right and struck so close to the very tips of my hair that I wondered if they were not set on fire.
ἠγωνισάμεθα δή· ἔλαβον δὲ ὡς αἴσιον μᾶλλον τὸ σημεῖον, καὶ γὰρ ὁ νεανίσκος ὁ συνών μοι δόξαν ἔφη φέρειν αὐτὸ ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐκ δεξιᾶς ἐγεγόνει.
We were indeed anxious; but I took the sign as rather favorable, for the young man who was with me also said it brought fame, especially since it had occurred on the right.
ἐδόκει δέ μοι τὰ πλείω τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων κλίμακάς τινας προσθέτους ἔχειν, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἀνιέναι δεῖν καὶ κατιέναι· ὥσθʼ ὑπεδυσχέραινον τοῦτό γε, ὅμως δʼ οὖν γίγνομαί πως ἔνδον.
And it seemed to me that most of the buildings had some external ladders attached, and that through these one had to go up and down; so I was somewhat displeased with this at least, but nevertheless I somehow got inside.
κἀν τούτῳ οἱ τὴν πομπὴν τῷ Ἔρωτι πέμποντες ἐπανεληλύθεσαν, καὶ πυθόμενος τὸ σημεῖον ὁ ἐξηγητὴς καὶ οὗτος ἔφασκεν αἴσιον εἶναι καὶ ὀρθῶς ἄρα μοι συμβῆναι τὰς θυσίας.
And in the meantime, those who had been conducting the procession for Eros had returned, and the interpreter, having heard of the sign, also said that it was favorable and that the sacrifices had turned out rightly for me.
προσγεγενῆσθαι δέ μοι ἐδόκει ὄναρ ὡς ἱερὰ ποιῆσαι Διὶ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι καὶ εἰ δή τινι ἑτέρῳ θεῶν.
And it seemed to be added to me in the dream that I performed sacrifices to Zeus and Artemis and to indeed some other of the gods.
καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἐδόκουν καλεῖν Εὔδοξον ὡς ἀπογραψόμενον διά τε τὸ μακρότερα εἶναι καὶ τὸ βούλεσθαι διʼ ἀκριβείας αὐτὰ σῶσαι.
And upon all this, I seemed to call Eudoxus to write them down, both because they were too long and because I wished to preserve them with accuracy.
ταυτί μοι καὶ περὶ τῆς ὕστερον δόξης καὶ τοῦ δεῖν κατὰ χώραν μένειν πρὸς πολλοῖς ἄλλοις ἐδηλώθη.
These things, among many others, were revealed to me concerning my future fame and the necessity of staying in my place.