THE SOPHISTA OF PLATO, &c. 



161 



case we ought not to be impatient, be the enquiry short or long." If we say it is too long, 

 " we are bound to shew that a shorter discussion would have been more effectual in improving 

 the dialectical powers of the student, and helping him to the discovery and explanation of the 

 essential properties of things'." "Praise or blame, founded on any other consideration, we 

 may dismiss with contempt." 



This passage, the importance of which for the appreciation of these two dialogues it 

 is superfluous to point out, derives unexpected illustration from an amusing fragment of a 

 contemporary comic poet, preserved by Athenseus^. In this passage we are introduced into 

 the interior of the Academic halls, and the curtain rises upon a group of vouths who are 

 "improving their dialectical powers" by a lesson in botanical classification. The subject 

 proposed is not a Sophist, but a pumpkin, and the problem they have to solve is, to what 

 genus that natural production is to be referred. Is a pumpkin a herb.-* Is it a grass.'' 

 Is it a tree ? The young gentlemen are divided in opinion — each genus having its sup- 

 porters. Their enquiries, however, are rudely interrupted by a " physician from Sicily," 

 who happened to be present, and who displays his contempt for their proceedings in a 

 manner more expressive than delicate. " They must have been furious at this," says the 

 second speaker. "Oh!" says the other, "the lads thought nothing of it: and Plato, who was 

 looking on, quite unruffled, mildly bade them resume their task of defining the pumpkin and 

 its genus. So they set to work dividing." 



In this transaction it is possible that the Sicilian physician may have been in the right, 

 and the philosopher and his pupils in the wrong. And probably the result of their researches, 

 could it be recovered, would add little or nothing to our knowledge of pumpkins. But one 

 thing the passage proves; and that one thing is enough for my purpose. The SiaiperiKol 

 \6yoi of the Sophista and Politicus represent what really occurred within the walls of the 



* «s ^pa\(iTepa av yevofieva xoi? cui/ovTas aTreipya^ero 

 d laXcKT tK(jOTepoV9 Kai Tr/s Toil/ ovTojv XoyM 0TlXu)<r6W9 

 evpeTtKWTepov^. Polit. 286 E. 



' II. p. 59. As this fragment has not yet received the 

 attention it deserves, it is printed in full. 



A. Ti nXaVlov 



Kai STreufftTTTTOs Kal Mevedljfio^y 



•Jrpos Ti(n vvi/i ^iaTpt^ovaiv ; 



iroia (^poyrt's, ttoTos ^e A-oyo? 



&tepevvaTai irapd ToTtrtv ; 



TaSe fiot TTivuTws, et xl KaTCi^m^ 



tjKet«, \e^ov, irpdi -yas * • 

 S. aW olSa Xeyeii/ xepi TwvSe traipwi' 



Havadijvaiot^ yap Idmv dyeXrjv 



/xeipaKtuyv * * 



iif yvfivatxioL^ ^AKadrjptai 



ilKova-a Xoyoyv dtfyaTiov dToirtav 



irepi yap {putrecoi d(popiX^6fievot 



iie\wpi*^ov ^w'u)v Te ^iov 



iei/6pa]v Te tpOtriv Xa^dvuiv Te yettrj, 



KOt' kv TOi5tOIS XtJI/ KoXoKVVT1\V 



€^»jTa^ov Tii/os eirri yivovi. 



Vol. X. Part I. 



KoX TL ttot' ap' wptffavTO Kai tIvo^ yevov^ 



elvai TO <Pvt6v\ o-i)\(i}(Tov^ el KctTOKydd Tt. 

 S, irptoTitTTa fxeu ovv Trai/res aVau^ets 

 TOT enrea-TTitTav, Kal Ku\J/avTe9 

 Xpovov ovK oXiyov 6i€(pp6vTi^ov, 

 kSt^ e^atcfu/tjs cti kvittovtwv 

 Kal "^riTovvToiv tcov fietpaKiwv 

 \a.)(av6v xis etpr] crTpoyyvKov tlvaiy 

 iroiav d' d\\o^, deuSpov 5' €Te/>os. 

 TavTa 6' aKovoiV laTpOi tic 

 ^iKeXa^ diro yas KaTcirapS' auTwu 



ftls XlJpOUl/TWVt 



A, i] irov Seivuj^ topyiGQr\orav 

 xXeua'^eo-flai t €(36ij(Tav' 



TO yap €V Xdtry^ats TaTorde TOtavTi 

 "TToteTv dTrpeire^. 



B. oi}?*' ip.4Xij(Tev ToTs fieipaKtOK* 



HXaTwit Se irapcai/ Kal fidXa irpauiv, 

 ovSev dptvdehf CTreVa^' auroTs 

 irdXiu [e^ dpxu^ Trii* KoXoKvvTiiv] 

 d^opi^eadat xtvos etrri yevovv 



01 Se di^povv. 



Com. Gr(sc. Fragm. v. iii. p. 370, ed. Meineke. 



21 



