60 GREEK PHILOSOPHY. 



Nile used to drive foreigners away by their meats and sacrifices, and 

 rude proclamations." 1 The most probable ground for his visit, besides 

 general curiosity, is the one stated by Cicero, 2 that he went for the 

 purpose of completing his mathematical studies, and becoming master 

 of their astronomical systems. We must attribute to the ignorance 

 and vanity of the Alexandrians of a later period, the fiction, that 

 during Plato's stay in Egypt the germ of all his knowledge was 

 formed ; and that he was indebted to the sages there for those trea- 

 sures of moral and political wisdom which he afterwards imparted to 

 his countrymen. On this head we have the express authority of Plato, 

 that although some of the abstract sciences flourished in Egypt, the 

 other liberal sciences were in his day but at a low ebb there. At the 

 close of his ' Fifth Book on Laws,' after descanting on the advantages 

 to be derived to the mind from the study of arithmetic, he remarks, 

 that such studies produce other tendencies, which require to be 

 counteracted, and that the knowledge of numbers may degenerate 

 into mere cunning. " And this," says he, " is the case with the 

 Egyptians and Phoenicians, and in many other countries, from the 

 meanness of their other institutions and acquirements ; whether this 

 circumstance is to be attributed to the ignorance of their legislators, 

 or to untoward occurrences, or to some inherent and physical defect." 8 



Some writers mention Plato's visit to Italy as occurring after his 

 visit to Egypt ; 4 and others suppose that he visited Italy twice, both 

 on his way to, and on his return from, Egypt. 5 It seems pretty well 

 established that he visited Italy when he quitted Megara ; whether 

 he returned to it or not, when on his way homeward from Egypt, 

 must remain a matter of doubt. But it seems probable that he did so. 



On his return to Greece, Plato took possession of a small house 



1 Tovrotg %n ro7s voftoi; iivro$'f%iff0a.i rt xpw rta.vru.s %ivov$ n xa.} %svcts 1% a.XXti; 

 %&>PK;, xa.} <rov; auruv ix-rift'rtfv riftuvrxs %tvtov Aim' (vn fipuftuffi xa.} Qvp.a.fft TO,; 

 ^ivnXaffia-s <roiou/tivous (xa.0a,<ffip votouirt vuv 6plfjt,f*.ix.Ta. NitXou) (t'/dtl xwpvyftucriv dyptoig. 

 De Legg. lib. xii. p. 953. e. 



2 " Cum Plato ^Egyptum peragravit ut a sacerdotibus barbaris numeros et cce- 

 lestia acciperet?" De Finibus, v. 29. It is strange how this passage has been 

 misinterpreted, and what latitude has been given to the term ccelestia here, even by 

 some writers who were acquainted with another passage of Cicero, which is the 

 best commentary on this, if indeed it stood in need of any : " Socrates mihi 

 videtur, id quod constat inter omnes, primus a rebus occultis, et ab ipsa natura 

 involutis, in quibus omnes ante eum philosophi occupati fuerant, evocavisse phi- 

 losophiam, et ad vitam communem adduxisse, ut de virtutibus et vitiis, omninoque 

 de bonis rebus et malis qusereret ; ccelestia autem vel procul esse a nostra cognitione 

 censeret, vel si maxime cognita essent, nihil tamen ad bene vivendum conferre." 



3 ToiUTO, % vuvree.) tav fttv oLXXoif vopbis <ri xa,} ifiryibivftuffi a,$ot.ipriTa,i rig TVIV 

 a,viXtu0ipia.v xa,} <piXo%pwf*,a.Tiuv ix -ruv -^v^uv ruv ftiXXovrav aura, txavcas rt xeti 

 ovrifflf&us X7wiir6a,t, auXa, <ra sra/osy^ctaTa ie.au vrpo<rnxovrK y'lyvcHT civ' i\ oi (Jt/q TJJV 

 xetXau/uLtvyv oiv Tig ffa.voupyla.v avri ffotyixs aTfipyciffetftsvos Xa.6ot' xa.&d'ffip ' Ai 



xa,} $oivixKf xoti <raXXa \Ttpa awiip'yeifffAivet yivt] vuv ICTTIV idiiv, vfo T^J, T 

 IK irvfitiv [*..* uv xa.} xrvfteirav avsXsw^/aj tiTt <T'I; vaftotitms a,vro7; Qx-vXos oiv 



De Legg. lib. v. p. 746. 



4 Diogenes Laertius. 5 Apuleius. 



