P L A 
P L A 
Philo Judaeus occupied the chief rank. The modern 
Platonifts were Plotinus, the founder, at leaft the reformer, 
of their fe£l. 
It is certain, that moft of the celebrated fathers were 
Platonifts, and borrowed many of their explanations of 
Scripture from the Platonic fyftem. In order to account 
for this fa£l, we may obferve, that, towards the conclufion 
of the fecond century, a new feel of philofophers, called 
the modern, or later, Platonics, arofe of a fudden, 
fpread with amazing rapidity through the greateft 
part of the Roman empire, fwallowed up almoft all the 
other fefts, and proved extremely detrimental to Chrif- 
tianity. The fchool of Alexandria in Egypt, inftituted 
by Ptolemy Philadelphus, renewed and reformed the 
Platonic philofophy. The votaries of this fyftem dif- 
tinguilhed themfelves by the title of Platonics, becaufe 
they thought that the fentiments of Plato, concerning 
that moft noble part of philofophy which has the Deity 
and things invifible for its objedls, were much more 
rational and fublirae than thofe of the other philofophers. 
This new fpecies of Platonifm was embraced by fuch of 
the Alexandrian Chriftians as were defirous to retain, 
with the profeftion of the Gofpel, the title, the dignity, 
and the habit, of philofophers. Thofe Alexandrian phi¬ 
lofophers, who became converts to the Chriftian faith, 
retained a ftrong predilection for Platonic tenets, and the 
higheft reverence for the name of Plato; and therefore 
they eafily credited the report, that the doCtrine of Plato 
concerning the divine nature had been derived from 
revelation ; and hence they thought themfelves juftified 
in attempting a coalition between Plato and Jefus Chrift. 
An union of Platonic and Chriftian doftrines was un- 
queftionably attempted in the fecond century by Juftin 
Martyr, Athenagoras, and Clemens Alexandrinus, in 
whofe writings we frequently meet with Platonic fen¬ 
timents and language ; and it is not improbable, that this 
corruption took its rife at a ftill earlier period. 
Ammonius Sacca was the principal founder of this 
new Platonic fyftem, and was fucceeded by his difciple 
Plotinus,-as he was by Porphyry, the chief of thofe 
formed in his fchool. From the time of Ammonius, 
who in order to recommend his Eclectic fyftem to the 
attention of Chriftians, accommodated his language to the 
opinions which were then received among them, until 
the fixth century; this was almoft the only fyftem of phi¬ 
lofophy that was publicly taught at Alexandria. Origen, 
and other Chriftians who ftudied in his fchool, were fo 
far duped by the artifice of Sacca, as to imagine that they 
difeovered, in the fyftem of the Platonifts, traces of a 
pure do&rine concerning the divine nature, which, on 
the ground juft mentioned, they thought themfelves at 
liberty to incorporate into the Chriftian faith. Entering 
upon the office of Chriftian teachers under the bias of a 
ftrong partiality for Plato and his dodlrine, they 
tindlured the minds of their difciples with the fame pre¬ 
judice, and thus difl’eminated Platonic notions as Chrif¬ 
tian truths; little aware, without doubt, how far this 
praftice would corrupt the purity of the Chriftian faith, 
and how much confuiion and diflenfion it would occa- 
fion in the Chriftian church. 
The writings of Plato were originally colledfed by 
Hermodorus, one of his pupils, and firft publifhed by 
Aldus in 1513, in folio. This edition is very fcarce and 
coftly. The moft valuable editions of our phi¬ 
lofophers works in Greek and Latin, are thofe firft pub¬ 
lifhed at Lyons, in 1491, folio, with the verfion and notes 
of Marfilius Ficinus, and by Henry Stephens in 
1578, with the verfion and notes of John de Serranus, 
in 3 vols. folio. The notes and interpretations, however, 
of both thefe editors, fhould be read with caution : for 
Ficinus, having formed his conceptions of the dodlrine 
of Plato after the model of the Alexandrian fchool, fre¬ 
quently, in his arguments, mifreprefents the defign of his 
author, and in his verfion obfeures the fenf'e of the 
original; and Serranus, for want of an accurate acquaint- 
G35 
ance with the do6lrine of his author, and through the 
influence of a ftrong predilection for the fcholaftic fyftem 
of theology, fometimes gives an incorrect and injudicious 
explanation of the text. A very elegant and correct 
edition, after the Greek text of Henry Stephens, and with 
the verfionof Ficinus, was publifhed at Deux-ponts, 1781 
—1788, in 12 vols. 8vo. Englifh verfions of feveral of 
Plato’s Dialogues have been publifhed at different periods, 
by various hands; but the tranflators who have prin¬ 
cipally diftinguifhed themfelves, by giving the writings 
of this philofopher in our vernacular idiom, are Floyer 
Sydenham, and Thomas Taylor. The articles tranflated 
by the former, with great learning, judgment, and ac¬ 
curacy, were collected together, and publifhed in 4 vols. 
4to. under the title of “ Dialogues of Plato, 1767—1780.” 
In 1792, Mr. Taylor began to lay before the public his 
verfions of the Grecian fage; and he perfevered with un¬ 
wearied induftry till he had tranflated all thofe pieces 
which Mr. Sydenham had left untouched. In 1804, the 
Whole W’as publifhed, with the title of “ The Works of 
Plato, viz. his Fifty-five Dialogues, and Twelve Epiftles, 
tranflated from the Greek. Nine of the Dialogues by the 
late Floyer Sydenham, and the remainder by Thomas 
Taylor: with occafional Annotations on the Nine 
Dialogues tranflated by Sydenham ; and copious Notes 
by the latter Tranflator,” See. in 5 vols. 4to. Stanley's 
Hifi. Phil, part v. Enfield's Hifi. Phil. vol. i. Combes 
Dounous's Ejfai hifiorique fur Platon ; Paris, 1809. 
PLATONIC, [from Plato .] One who profeftes 
great fanClity of love : 
The Platonic is ever fo; they are as tedious 
Before they come to the point, as an old man 
Fallen into the ftories of his youth. Suckling's Aglaura. 
PLATON'IC or Platonical, adj. Relating to the 
philofophy, opinions, or fchool, of Plato. Another 
point in the Platonic philofophy, Virgil has made the 
ground-work of the greateft part in the piece we are now 
examining; having with wonderful art and beauty 
materialized (if I may fo call it) a fcheme of abftraCled 
notions, and clothed the moft nice refined conceptions of 
philofophy in fenfible images, and poetical reprefenta- 
tions. Addifon’s Tatler, N° 154.'—Away with thofe dotages 
of Platonical or anabaptiftical communities ! Let pro¬ 
prieties be, as they ought, conftantly fixed where the 
laws and civil right have placed them. Bp. Hall’s Chrifi 
Myfiical. 
Platonic love is nothing elfe 
But merely melancholy. Clcaveland. 
Platonic Love. See Love, vol. xiii. p. 690. 
Platonic Year, or the Great Year, is a period of 
time determined by the revolution of the equinoxes, or 
the fpace wherein the ftars and conftellations return to 
their former places in refpeCt of the equinoxes. The 
platonic year, according to Tycho Brahe, is 25,816, 
according to Ricciolus 25,910, and according to Caflini, 
24,800, years. This period once accompliflied, it was an 
opinion among the ancients that the world was to 
begin anew, and the fame feries of things to turn over 
again. 
PLATON'ICALLY, adv. After the manner of the 
philofopher Plato.—He refolved to make him a mafter- 
piece, and to mould him, as it were, platonically, to his 
own idea. Wollon's Life of the D. of Buckingham. 
PLA'TONISM, f. The philofophy of Plato. This 
eternal life I fing of, even in the midft of platonifm ; for 
I cannot conceal from whence I am, viz. of Chrift; but 
yet acknowledge, that God hath not left the heathen, 
Plato efpecially, without witnefs of himfelf. More's Song 
of the Soul, 1647. 
PLAT'ONIST or Plat'onizer, f. One who follows 
the opinions and manner of Plato. It was an opinion of 
the Platonifis, that the fouls of men having contra£led 
in the body great ftains and pollutions of vice and ig¬ 
norance, 
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