ἱστορίαι Historiai
D.L. 3.64-67 Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Volume I (Books I-V), Diogenes Laertius; served verbatim
existent, existent inasmuch as it comes into being, non-existent because it is continually changing. And he says the Idea is neither in motion nor at rest ; that it is uniformly the same and yet both one and many. And it is his habit to do this in many more instances. The right interpretation of his dialogues includes three things : first, the meaning of every statement must be explained; next, its purpose, whether it is made for a primary reason or by way of illustration, and whether to establish his own doctrines or to refute his interlocutor; in the third place it remains to examine its truth. And since certain critical marks are affixed to his works let us now say a word about these. The cross X is taken to indicate peculiar expressions and figures of speech, and generally any idiom of Platonic usage ; the diple* (>) calls attention to doctrines and opinions characteristic of Plato ; the dotted cross (3) denotes select passages and beauties of style ; the dotted diple (+) editors’ corrections of the text ; the dotted obelus (+) passages suspected without reason; the dotted antisigma (5-) repetitions and proposals for transpositions; the cerauntum the philosophical school; the asterisk (+) an agreement of doctrine; the obelus (—) a spurious passage. So much for the critical marks and his writings in general. As Antigonus of Carystus says in his Life of Zeno, when the writings were first edited with critical marks, their possessors charged a certain fee to anyone who wished to consult them. 6 The doctrines he approved are these. He held

The Greek stands ready in the workroom; the English is served. Both faces will read together.

← D.L. 3.62-64 contents D.L. 3.67-69 →

Filed here — the addresses this episode attests; counted by the house’s first pass
Carystus — a candidate entry Plato — a life

Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Volume I (Books I-V), Diogenes Laertius — translated by R. D. Hicks, 1925
Apparatus shelf — Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, vol. I (R. D. Hicks translation, Loeb L184) · R. D. Hicks, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann / New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, MCMXXV (1925)
license: public-domain (US: published 1925, pre-1930 — the MCMXXV title page verified by the 2026-07-08 acquisition lane, pin in ops/sources/MANIFEST.md; only the English rectos are served, Hicks's translation)