Second Letter (Plato)
Encyclopedia
The Second Letter of Plato, also called Epistle II or Letter II, is an epistle
that tradition has ascribed to Plato
, though some scholars consider it a forgery
. In the Stephanus pagination
, it spans III. 310b–315a.
The Second Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse
in response to a supposed complaint he lodged against Plato
and his associates that they were slandering him. The letter disclaims any responsibility for these slanders and further denies that Plato has even heard of them occurring. It then counsels Dionysius that a concern for his reputation after his death should incline him to repair his relationship with Plato, since the interactions of political men with the wise is a topic of constant discussion. From this subject, the letter turns to an enigmatic discussion of "the First," in which Plato warns Dionysius to never write these doctrines down and to burn this letter upon committing its contents to memory. The Second Letter is the source of the oft-cited remark that "no writing of Plato exists or ever will exist, but those now said to be his are those of a Socrates become beautiful and new (καλός καί νέος)" (314c).
R. G. Bury argues of the Second Letter that it is "fairly certain" that it is inauthentic, based primarily upon conflicts he sees between "the general tone" and Plato's eventh Letter (Plato)|Seventh Letter. He considers it to be by the same author as the Sixth Letter.
Epistle
An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians...
that tradition has ascribed to Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, though some scholars consider it a forgery
Literary forgery
Literary forgery refers to writing, such as a manuscript or a literary work either deliberately misattributed to a historical or invented author, or a purported memoir presented as genuine.- History :The common, or popularly known, instance of literary forgery may involve for example the work of a...
. In the Stephanus pagination
Stephanus pagination
Stephanus pagination is the system of reference and organization used in modern editions and translations of Plato . Plato's works are divided into numbers, and each number will be divided into equal sections a, b, c, d and e...
, it spans III. 310b–315a.
The Second Letter is addressed to Dionysius II of Syracuse
Dionysius II of Syracuse
Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II ruled Syracuse, Sicily from 367 BC to 357 BC and again from 346 BC to 344 BC....
in response to a supposed complaint he lodged against Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
and his associates that they were slandering him. The letter disclaims any responsibility for these slanders and further denies that Plato has even heard of them occurring. It then counsels Dionysius that a concern for his reputation after his death should incline him to repair his relationship with Plato, since the interactions of political men with the wise is a topic of constant discussion. From this subject, the letter turns to an enigmatic discussion of "the First," in which Plato warns Dionysius to never write these doctrines down and to burn this letter upon committing its contents to memory. The Second Letter is the source of the oft-cited remark that "no writing of Plato exists or ever will exist, but those now said to be his are those of a Socrates become beautiful and new (καλός καί νέος)" (314c).
R. G. Bury argues of the Second Letter that it is "fairly certain" that it is inauthentic, based primarily upon conflicts he sees between "the general tone" and Plato's eventh Letter (Plato)|Seventh Letter. He considers it to be by the same author as the Sixth Letter.