Page:Works of Plato his first fifty-five dialogues (Taylor 1804) (Vol 3 of 5) (IA Vol3worksofplato00plat).pdf/13

 THE PARMENIDES. 5

spect, says Proclus, Parmenides truly imitates the paternal cause of the universality of things, who from the supreme hypostasis of all beings, preserves and perfects all things, and draws them upwards by his unknown and in-effable powers. With respect to the dramatic apparatus of this dialogue, it is necessary to observe, that the Athenians had two festivals in honour of Minerva; the former of which, on account of the greater preparation required in its celebration, was called the greater Panathenaia; and the latter, on account of its requiring a less apparatus, was denominated the lesser Panathenaia. The celebration of them, likewise, was distinguished by longer and shorter periods of time. In consequence, therefore, of the greater festival taking place, sacred to Minerva, Parmenides and Zeno came to Athens, Parmenides being the master, and Zeno his disciple ; but both of them Eleateans—and not only this, says Proclus, but partakers of the Pythagoric doctrine, according to the relation of Callimachus the historian. Parmenides and Zeno, therefore, in a place called the Ceramicus, beyond the walls of the city, and which was sacred to the statues of the Gods, met with one Pythodorus, together with Socrates and many other Athenians, who came thither for the purpose of hearing the writings of Zeno. The ensuing dialogue, which was the consequence of Zeno’s discourfe, was afterwards related by Pythodorus to one Antiphon, the brother on the mother’s side of Adimantus and Glaucus, who were the brothers of Plato, both from the same father and mother; and the dialogue is supposed to be again related by Antiphon to Cephalus and his companions, in consequence of their soliciting Adimantus and Glaucus to request Antiphon for the narration. Zeno, therefore, having read to the audience a book, in which he endeavoured to exhibit the difficulties attending the doctrine which asserts the existence of the many, and this in order to defend the favourite dogma of Parmenides, who called being, the one; Socrates by no means opposes his arguments, but readily admits the errors which must: ensue from supposing multitude to exist, without participating the one. However, Socrates does not rest here, but urges Zeno to a speculation of the one and the unities which subsist in intelligible natures, not enduring to dwell on the contemplation of the one which sensibles contain: and this leads him to the investigation of ideas in which the unities of thing's reside. After this Parmenides,

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