Plato, Symp. 211e4–212a5 vs. Stephanus' Latin translation

Here you can discuss all things Ancient Greek. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Greek, and more.
Post Reply
Tugodum
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 562
Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:15 am

Plato, Symp. 211e4–212a5 vs. Stephanus' Latin translation

Post by Tugodum »

ed. Burnet:
------------
ἆρ' οἴει, ἔφη, φαῦλον βίον γίγνεσθαι ἐκεῖσε βλέποντος ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἐκεῖνο ᾧ δεῖ θεωμένου καὶ συνόντος αὐτῷ; ἢ οὐκ ἐνθυμῇ, ἔφη, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα αὐτῷ μοναχοῦ γενήσεται, ὁρῶντι ᾧ ὁρατὸν τὸ καλόν, τίκτειν οὐκ εἴδωλα ἀρετῆς, ἅτε οὐκ εἰδώλου ἐφαπτομένῳ, ἀλλὰ ἀληθῆ, ἅτε τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἐφαπτομένῳ·
---------
Platonis Opera quae extant omnia ex nova Ioannis Serrani interpretatione, perpetuis eiusdem notis illustrata. Henr. Stephani de quorundam locorum interpretatione iudicium, et multorum contextus Graeci emendatio. T. 3. Excudebat Henr. Stephanus, 1578:
----------------
Illiusne hominis vitam, qui et illud quod consentaneum est, contempletur, et cum eo versetur, parui faciendam arbitraris? nonne animo concipis futurum ut ille homo a caeteris omnibus rebus seiunctus atque separatus, cum illo uno pulchro versetur, ac illud pulchrum eo oculo cernens quo cerni potest, non imagines et sumulacra virtutis, sed ipsas per se virtutes pariat? quippe qui non sumulacrum sed rem ipsam vere attingat? quumque veram virtutem peperit et aluerit, Deo amicus efficiatur, et si quis omnium hominum, ille nimirum immortalis existat?
============
My Latin is much worse than my Greek, so, to begin with, my question is whether I am getting it right that he took μοναχοῦ to be a genitive absolute? (All modern translations that I know of -- as well as, if I understand correctly, Ficino -- take it to be an adverb.)
Thanks in advance.

User avatar
Barry Hofstetter
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 1739
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Plato, Symp. 211e4–212a5 vs. Stephanus' Latin translation

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

I don't think he saw it as a genitive absolute, but he is giving a sort of dynamic equivalency, that μοναχοῦ (only in this place) means a caeteris omnibus rebus seiunctus atque separatus, divided and separated from everything else.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Cuncta mortalia incerta...

Tugodum
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 562
Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:15 am

Re: Plato, Symp. 211e4–212a5 vs. Stephanus' Latin translation

Post by Tugodum »

Thanks, Barry. I had the same thought yet failed to see any equivalency (whether dynamic or static) between "only" (which here properly qualifies ἐνταῦθα) and "in solitude" (which Stephanus' paraphrase basically means).

Post Reply