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the Parmenides； and； above all； of the Rev。 Professor Campbell of St。
Andrews； and Mr。 Paravicini； late Student of Christ Church and Tutor of
Balliol College； with whom I had read over the greater part of the
translation。 I was also indebted to Mr。 Evelyn Abbott； Fellow and Tutor of
Balliol College； for a complete and accurate index。
In this； the Third Edition； I am under very great obligations to Mr。
Matthew Knight； who has not only favoured me with valuable suggestions
throughout the work； but has largely extended the Index （from 61 to 175
pages） and translated the Eryxias and Second Alcibiades； and to Mr Frank
Fletcher； of Balliol College； my Secretary。 I am also considerably
indebted to Mr。 J。W。 Mackail； late Fellow of Balliol College； who read over
the Republic in the Second Edition and noted several inaccuracies。
In both editions the Introductions to the Dialogues have been enlarged； and
essays on subjects having an affinity to the Platonic Dialogues have been
introduced into several of them。 The analyses have been corrected； and
innumerable alterations have been made in the Text。 There have been added
also； in the Third Edition； headings to the pages and a marginal analysis
to the text of each dialogue。
At the end of a long task； the translator may without impropriety point out
the difficulties which he has had to encounter。 These have been far
greater than he would have anticipated； nor is he at all sanguine that he
has succeeded in overcoming them。 Experience has made him feel that a
translation； like a picture； is dependent for its effect on very minute
touches； and that it is a work of infinite pains； to be returned to in many
moods and viewed in different lights。
I。 An English translation ought to be idiomatic and interesting； not only
to the scholar； but to the unlearned reader。 Its object should not simply
be to render the words of one language into the words of another or to
preserve the construction and order of the original；this is the ambition
of a schoolboy； who wishes to show that he has made a good use of his
Dictionary and Grammar； but is quite unworthy of the translator； who seeks
to produce on his reader an impression similar or nearly similar to that
produced by the original。 To him the feeling should be more important than
the exact word。 He should remember Dryden's quaint admonition not to
'lacquey by the side of his author； but to mount up behind him。'
（Dedication to the Aeneis。） He must carry in his mind a comprehensive view
of the whole work； of what has preceded and of what is to follow；as well
as of the meaning of particular passages。 His version should be based； in
the first instance； on an intimate knowledge of the text； but the precise
order and arrangement of the words may be left to fade out of sight； when
the translation begins to take shape。 He must form a general idea of the
two languages； and reduce the one to the terms of the other。 His work
should be rhythmical and varied； the right admixture of words and
syllables； and even of letters； should be carefully attended to； above all；
it should be equable in style。 There must also be quantity； which is
necessary in prose as well as in verse： clauses； sentences； paragraphs；
must be in due proportion。 Metre and even rhyme may be rarely admitted；
though neither is a legitimate element of prose writing； they may help to
lighten a cumbrous expression （Symp。）。 The translation should retain as
far as possible the characteristic qualities of the ancient writerhis
freedom； grace； simplicity； stateliness； weight； precision； or the best
part of him will be lost to the English reader。 It should read as an
original work； and should also be the most faithful transcript which can be
made of the language from which the translation is taken； consistently with
the first requirement of all； that it be English。 Further； the translation
being English； it should also be perfectly intelligible in itself without
reference to the Greek； the English being really the more lucid and exact
of the two languages。 In some respects it may be maintained that ordinary
English writing； such as the newspaper article； is superior to Plato： at
any rate it is couched in language which is very rarely obscure。 On the
other hand； the greatest writers of Greece； Thucydides； Plato； Aeschylus；
Sophocles； Pindar； Demosthenes； are generally those which are found to be
most difficult and to diverge most widely from the English idiom。 The
translator will often have to convert the more abstract Greek into the more
concrete English； or vice versa； and he ought not to force upon one
language the character of another。 In some cases； where the order is
confused； the expression feeble； the emphasis misplaced； or the sense
somewhat faulty； he will not strive in his rendering to reproduce these
characteristics； but will re…write the passage as his author would have
written it at first； had he not been 'nodding'； and he will not hesitate to
supply anything which； owing to the genius of the language or some accident
of composition； is omitted in the Greek； but is necessary to make the
English clear and consecutive。
It is difficult to harmonize all these conflicting elements。 In a
translation of Plato what may be termed the interests of the Greek and
English are often at war with one another。 In framing the English sentence
we are insensibly diverted from the exact meaning of the Greek； when we
return to the Greek we are apt to cramp and overlay the English。 We
substitute； we compromise； we give and take； we add a little here and leave
out a little there。 The translator may sometimes be allowed to sacrifice
minute accuracy for the sake of clearness and sense。 But he is not
therefore at liberty to omit words and turns of expression which the
English language is quite capable of supplying。 He must be patient and
self…controlled； he must not be easily run away with。 Let him never allow
the attraction of a favourite expression； or a sonorous cadence； to
overpower his better judgment； or think much of an ornament which is out of
keeping with the general character of his work。 He must ever be casting
his eyes upwards from the copy to the original； and down again from the
original to the copy （Rep。）。 His calling is not held in much honour by the
world of scholars； yet he himself may be excused for thinking it a kind of
glory to have lived so many years in the companionship of one of the
greatest of human intelligences； and in some degree； more perhaps than
others； to have had the privilege of understanding him （Sir Joshua
Reynolds' Lectures： Disc。 xv。）。
There are fundamental differences in Greek and English； of which some may
be managed while others remain intractable。 （1）。 The structure of the
Greek language is partly adversative and alternative； and partly
inferential； that is to say； the members of a sentence are either opposed
to one another； or one of them expresses the cause or effect or condition
or reason of another。 The two tendencies may be called the horizontal and
perpendicular lines of the language； and the opposition or inference is
often much more one of words than of ideas。 But modern languages have
rubbed off this adversative and inferential form： they have fewer links of
connection； there is less mortar in the interstices； and they are content
to place sentences side by side； leaving their relation to one another to
be gathered from their position or from the context。 The difficulty of
preserving the effect of the Greek is increased by the want of adversative
and inferential particles in English； and by the nice sense of tautology
which characterizes all modern languages。 We cannot have two 'buts' or two
'fors' in the same sentence where the Greek repeats （Greek）。 There is a
similar want of particles expressing the various gradations of objective
and subjective thought（Greek） and the like； which are so thickly
scattered over the Greek page。 Further； we can only realize to a very
imperfect degree the common distinction between （Greek）； and the
combination of the two suggests a subtle shade of negation which cannot be
expressed in English。 And while English is more dependent than Greek upon
the apposition of clauses and sentences； yet there is a difficulty in using
this form of construction owing to the want of case endings。 For the same
reason there cannot be an equal variety in the order of w