P a g e 1 DIOGENES LAERTIUS LIFE OF PARMENIDES A New Translation, with text and Commentary By E. H. Campbell Edward Campbell Media: Aspen, CO First Edition
P a g e 2 E. H. Campbell All Rights Reserved
P a g e 3 LIFE OF PARMENIDES 1 1 Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, R. D. Hicks, Cambridge: Harvard University Press: 1972.
P a g e 4 Epitome Life of Parmenides... 3 Operas Citatas... 11
P a g e 5 Κεφ. γ. ΠΑΡΜΕΝΙΔΗ 9.3.1 [21] Ξενοφάνους δὲ διήκουσε 2 Παρμενίδης Πύρητος Ἐλεάτης τοῦτον Θεόφραστος ἐν τῇ Ἐπιτομῇ 3 Ἀναξιμάνδρου φησὶν 4 ἀκοῦσαἰ 5 ὅμως 6 δ οὖν ἀκούσας 7 καὶ Ξενοφάνους οὐκ ἠκολούθησεν 8 αὐτῷ 9 ἐκοινώνησε 10 δὲ καὶ Ἀμεινίᾳ Διοχαίτα τῷ Πυθαγορικῷ, ὡς ἔφη ωτίων, ἀνδρὶ πένητι 11 μέν, καλῷ δὲ καὶ ἀγαθῷ ᾧ καὶ μᾶλλον 12 ἠκολούθησε καὶ ἀποθανόντος 13 ἡρῷον 14 ἱδρύσατο 15 γένους τε ὑπάρχων 16 λαμπροῦ 17 καὶ πλούτου, καὶ ὑπ Ἀμεινίου ἀλλ οὐχ ὑπὸ Ξενοφάνους εἰς ἡσυχίαν 18 προετράπη. 19 Πρῶτος δ οὗτος τὴν γῆν ἀπέφαινε 20 σφαιροειδῆ 21 καὶ ἐν μέσῳ κεῖσθαι 22 δύο τε εἶναι στοιχεῖα, 23 πῦρ καὶ γῆν, καὶ τὸ μὲν δημιουργοῦ 24 τάξιν 25 ἔχειν, 26 τὴν δ ὕλης. 27 2 3rd sing. aor. act. ind. of διακούω, to hear through, hear out; hear or learn from another. 3 fem. dat sing. of ἐπιτομήa, cutting on the surface, incision; epitome, abridgement. 4 3rd sing pres. act. ind. of φημί, say, declare. 5 aor. inf. act. of ἀκούω, hear. 6 Conj., yet, none the less; all the same, nevertheless; however. 7 Adj., fem. gen. sing. Attic or Doric of ἀέκων unwilling, reluctant; involuntary. 8 3rd sing. aor. act. ind., Attic Epic Doric Ionic Aeolic redupl. of ἀκολουθέω, to follow. 9 masc. dat. sing. of αὐτός, same, self. 10 3rd sing. aor. act. ind. of κοινωνέω, to have; to share, take part in., have dealings with; communicate, join; for a community. 11 masc. dat. sing. πένης, one who works for his daily bread, a day-labourer, a poor man 12 Adj., comp. of μάλα, very, quite, right. 13 masc. gen. sing. aor. act. part. of ἀποθνήσκω, die. 14 neut. acc. sing. of ἡρῷον the temple; shrine of a hero. 15 3rd sing. aor. mid. ind. of ἱδρύω, cause; establish, set up, found; become quite, settle down. 16 masc. nom. sing. pres. act. part. of ὑπάρχω, begin, make a beginning. 17 masc. gen. sing. of λαμπρός, bright, brilliant, shining. 18 fem. acc. sing. of ἡσυχία, peace, quiet. 19 3rd sing. aor. pass. ind. of προτρέπω, to urge forwards 20 3rd sing. impef. act. ind. of ἀποφαίνω, have proclaimed. 21 fem. acc. dual. of σφαιροειδής, ball-like, spherical. 22 pres. mid./pass. inf. of κεῖμαι, lie, be placed. 23 neut. nom. sing. of στοιχεῖον, one of a row; an element of a proof, fundamental principle; components into which matter is ultimately divisible, elements. 24 masc. gen. sing. of δημιουργός, one who works for the people, a skilled workman, handicraftsman
P a g e 6 Parmenides of Elea, son of Pyres, learned from Xenophantes, in the Epitome, Theophrastus says this man heard from Anaximander. Nevertheless, then of the unwilling and he himself did not follow Xenophanes, but joined Ameinias son of Diochaetas to the Pythagoreans, so says Sotion, a poor man but good and honorable, and followed him much more and for his death set up a shrine having come from an illustrious clan and of the rich, and it was under Ameinias, but not under Xenophantes, was he urged in solitude. And he himself was the first to declare the Earth is both a sphere and is placed in the center and there to be two fundamental elements, fire and earth, and the one to have the function of a craftsman and the other its material. [22] γένεσίν 28 τ ἀνθρώπων ἐξ ἡλίου πρῶτον γενέσθαι: 29 αὐτὸν δὲ ὑπερέχειν 30 τὸ θερμὸν 31 καὶ τὸ ψυχρόν, 32 ἐξ ὧν 33 τὰ πάντα συνεστάναι 34 καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸν νοῦν ταὐτὸν εἶναι, καθὰ μέμνηται 35 καὶ Θεόφραστος ἐν τοῖς Φυσικοῖς, πάντων 36 σχεδὸν 37 25 fem. acc. sing. of τάξις, an arranging, arrangement; order; function. 26 pres. inf. act. of ἔχω, hold, have. 27 fem. gen. sing. of ὕλη, wood, forest; material. 28 fem. acc. sing. of γένεσις, generation, origin. 29 aor. mid. inf. of γίγνομαι, become. 30 pres. inf. act. of ὑπερέχω, hold over; prevail. 31 neut. acc. sing. of θέρμω, to heat, make hot. 32 neut. acc. sing. of ψυχρός, cold. 33 gen. pl. of ὅς, he, this, that. 34 perf. act. inf. of συνίστημι, having arisen; combine, associate, unite; compose, combine, or be put together. 35 3rd sing. perf. mid./pass. ind. or 3rd sing. mid./pass. subj. of μιμνήσκω, remind, call to mind; make mention of; give heed to. 36 gen. pl. of πᾶς, every. 37 Adv., near; about, approximately, more or less, roughly speaking.
P a g e 7 ἐκτιθέμενος 38 τὰ δόγματα 39 δισσήν 40 τε ἔφη τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, τὴν μὲν κατ ἀλήθειαν, τὴν δὲ κατὰ δόξαν διὸ 41 καί φησί 42 που: 43 Χρεὼ 44 δέ σε πάντα πυθέσθαι 45 ἠμὲν 46 Ἀληθείης εὐκυκλέος 47 ἀτρεμὲς ἦτορ [30] ἠδὲ βροτῶν 48 δόξας, ταῖς οὐκ ἔνι 49 πίστις ἀληθής. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ 50 ποιημάτων 51 φιλοσοφεῖ, 52 καθάπερ 53 Ἡσίοδός τε καὶ Ξενοφάνης καὶ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς κριτήριον 54 δὲ τὸν λόγον εἶπε: 55 τάς 56 τε αἰσθήσεις 57 μὴ 58 ἀκριβεῖς 59 ὑπάρχειν 60 φησὶ 61 γοῦν: 62 38 pres. mid./pass. part. of ἐκτίθημι, put; expound, explain. 39 neut. nom./acc. pl. of δόγμα, that which seems to one, an opinion, dogma; doctrine. 40 fem. acc. sing. of δισσός, two, double, twofold; divided. 41 Conj., wherefore, on which account. 42 3rd sing. pres. act. ind. of φημί, say, declare. 43 Adv. anywhere, somewhere. 44 fem. nom. sing., want, need. 45 aor. mid. inf. of πυνθάνομαι, learn. 46 and, correlates with ἠδὲ infra. 47 εὐκυκλος, well-rounded. 48 masc. gen. pl. of βροτός, mortal. 49 3rd sing. and pl. of ἔνειμι = to be possible. 50 prep. between, through + gen. of inst. or means. 51 neut. gen. pl. of ποίημα, anything made or done; product, deed, act; poem. 52 3rd sing. pres. act. ind. of φιλοσοφέω, to love knowledge, pursue it, philosophize. 53 Adv. of καθά, according as, just as. 54 neut. acc. sing., means of judging, standard; measure, test. 55 3rd sing. aor. act. ind. of εἶπον, speak, say. 56 fem. acc. pl. of ὁ, that, those. 57 fem. nom. acc. pl. of αἴσθησις perception by the senses, sensation, feeling. 58 Conj., not. 59 Adj. nom. acc. pl. of ἀκριβής, exact, accurate, precise, made. 60 pres. act. inf. of ὑπάρχω, begin, make a beginning. 61 3rd sing. pres. act. ind. of φημί, say, declare. 62 indecl. partic., γοῦν, at least then, at any rate, any way.
P a g e 8 μηδέ σ' ἔθος πολύπειρον 63 ὁδὸν κατὰ τήνδε βιάσθω, 64 νωμᾶν 65 ἄσκοπον 66 ὄμμα καὶ ἠχήεσσαν 67 ἀκουήν καὶ γλῶσσαν, κρῖναι δὲ λόγῳ πολύδηριν 68 ἔλεγχον. 69 And the first origin of man to have come out of the sun, and heat and cold surpass the same, from those things all things arose, and the soul and the mind to be one and the same thing, as is recalled by Theophrastus in his Physics where nearly every dogma is explained, and he says philosophy is twofold; one follows down to the truth, the other to opinion; and wherefore he says somewhere: But want for yourself to everything learn; the well-rounded truth, and your heart unmoved by mortal opinions in which it is not possible for there to be true faith. (Parmenides 1.28-30) 70 63 fem. acc. sing. of πολύπειρος, much experienced. 64 3rd sing. pres. mid. pass. imper. of βιάω, constrain, drive on, urge on. 65 neut. acc. sing. pres. act. part. of νωμάω, deal out, distribute, direct, guide. 66 masc. / fem. acc. sing, neut. nom. / acc. sing. of ἄσκοπος, aimless, heedless, inconsiderate. 67 3 rd pl. aor. act. ind. of ἠχεω, to sound. 68 πολύ + δηρις, much contested. 69 masc. acc. sing. of ἔλεγχος, argument of disproof, refutation. 70 Campbell, E. H., The Poem of Parmenides: A New Translation with Text and Commentary, Bozeman, MT: Edward Campbell Media: 2011. URL: http://edwardcampbellmedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/poem-of-parmenides-newtranslation.html
P a g e 9 And he himself philosophized through poetry like Hesiod, Xenophanes and Empedocles and said that was the criterion for reason, and to begin with feelings is not accurate he says, at any rate: And let not custom urge, wandering eye, sound heard, or word of mouth, direct you down this road; but with reason distinguish my much contested refutation. (Parmenides 7.3-5) 71 [23] διὸ 72 καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν 73 ὁ Σίμων: Παρμενίδου τε βίην 74 μεγαλόφρονος 75 οὐ πολύδοξον, ὅς ῥ 76 ἀπὸ φαντασίας 77 ἀπάτης 78 ἀνενείκατο 79 νώσεις εἰς τοῦτον 80 καὶ Πλάτων τὸν διάλογον γέγραφε, 81 Παρμενίδην ἐπιγράψας 82 ἢ Περὶ ἰδεῶν. 83 And wherefore about him Timon says: And the strength of noble Parmenides, not common opinion as it appears from deceitful fantasy but from thought, and to him Plato wrote a dialogue Parmenides written Or on Ideas. 71 Op. Cit. 72 Conj. wherefore, on which account. 73 3rd sing. pres. act. ind. of φημί. 74 fem. acc. sing. of βία, power, might. 75 Adj. gen. sing. of μεγαλόφρων, high-minded, noble, generous. 76 Partic. ἄρα then, so then, so, naturally, as it appears. 77 fem. gen. sing. of φαντασία, imagination, the power by which an object is presented; appearance; the use of imagery in literature. 78 fem. gen. sing. of ἀπάτη, deceit. 79 3rd sing. aor. mid. ind. of ἀναφέρω, bring up; consider, call to mind. 80 masc. acc. sing. of οὗτος, this. 81 3rd sing. perf. act. ind. of γράφω, write. 82 aor. act. part. of ἐπιγράφω. 83 pres. act. part. of ἰδέω, idea, form, from οἶδα, know.
P a g e 10 Ἤκμαζε 84 δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐνάτην καὶ ἑξηκοστὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα καὶ δοκεῖ 85 πρῶτος πεφωρακέναι 86 τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι Ἕσπερον καὶ Φωσφόρον, ὥς φησι Φαβωρῖνος ἐν πέμπτῳ Ἀπομνημονευμάτων: οἱ δὲ Πυθαγόραν: Καλλίμαχος δέ φησι μὴ εἶναι αὐτοῦ τὸ ποίημα λέγεται 87 δὲ καὶ νόμους θεῖναι τοῖς πολίταις, ὥς φησι πεύσιππος ἐν τῷ Περὶ φιλοσόφων καὶ πρῶτος ἐρωτῆσαι 88 τὸν Ἀχιλλέα λόγον, ὡς Φαβωρῖνος ἐν Παντοδαπῇ ἱστορίᾳ. Γέγονε 89 δὲ καὶ ἕτερος Παρμενίδης, ῥήτωρ τεχνογράφος. He was at his prime in the ninth and sixtieth Olympiad and is thought to have been the first to identify Hesperus and Phosphorus, so says Favorinus in the fifth part of Memoirs, but others to Pythagoras, and Callimachus says the poem not to be from him and he is said to have been a law giver to the people, so says Speusippus in On Philosophers, and was the first to ask the argument of Achilles, 90 thus Favorinus in Miscellaneous History. There was a different Parmenides, an author on the art of rhetoric. 84 3rd sing. imperf. act. ind. of ἀκμάζω, to be in full bloom, be at one's prime. 85 3rd sing. pres. act. ind. of δοκέω, think, fancy. 86 87 3rd sing. pres. mid. ind. of λέγω, to say, speak. 88 aor. inf. act. of ἐρωτάω, to ask. 89 3rd sing. perf. act. ind. of γίγνομαι, become. 90 i.e., the paradox of Achilles and the Tortise.
P a g e 11 OPERAS CITATAS Campbell, E. H., The Poem of Parmenides: A New Translation with Text and Commentary, Bozeman, MT: Edward Campbell Media: 2011. URL: http://edwardcampbellmedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/poem-of-parmenides-newtranslation.html Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, R. D. Hicks, Cambridge: Harvard University Press: 1972. Perseus Digital Library Project, Ed. Gregory R. Crane, Tufts University: Somerville, MA: 2007. URL: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu