| DRAMATIC DISTRIBUTION. PLATONIC DIALOGUES, AS ARRANGED IN TETRALOGIES BY THRASYLLUS. | ||
| Tetralogy 1. | ||
| 1. Euthyphron | On Holiness | Peirastic or Testing. |
| 2. Apology of Sokrates | Ethical | Ethical. |
| 3. Kriton | On Duty in Action | Ethical. |
| 4. Phædon | On the Soul | Ethical. |
| 2. | ||
| 1. Kratylus | On Rectitude in Naming | Logical. |
| 2. Theætêtus | On Knowledge | Logical. |
| 3. Sophistês | On Ens or the Existent | Logical. |
| 4. Politikus | On the Art of Governing | Logical. |
| 3. | ||
| 1. Parmenidês | On Ideas | Logical. |
| 2. Philêbus | On Pleasure | Ethical. |
| 3. Symposion | On Good | Ethical. |
| 4. Phædrus | On Love | Ethical. |
| 4. | ||
| 1. Alkibiadês I | On the Nature of Man | Obstetric or Evolving. |
| 2. Alkibiadês II | On Prayer | Obstetric. |
| 3. Hipparchus | On the Love of Gain. | Ethical. |
| 4. Erastæ | On Philosophy | Ethical. |
| 5. | ||
| 1. Theagês | On Philosophy | Obstetric. |
| 2. Charmidês | On Temperance | Peirastic. |
| 3. Lachês | On Courage | Obstetric. |
| 4. Lysis | On Friendship | Obstetric. |
| 6. | ||
| 1. Euthydêmus | The Disputatious Man | Refutative. |
| 2. Protagoras | The Sophists | Probative. |
| 3. Gorgias | On Rhetoric | Refutative. |
| 4. Menon | On Virtue | Peirastic. |
| 7. | ||
| 1. Hippias I | On the Beautiful | Refutative. |
| 2. Hippias II | On Falsehood | Refutative. |
| 3. Ion | On the Iliad | Peirastic. |
| 4. Menexenus | The Funeral Oration | Ethical. |
| 8. | ||
| 1. Kleitophon | The Impulsive | Ethical. |
| 2. Republic | On Justice | Political. |
| 3. Timæus | On Nature | Physical. |
| 4. Kritias | The Atlantid | Ethical. |
| 9. | ||
| 1. Minos | On Law | Political. |
| 2. Leges | On Legislation | Political. |
| 3. Epinomis | The Night-Assembly, or the Philosopher | Political. |
| 4. Epistolæ XIII | Ethical. | |
The second Table, as it here stands, is given by Diogenes Laertius, and is extracted by him probably from the work of Thrasyllus, or from the edition of Plato as published by Thrasyllus. The reader will see that each Platonic composition has a place assigned to it in two classifications — 1. The dramatic — 2. The philosophical — each in itself distinct and independent of the other, but here blended together.
Incongruity and repugnance of the two classifications.
We may indeed say more. The two classifications are not only independent, but incongruous and even repugnant. The better of the two is only obscurely and imperfectly apprehended, because it is presented as an appendage to the worse. The dramatic classification, which stands in the foreground, rests upon a purely fanciful analogy, determining preference for the number four. If indeed this objection were urged against Thrasyllus, he might probably have replied that the group of four volumes together was in itself convenient, neither too large nor too small, for an elementary subdivision; and that the fanciful analogy was an artifice for recommending it to the feelings, better (after all) than selection of another number by haphazard. Be that as it may, however, the fiction was one which Thrasyllus inherited from Aristophanes: and it does some honour to his ability, that he has built, upon so inconvenient a fiction, one tetralogy (the first), really plausible and impressive.[47] But it does more honour to his ability that he should have originated the philosophical classification; distinguishing the dialogues by important attributes truly belonging to each, and conducting the Platonic student to points of view which ought to be made known to him. This classification forms a marked improvement upon every thing (so far as we know) which preceded it.
[47] It is probable that Aristophanes, in distributing Plato into trilogies, was really influenced by the dramatic form of the compositions to put them in a class with real dramas. But Thrasyllus does not seem to have been influenced by such a consideration. He took the number four on its own merits, and adopted, as a way of recommending it, the traditional analogy sanctioned by the Alexandrine librarians.
That such was the case, we may infer pretty clearly when we learn, that Thrasyllus applied the same distribution (into tetralogies) to the works of Demokritus, which were not dramatic in form. (Diog. L. ix. 45; Mullach, Democ. Frag. p. 100-107, who attempts to restore the Thrasyllean tetralogies.)
The compositions of Demokritus were not merely numerous, but related to the greatest diversity of subjects. To them Thrasyllus could not apply the same logical or philosophical distribution which he applied to Plato. He published, along with the works of Demokritus, a preface, which he entitled Τὰ πρὸ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως τῶν Δημοκρίτου βιβλίων (Diog. L. ix. 41).
Porphyry tells us, that when he undertook, as literary executor, the arrangement and publication of the works of his deceased master Plotinus, he found fifty-four discourses: which he arranged into six Enneads or groups of nine each. He was induced to prefer this distribution, by regard to the perfection of the number six (τελειότητι). He placed in each Ennead discourses akin to each other, or on analogous subjects (Porphyry, Vit. Plotin. 24).
Dramatic principle of classification — was inherited by Thrasyllus from Aristophanes.
Authority of the Alexandrine library — editions of Plato published, with the Alexandrine critical marks.