Message #70493

[Helios]

 
Erick Wright

Member
Member # 1145

Member Rated:
   posted 06-28-2004 06:46 PM                       
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Helios,
Who said that Plato even knew about it? It is entirely possible that he just wrote down the story as it was told to him and didn't have a clue as to how they related to homographs in the Egyptian language.


quote:
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Then, too, it could be when Plato's characters say many times that the story is "true", he means it is "true."
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As far as I know, there is only two references to the story being true, and that is in Timaeus 20d-e, where Plato (through the voice and character of the Younger Critias) states that Solon said that the story was true, and in Timaeus 26e where Socrates, who has just been told that Solon said that the story was true, refers to the story as "no invented fable, but genuine history...". Other than those two references, I know of no other point in the entire narrative in which Plato has his characters attesting to the truth of the story. And since Socrates is only repeating what he has just been told (like a parrot - Polly want a cracker?) then, in reality, it has only been stated once. In addition, both times it is mentioned (i.e., Critias stating that Solon said it was true and Socrates repeating it like a parrot) it is in the Timaeus; not once does the Younger Critias mention anything about it being a true story in the entire narrative of the Critias.

Not a real big ringing endorsement of its historical truth!

Warm Regards,

Erick


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"None of the secrets of success will work unless YOU do."



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