Diogenes Laertius, Vitae philosophorum, R. D. Hicks (Translator), 5.2.51

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Chapter

← Previous Next →

[51] I have also come across his will, couched in the following terms:

All will be well; but in case anything should happen, I make these dispositions. I give and bequeath all my property at home¹ to Melantes and Pancreon, the sons of Leon. It is my wish that out of the trust funds at the disposal of Hipparchus ² the following appropriations should be made. First, they should be applied to finish the rebuilding of the Museum with the statues of the goddesses, and to add any improvements which seem practicable to beautify them.³ Secondly, to replace in the temple the bust of Aristotle with the rest of the dedicated offerings which formerly were in the temple. Next, to rebuild the small cloister adjoining the Museum at least as handsomely as before, and to replace in the lower cloister the tablets containing maps of the countries traversed by explorers.

Vitae philosophorum. Diogenes Laertius. R. D. Hicks (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1925.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities Division of Preservation and Access.

Current edition Perseus

Lives of Eminent Philosophers (English) (Diogenes Laertius. Hicks, R. D., editor. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1925.)

Editions (1)

Βίοι καὶ γνῶμαι τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων Perseus (Diogenes Laertius. Hicks, R. D., editor. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1925.) — 5.2.51 focus

[51] Εὗρον δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ διαθήκας τοῦτον ἐχούσας τὸν τρόπον·

“Ἔσται μὲν εὖ· ἐὰν δέ τι συμβῇ, τάδε διατίθεμαι· τὰ μὲν οἴκοι ὑπάρχοντα πάντα δίδωμι Μελάντῃ καὶ Παγκρέοντι τοῖς υἱοῖς Λέοντος. ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν παρʼ Ἱππάρχου συμβεβλημένων τάδε μοι βούλομαι γενέσθαι· πρῶτον μὲν τὰ περὶ τὸ μουσεῖον καὶ τὰς θεὰς συντελεσθῆναι κἄν τι ἄλλο ἰσχύῃ περὶ αὐτὰς ἐπικοσμηθῆναι πρὸς τὸ κάλλιον· ἔπειτα τὴν Ἀριστοτέλους εἰκόνα τεθῆναι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἀναθήματα ὅσα πρότερον ὑπῆρχεν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· εἶτα τὸ στωίδιον οἰκοδομηθῆναι τὸ πρὸς τῷ μουσείῳ μὴ χεῖρον ἢ πρότερον· ἀναθεῖναι δὲ καὶ τοὺς πίνακας, ἐν οἷς αἱ τῆς γῆς περίοδοί εἰσιν, εἰς τὴν κάτω στοάν·

Notes on the current edition

Lives of Eminent Philosophers

1. i.e. at Eresus.

2. Mentioned below, §§ 53, 54, 55, 66. We infer that he had been acting as trustee not only for Theophrastus but for the School, which in the eye of the law was a religious foundation.

3. Evidently the Museum had suffered in some recent political troubles, perhaps the second siege of Athens by Demetrius Poliorcetes, 296-294 b.c. Plut. Demetr. 33, 34; Paus. i. 25. 8. There was, however, a serious disturbance when Athens revolted from Macedon, 289-287, for which see Plut. Demetr. 46, and Paus. i. 25. 2; 26. 1 f. This latter event is nearer to the death of Theophrastus in Ol. 123.

Diogenes Laertius Vitae philosophorum 5.2.51

R. D. Hicks (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers