Isocrates, To Alexander, ed. Larue Van Hook, 1

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

[1] Since I am writing to your father I thought I should be acting in a strange manner if, when you are in the same region as he, I should fail either to address you or to send you a greeting, or to write you something calculated to convince any reader that I am now not out of my mind through old age¹ and that I do not babble like a fool, but that, on the contrary, the share of intelligence that still is left to me is not unworthy of the ability which as a younger man I possessed.

To Alexander. Isocrates. ed. Larue Van Hook. Cambridge, MA. 1945.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Letter 5: To Alexander (English) (Isocrates, Vol. 3. Van Hook, Larue, translator. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1945 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Ἐπιστολαὶ εʹ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ Perseus (Isocrates, Vol. 3. Van Hook, Larue, editor. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1945 (printing).) — 1 focus

[1] πρὸς τὸν πατέρα σου γράφων ἐπιστολὴν ἄτοπον ᾤμην ποιήσειν, εἰ περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα σὲ τόπον ἐκείνῳ μήτε προσερῶ μήτ’ ἀσπάσομαι μήτε γράψω τι τοιοῦτον, ὃ ποιήσει τοὺς ἀναγνόντας μὴ νομίζειν ἤδη με παραφρονεῖν διὰ τὸ γῆρας μηδὲ παντάπασι ληρεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἔτι τὸ καταλελειμμένον μου μέρος καὶ λοιπὸν ὂν οὐκ ἀνάξιον εἶναι τῆς δυνάμεως ἣν ἔσχον νεώτερος ὤν.

Notes on the current edition

To Alexander

1. In his later years Isocrates frequently refers to his advanced age. At this time ( 342 B.C.) he was perhaps 94 years of age.

Isocrates To Alexander 1

ed. Larue Van Hook

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers