The Prince of all Philosophers, (in wisedome, knoweledge, vertue, and cloquence, farre exceeding all other Gentiles) was borne in Athens: his father was named Arison (of an auncient and honourable house) his mother Parectonia, descended from Solon. Lying in his cradle, Bee were found to bring honie into his month, without hurting the childe: which diuinours did interprete, to signisie, that from him should flowe eloquence mo sweete and delectable. Socrates dreamed the night before he was brought to him to be insted, that hee helde berweene his knees a white cignet, who hauing feathers quickly growne, flew vp towarde heauen, and silled the ayre with most sweete tunest So the day after, Plato being brought by his father, Socrates beholding him well, sayde: This is the byrde whose Image I hehealde the last night. His name was sirst Aristocles, and after called Plato because (as some suppose) he was broade in the shoulders: other write, because be had a broade visage. In his youth he ercercised wreastlg, and other feates of actiuitie: and till he was yeares olde, hee gaue himself to make rous derses, which, after he came to heare Socrates, he threw into the fire and burned, and then most ardently & attentinely heard Socrates doctrine, during the time that he liued. After that, he not only hearde the moste famous Philosophers and eometricians in Greece, but also went into Italy, into Affrik and Aegipt, to heare the misticall sciences. And it is thought that he heard some of the Prophers, since there be fode in his workes sentences not abhoring from our catholicke fayth. Hee was expert in martiall assayes, for he had fought in three great battailes. Hee chose a place by Athens, called Academia, where he taught: and therefore his disciples were called Academici. There was in him a maruailous sharpenesse of witte, with an incomparable dexteritie in disputing, and making of aunsweres: his constancie, temperaunce and granitie, with courteste in language, were of all other incomparable: hee was so sirous of knowledge, that he was no lesse studyous to learne, then he was to teache. Where- fore beeing scorned of one, which asked of him how long hee would bee a scholer, so long (sayde hee) as I repente not to bee wiser and better. Hee is called Diuinus Plato, for his excellent doctcine, whiche contayneth many thinges (as saynt Augustine sayeth) whiche accorde with holye Scripture: so that therein is perceiued the sirste parte of Genesis, vnto Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas, and the misterie of three persons in diuinitie is there erpressed. Hee died writing, of the age of 81. yeares, before the incarnation of Christ 342. yeares. Reade more of him in Dionysius.

I. A celebrated Grecian philosopher, the disciple of Socrates, the instructor of Aristotle, and founder of the Academic philosophy, Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 1; id. Brut. 31, 121; id. Tusc. 1, 17, 39; id. Or. 3, 12: Plato divinus auctor, id. Opt. Gen. Or. 6; Sen. Ep. 6, 6, 13.—In Greek acc.: doctum Platona, Hor. S. 2, 4, 3; Petr. 2, 5.—Hence,

B. Plătōnĭcus, a, um, adj., = *platwniko/s, of or belonging to Plato, Platonic: sublimitas, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 5: philosophus, Gell. 15, 2, 1: homo, speaking of Cicero, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 12, 46: ideae, Sen. Ep. 6, 6, 26.—Subst.: Plă-tōnĭci, ōrum, m., followers of the Platonic philosophy, Platonists, Cic. Off. 1, 1, 2.—

II. An obscure Epicurean of Sardis, contemporary with Cicero, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 4, 14.