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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 July 2016
Marsilio Ficino is one of those scholars of whose habits and methods we can now form a fairly complete picture, thanks to the increasing accessibility of library materials. Besides autograph copies of his own work, we possess a great many books he used, and in most cases annotated extensively. The number of Greek manuscripts known to have been handled by him rose from seven in 1937 (Kristeller's Supplementum Ficinianum) to sixteen in 1962, when M. Sicherl reported on the state of the question in Scriptorium. Prof. Sicherl is continuing his research and preparing a comprehensive study of the subject; the present article, a by-product of my occupation with the text of Olympiodorus and Damascius, is concerned only with Ficino's marginalia to the commentaries on Plato's Phaedo and Philebus in Riccardianus gr. 37. For a correct understanding of the character of these texts and the relationship between them, a short outline of their history will be useful.
1 Sicherl, M., ‘Neuentdeckte Handschriften von Marsilio Ficino und Johannes Reuchlin,’ Scriptorium 16 (1962) 50–61. Cf. id., ‘Platonismus und Textüberlieferung,’ Jahrbuch der Oesterreichischen Byzantinischen Gesellschaft 15 (1966) 201–229 (esp. 223–228).Google Scholar
2 Norvin, W. (ed.), Olympiodori philosophi in Platonis Phaedonem commentaria (Leipzig 1913) v–vii.Google Scholar
3 Beutler, R., art. ‘Olympiodoros 13’ in RE 35 (1939) 207–227; Westerink, L. G., Damascius, Lectures on the Philebus … (Amsterdam 1959) xv–xx.Google Scholar
4 Vitelli, G., ‘Indice de’ codici greci Riccardiani, Magliabechiani e Marucelliani,’ Studi italiani di filologia classica 2 (1894) 496.Google Scholar
5 Infra pp. 361.164; 364.41, 47; 365.37.Google Scholar
6 ‘Neuentdeckte Handschriften’ 54–58; id., Die Handschriften, Ausgaben und Übersetzungen von Iamblichos De Mysteriis (Texte und Untersuchungen 62 [1957]) 24–25. Essentially the same conclusion already in Henry, P., Études Plotiniennes II (2nd ed. Brussels-Paris 1948) 5–62, where six varieties are distinguished.Google Scholar
7 Epit. 1390.47–49 from C II πς'; Paris gr. 1816 (Plotinus) fol. 102v and fol. 188v from A I 3–5.Google Scholar
8 Fic. 1223.13–16: cf. Dam. § 45; Fic. 1229.27–62: cf. Dam. §§ 54–56; Fic. 1269.49–51: cf. Dam. §§ 11, 259.Google Scholar
9 For Olympiodorus and Damascius on the Phaedo, to Norvin's edition of 1913; for Damascius OP the Philebus, to my own edition of 1959. Both editions cited supra. Google Scholar
10 Vol. I for the Theologia Platonica, Vol. II for the In Phaedonem epitome and the In Philebum annotationes. Google Scholar
28 Theol. Plat 18.4 (405.27–28): ‘Olympiodorus quoque Platonicus tradit Apollonium Tyaneum hac ratione solitum ex urbe Roma, quae fiebant in Aegypto, prospicere.’ Google Scholar
24–33 Ib. 10.2(224.38–44): ‘Mitto quod Xenocrates et Speusippus, Iamblichus et Plutarchus putant ab ipsa sempiternitate vim procedere sempiternam, non solum usque ad mentes ultimas quae reflectuntur in ipsam, sed etiam usque ad animas bestiarum. Numenius insuper ad plantas usque producit. Plotinus denique etiam ad naturam. Nos autem Porphyrium Proculumque sequamur, eatenus putantes vitam cognitionemque procedere sempiternam, quatenus propria in eandem conversio reperitur.’ Google Scholar
59–62 after line 63 in R.Google Scholar
79 pura] -a ex -is R. Google Scholar
159–163 In Phaed. epit. 1394.23–32: ‘Acheron igitur … Respondet quoque aeri, partique mundi meridianae. Pylegeton igni respondet atque orienti … Styx Cocytusque respondet terrae, atque occasui … Addunt quidam ad haec flumina Oceanum quoque quodammodo pertinere, aquae septentrionique respondentem …’ Google Scholar
169–375 Theol. Plat. 18.10 (421.33–40): ‘Ordinem a nobis in superioribus positum confirmat Olympiodorus in commentariis in Phaedonem, tria ex Platonis sententia vitia ponens. Prima quidem quae facile sanabilia sint, quae scilicet habitu careant. Secunda vero difficile curari posse inquit, utpote quae habitu committantur, sed repugnantiam quandam poenitentiamque comitem habeant. Tertia denique sanari non posse, quae videlicet et habitu perpetrentur, et repugnantia poenitentiaque penitus careant. Prima igitur Acheronti, secunda Pyrophlegethonti atque Cocyto, tertia Tartaro apud Platonicos deputantur, unde dicit Plato nullum egredi posse.’ — In Phaed. epit. 1394.34–40: ‘Profecto peccata facile sanabilia sunt, quae nondum in habitum sunt conversa. Difficile vero sanantur, quae iam habitum genuerunt: verumtamen una cum quadam rationis repugnantia committuntur, et committentes afficiunt poenitentia. Insanabilia vero sunt omnino, quorum habitus, et repugnantiam et poenitentiam procul fugat. Prima purgantur in Acheronte. Secunda, si ad prima vergunt, puniuntur in Phlegethone: si ad tertia, in Styge, atque Cocyto. Tertia affliguntur in Tartaro, ex quo, ut Plato inquit, nunquam egrediuntur.’ Google Scholar
173 cogu] u half finished R. Google Scholar
186–191 Theol. Plat. 18.10 (421.40–43): ‘Totidem gradus bonis in Phaedone distribuuntur, ubi asseritur animas innocentes et pias, sed expertes philosophiae, in aëre una cum aëris corporibus facile vivere, animas autem philosophia civili insuper praeditas, in coelo cum coelestibus lucidisque vehiculis, denique purgatissimas super coelum absque corporibus beatissime vivere.’ — In Phaed. epit. 1394.43–48: ‘Praemia vero sic Plato distinguit. Animae quae iustae et sanctae sine philosophia vixerunt, sublimia terrae, qualia supra descripsimus, ascendentes, in tenuissimis spiritalibusque ibi corporibus habitant. Quae vero civiliter propterea philosophatae sunt, cum splendidis coelestibusque corporibus coelum colunt. Sed quae per exactam Philosophiam perfecte purgatae sunt, in locum supercoelestem evolant, ubi absque corporibus omnino, ut Plato hic inquit, totum per tempus vivunt.’ Google Scholar
196–200 In phaed. epit. 1395.5–8: ‘Et quasi iam omni dubitationis metusque morbo liberati sint, gratiam victimamque Deo referri iubet. Praeterea oracula priscorum tradunt, animas remeantes in coelum, paeana, id est, triumphalem cantilenam canere Phoebo. Reddit ergo Deo votum, ut alacer paeana canens, coelestem patriam repetat.’ Google Scholar
64–65 In Phaed. epit. 1394.3–5: ‘Quod autem dicit iniquos absque duce errare, absque benefico intellige duce. Adde quod neque quo trahantur, agnoscunt, et violentia rapiuntur.’ Google Scholar
89 sensa] -a in ras., ex -us, R. Google Scholar
109 In phaed. epit. 1394.18–19: ‘Tu vero terrae huiusmodi habitationem terrestri Moysi paradyso similem esse memento.’ Google Scholar
111–112 Ib. 1394.11–13: ‘Quod ne quis tanquam impossibile neget, Olympiodorus Aristotelis adducit historiam, in qua Aristoteles vidisse se inquit hominem qui solo aëre nutriebatur, et sole.’ Google Scholar
125–131 lb. 1394.23–33: ‘Acheron … locus est purgatorius … Pylegeton … vimque puniendi continet per calorem … Styx Cocytusque … per luctum fletumque puniunt … Addunt quidam ad haec flumina Oceanum… in quo distinguendi definiendique virtus intelligatur.’ Google Scholar
27–40 In Phileb. annot. 1259.7–15: ‘Porphyrius inquit, foelicitatem posse dici simplex bonum. Quoniam voluptas intelligentiae vix ab ipsa distinguitur. Cum enim intelligentia est in summo gradu penitus expedito, ipsa sua expedita summitas est voluptas intima. Ut etiam Plotinus inquit. Tunc vero maxime est simplex atque unum. Gaudet vero seipsa tanquam superiori lumine iam formata. Atque sicut summitas luminis in speculo concavo iam est calor, ita summitas essendi iam est vita, et vivendi sensus, sentiendi imaginatio. Imaginandi ratio, rationis intelligentia, intelligentiae gaudium. Gaudii bonum. Iam vero ad supremum gradum euntes, non divisionem pervenimus, sed unionem. Atque sicut elementa eodem naturae nixu petunt conveniens et fruuntur, ita mens pura eodem sui actu vergit in obiectum tanquam verum et fruitur obiecto tanquam bono.’ Google Scholar
46–47 Ib. 1259.15–16: ‘Profecto in cognitione sua quaedam est voluptas, quatenus cognitio naturae appetentis est particeps.’ Google Scholar
48–56 Ib. 1259.16–21: ‘Nam in ipsa cognoscendi potentia inquisitio est et inventio in potentia similiter appetendi est appetitio atque consequutio. Inquisitio quidem appetitioni similis est. Inventio vero consequutioni similis. Sicut igitur consequutio sic et merito voluptaria. Neque tamen est idem penitus virtus appetens atque cognoscens, apud nos praesertim, nam multa cognoscimus quae nolumus, et quae cognovisse nollemus atque vicissim. Item certissime cognoscimus, quae minime volumus, et vicissim affectamus valde, quae non valde cognoscimus.’ Google Scholar
89 Syrius] sic R. Google Scholar
114–115 Cicero, , De senect. 13.44 (Plato, , Tim. 69d1).Google Scholar
119 morbum] -m ex -s R. Google Scholar
128 Porphyry, , Vita Plot. 7.2–3.Google Scholar
141 alio] sic R. Google Scholar
146–239 In all the manuscripts of the Greek text, including R, §§54–62 precede §§41–53.Google Scholar
146–151 = In Phileb. annot. 1260.6–9.Google Scholar
148 omnes] omnia Bas. Google Scholar
152–156 = In Phileb. annot. 1260.9–12.Google Scholar
158–223 = Ib. 1260.12–52.Google Scholar
168 exalando] elevando Bas. Google Scholar
170–172 Tim. 47a7–b2; Protag. 321d3.Google Scholar
173 gratosque Bas. Google Scholar
174–177 Polit 271d3–272b1; Protag. 320c8–322a8.Google Scholar
176 providentia Bas. Google Scholar
177 commendasse] mandasse Bas. Google Scholar
178 filii Bas. Google Scholar
179–180 Origenes, , Contra Celsum 4.76.Google Scholar
180–181 Avicenna, , Metaphysica (Venice 1495; Louvain 1961), Tract. 10, cap. 2.Google Scholar
183 dein Bas. Google Scholar
186 adoctivos Dei] adoptivos Dei filios Bas. Google Scholar
200 divinos Bas. Google Scholar
216 partibus Bas. Google Scholar
237 In Phileb. cap. 17 (1223.13–16).Google Scholar
258 Cf. Saffrey, , Notes Platoniciennes 172 (lines 130–131).Google Scholar
301–304 § 257.3–5.Google Scholar
366 de hoc ego ambigo] The words may refer either to those immediately preceding, or to ‘identitate substantie,’ under which they are written. Google Scholar
