PLATO, a celebrated Athenian philosopher, was the son of Aristo, an Athenian, and Parectonia. He was born in the island of Agina, about 428 or 430 years before Christ, His original name was Aristocles ; but, on account of the breadth of his shoulders, he received the name of Plato, (from the Greek word broad.) Related on his father's side to Cadmus, and on his mother's to Solon, his education was conducted with great care. His body was strengthened with athletic exercises, and the study of painting, poetry, and geometry, formed the occupation of his youthful mind. The poems and tragedies which he composed at this time were on the eve of being laid before the public, when his acquaintance with Socrates banished all his hopes of acquiring fame from his poetry, and in duced him to commit his productions to the flames, and to devote himself entirely to the study of philosophy. Dur ing the period of eight years be received instructions from this great master, and after his death he retired from Athens, with the view of improving his mind by travel ling. He visited Megara, Thebes, and Elis. He went to Magna Grxcia, to visit Philolaus, Archytas, and Eurytas, the supporters of the Pythagorean school, and he after wards passed on to Sicily, to examine the volcanic pheno mena of Mount Etna. From that island he went to Egypt,
to see the mathematician Theodorus of Cyrene; and in the disguise of a merchant, he travelled through the whole kingdom of Artaxerxes Memnon, and made him self acquainted with the astronomical observations and computations of the Egyptian priests.
Having thus enlarged his mind by travelling, Plato return ed to the groves of Academus, in the vicinity of Athens, where he established that celebrated school, over which he presided for forty years. Ile lived to the advanced age of eighty-one, and he is said to have expired while he was writing, on his birth-clay, about 348 years before Christ.
The works of Plato, which are numerous, are all written in the form of a dialogue, excepting twelve letters. The best editions of them are those of Franca, folio, 1602; and of Iiipont, 12 yols. 8vo 1788 For farther information respecting Plato and his philo sophy, see Blucker's History of Philosophy, by Enfield, vol. i. and ii. ; the Article .ACADEMICS, and ASTRONOMY•