24

Logic IV 27
Plato. As to Plato's birth
There is a dispute as to whether it took place 429 BC, 428 BC or 427BC. The hypothesis adopted ought to explain all the testimony. The life of Plato by Diogenes Laevtius is by far the most careful of all his biographies. It reports Apollodorus (a chronologer of high repute) as saying that Plato was born in the 88 Olympiad and onthe 7th day of the month Targelion. This sounds as if made up of two statements, one concerning the Olypiad, the other concerning his birth day. Now Plato was as it were identified by his followers with Apollo whose birth day was 7th Targelion and both [Platarch?] and Appulleius tell us that his birth was celebrated on that day. It is therefore more likely than not that his real birthday as not that. According to [Ideler's?] tables the 7th Targelion ended at the evening of 22nd May 429 BC, 9th May 428 BC, May 427 BC. The 88th Olympiad is support to have begun 2nd July 428 BC