Platonic Markup: Semantic Markup in Antiquity

An excerpt from the Life of Plato of Diogenes Laertius

(Vitae Philosophorum, Book III sections 65-66)

About the excerpt

Most of what we know about early antiquity comes from late antiquity. Diogenes Laertius was a scholar and biographer who wrote in the 3rd Century CE (we think). This would have been further from Plato's time as we are from Shakespeare. Accordingly what we learn is a mix, mainly of received knowledge, rumors and whatever stories had accumulated. (For example, Plato started as a poet and tragedian, even if we do not know for certain that he burned his own early works, as offered in III 5.)

Some remarks he offers on methodology must be closer to his own experience. This comes with a review of the topics and arrangement of Plato's works, providing insight into the Platonic canon as it was known in his time. Before giving an extensive summary of doctrine, the antiquarian directs his attention briefly to conventions of editorial markup that had been developed by scholars, curators and custodians of the manuscripts.

For comparison, see Wikipedia on the topic of Aristarchian Symbols.

Certain kinds of semantic markup are applied to his works: take note of the following. A Chi (Χ) is taken for terms, rhetorical tropes and characteristically Platonic usage. A wedge (>) for Plato's teachings and doctrines. A Chi with dots around (፠) for selections and prose specimens. A wedge with dots (⸖) for proposed corrections. A long dash with dots (⸓) for passages rejected for any reason. A dotted reverse letter C (Ͽ) for duplicated or transposed text. A lightning bolt (☇) for a philosophical school. A star-mark (*) for doctrinal agreement. A long dash (—) for a rejection. The signs are these, and the books, so many. In his work on Zeno, Antigonus of Carystus says when they were first made available, if anyone wished to consult these, they paid a fee to the proprietors.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ σημεῖά τινα τοῖς βιβλίοις αὐτοῦ παρατίθενται, φέρε καὶ περὶ τούτων τι εἴπωμεν. Χῖ λαμβάνεται πρὸς τὰς λέξεις καὶ τὰ σχήματα καὶ ὅλως τὴν Πλατωνικὴν συνήθειαν· διπλῆ πρὸς τὰ δόγματα καὶ τὰ ἀρέσκοντα Πλάτωνι· Χῖ περιεστιγμένον πρὸς τὰς ἐκλογὰς καὶ καλλιγραφίας· διπλῆ περιεστιγμένη πρὸς τὰς ἐνίων διορθώσεις· ὀβελὸς περιεστιγμένος πρὸς τὰς εἰκαίους ἀθετήσεις· ἀντίσιγμα περιεστιγμένον πρὸς τὰς διττὰς χρήσεις καὶ μεταθέσεις τῶν γραφῶν· κεραύνιον πρὸς τὴν ἀγωγὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας· ἀστερίσκος πρὸς τὴν συμφωνίαν τῶν δογμάτων· ὀβελὸς πρὸς τὴν ἀθέτησιν. τὰ μὲν σημεῖα ταῦτα καὶ τὰ βιβλία τοσαῦτα· ἅπερ Ἀντίγονός φησιν ὁ Καρύστιος ἐν τῷ Περὶ Ζήνωνος νεωστὶ ἐκδοθέντα εἴ τις ἤθελε διαναγνῶναι, μισθὸν ἐτέλει τοῖς κεκτημένοις.

Ἐπεὶφέρε καὶ

A dependent clause, with a main verb in the imperative.

φέρετι εἴπωμενbear (in mind) also what we say about them

τὰ σχήματαshapings

Absent more specific information or context, we imagine that this encompasses tropes and figures, prosodic features and patterns in general.

τὴν Πλατωνικὴν συνήθειαν

In singular, Platonic custom, with ὅλως offering the sense of entirely customary (for Plato in particular).

Χῖ περιεστιγμένον

In Unicode (2026), the closest thing appears to be ETHIOPIC SECTION MARK (U+1360).

καλλιγραφίαςFine writings; set pieces

διπλῆ περιεστιγμένη

For the dotted diplē, Unicode offers the DOTTED RIGHT-POINTING ANGLE (U+2E16).

τὰς ἐνίων διορθώσειςRectifications of some

Possibly the idea is that a diorthosis or straightening does not have to be accepted by everyone (παντῶν) but only by some (ἐνίων) to be marked as such?

εἰκαίους ἀθετήσειςset-asides for whatever reason

ἀντίσιγμα περιεστιγμένον

A dotted antisigma. The semi-lunate sigma (half-moon sigma) of the 2nd Century CE resembles a Latin capital C. No meaning is suggested for an undotted sigma.

As we are not told which margin (if only one) was used for the markup, we also do not know which way the Ͻ (or C) was oriented with respect to the the text. More evidence would be helpful.

ὀβελὸς

An obelos, in Homer, is a skewer or spit (for grilling meat). We are assured by modern lexicographers that we should construe a horizontal line or long dash, not a bar, pipe or solidus.

ἀθετήσειςἀθέτησιν

A passage can be marked for omission (set aside) with an obelos, either dotted and undotted. ἄθετος is without place, hence ἀθετέω put aside or reject; so an ἀθέτησις (athetēsis) is a rejection, marking something for the next reader or copyist to skip over or omit. Maybe dotting an obelos was a way of corroborating and emphasizing the judgement of a prior editor.

Similarly, the distinction between Chi (X) and dotted Chi (፠) seems to be a distinction between n noteworthy (Chi) and an actual callout or marked specimen (dotted Chi).

If these distinctions are not too fine, the clear implication is that the dots comprise a kind of meta-markup, like adding an attribute to an element in XML. Against this, the commentator offers no meaning for an undotted reverse C (half-moon sigma), and the difference between the dotted and undotted wedge seems to be that dots indicate a correction has been made, over and above drawing attention to the text as given.

τὰ βιβλία τοσαῦτα

The sections directly prior to this one contain a review of the writings of Plato then extant, to which this passage serves as a conclusion.