Introduction to the dialogues of Plato

Albi'nus

(Ἀλβίνος), a Platonic philosopher, who lived at Smyrna and was a contemporary of Galen. (Galen, vol. iv. p. 372, ed. Basil.)

Works

Ἐισαγωγή εἰς τοὺς Πλάτωνος Διαλόγους (Introduction to the dialogues of Plato)

A short tract by him, entitled Ἐισαγωγή εἰς τοὺς Πλάτωνος Διαλόγους, has come down to us. It contains hardly anything of importance. After explaining the nature of the Dialogue, which he compares to a Drama, the writer goes on to divide the Dialogues of Plato into four classes, logikou/s, e)legktikou/s, *Fusikou/s, ἠθικούς, and mentions another division of them into Tetralogies, according to their subjects. He advises that the Alcibiades, Phaedo, Republic, and Timaeus, should be read in a series.

Editions

This work is published in the second volume (p. 44) of the first edition of Fabricius; but omitted in the reprint by Harles, because it is to be found prefixed to Etwall's edition of three dialogues of Plato, Oxon. 1771; and to Fischer's four dialogues of Plato, Lips. 1783.

Further Information

The authorities respecting Albinus have been collected by Fabricius. (Bibl. Graec. iii. p. 658.) He is said to have written a work on the arrangement of the writings of Plato. Another Albinus is mentioned by Boethius and Cassiodorus, who wrote in Latin some works on music and geometry.

[B.J]