Philip of Opus

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Philip of Opus was a philosopher and a member of the Academy during Plato's lifetime.

[edit] Philip's writings and his connection to the Platonic Laws and Epinomis

The Suda, under the heading philosophos ("philosopher") has this remarkable entry: "a philosopher who divided the Laws of Plato into twelve books (for he is said to have added the thirteenth himself), and was a hearer of Socrates and of Plato himself; devoting himself to the contemplation of the heavens. He lived in the days of Philip of Macedon." The entry goes on to give a long list of works written by Philip. It is evident that the passage as it stands in the Suda is imperfect, and that the name of the author of the numerous works which it mentions has been lost from the beginning of the passage. It appears, however, from the fact that this extract occupies its proper place under the heading philosophos, that the defect existed in the source from which the Suda borrowed. Ludolf Kuster, the editor of the Suda (Suidae Lexicon, Cambridge, 1705), after long investigation, was enabled to supply the omission by comparing a passage in Diogenes Laertius (3.37), and to identify "the philosopher" of the Suda with Philip of the Locrian town of Opus, near the channel which separates Euboea from the mainland. The passage in Diogenes Laertius is as follows: "Some say that Philip the Opuntian transcribed his (Plato's) work, Laws, which was written in wax (i.e. on wooden tablets covered with a coat of wax). They also say that the Epinomis (the thirteenth book of the Laws), is his," i.e. Philip's. The Epinomis, whether written by Philip or by Plato, is usually included among the works of the latter. Diogenes Laertius elsewhere (3.46) enumerates Philip among the disciples of Plato.