A Little Literary Criticism

Έκεῖνο γὰρ πάντως συνεϊδε σου ἡ ἀρχίνοια, ὃτι καὶ τῶν ἐξωθεν φιλοσόφων οἱ τοὺς διαλόγους συγγάψαντες, Ἀριστοτέλης μὲν καὶ Θεόφραστος, εὐθυς αὐτῶν ἤψαντο τῶν πραγμάτων, διὰ τὸ συνειδέναι ἐαυτοϊς τῶν Πλατωνικῶν χαρίτων τὴν ἔνδειαν· Πλάτων δέ τῇ ἐχουσίᾳ τοῦ λόγου ὁμοῦ μὲν τοῖς δόγμαστων, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ παρακωμῳδεῖ τὰ πρόσωπα, Θρασυμάχου μὲν τὸ θρασὺ καὶ ἰταμὸν διαβάλλων, Ἰππιου δὲ τὸ κοῦφον τῆς διανοίας καὶ χαϋνον, καὶ Πρωταγόρου τὸ ἀλαζονικον καὶ ὑπέρογκον. Ὁπου δὲ ἀόριστα πρόσωπα ἐπεισάγει τοῖς διαλόγοις, τῆς μὲν εὐκρινείας ἒνεκεν τῶν πραγμάτων κέχρηται τοῖς προσδιαλεγομένος οὐδεν δὲ ἒτερον ἐα τῶν προσώπων ἐπεισκυκλεῖ ταῖς ὑποθέσεσεν· ὅπερ ἐποίησεν έν τοῖς Νόμοις. Δεῖ οὖν καὶ ἡμάς τοὺς οὐ κατὰ φιλοτιμίαν ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑποθήκας καταλιμπάνειν ὼφελίμων λόγων τῇ ἀδελφότητι προελομένους, ἐὰν μέν τι πάαι προκεκηρυγμένον ἐπι αὐθαδείᾳ τρόπου πρόσωπου ὑποβαλλώμεθα, τινὰ καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου ποιοτητος παραπλέκειν τῷ λόγῳ, εἴπερ ὅλως ἐπιβάλλει ἡμῖν διαβάλλειν ἀνθρώπους, τῶν πραγμάτων ἀφεμένους. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀόριστον ῇ το διαλεγόμενον, αἰ πρός τὰ πρόσωπα διαστασεις τὴν μὲν συνάφειαν διακόπτουσι, πρὸς οὐδὲν δὲ πέρας χρήσιμον ἀπαντῶσι. Ταῦτα εἴπον ἵνα δειχθῇ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κόλακος χεῖρας ἀπέστειλάς σου τοὺς πόνους, ἀλλὰ ἀδελφῷ τῷ γνησιωτατῷ ἐκοινώνησας τῶν καμάτων. Ἐῖπον δὲ οὐ πρὸς ἐπανόρθωθιν τῶν γεγραμμένων, ἀλλὰ πρὸς φυλακὴν τῶν μελλόντων. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολη Διοδώρῳ, πρεσβυτέρῳ Ἀντιοχείας

I know that a man of your high intelligence is well aware that the philosophers apart from us composed dialogues, Aristotle and Theophrastus going straight to the heart of the matter, because they were aware of not being endowed with the graces of Plato. But Plato with his talent forwriting, at the same time disputes opinions and makes fun of his characters, criticising the rashness and recklessness of Thrasymachus, the lightness and silliness of mind of Hippias, and the bluster and pride of Protagoras. But when he introduces unknown characters into his dialogues he uses them to make the point clear and does not admit anything else pertaining to their characters; he does this in the Laws. It is well for us who do not write from vain ambition but from the obligation to give counsel, if we introduce a character well known for wilfulness, to include in the piece something that pertains to the character, yet of course we are bound not to slander men. But if the subject is general, digressions directed against individuals break the flow and tend to no useful purpose. This I have said to show that you did not send your work into the hands of a flatterer, but have shared your labour with an understanding brother. And I have spoken not for the correction of what has been written, but as a precaution for the future. Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 135, To Diodoros a Presbyter of Antioch