Parmenides and the summary formula · Lexicon

From the book

Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I

Marsilio Ficino · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordFicino calls Parmenides Pythagorean and gives a work-title, De veritate et opinione, “On Truth and Opinion.”
In the Platonic TheologyThe citation opens the transition from proofs of God’s existence, unity, primacy, and infinity to the argument that God acts and preserves all things.
In this editionThe translation retains “Parmenides the Pythagorean.”
A place to readThe formula summarizes the preceding divine attributes before the proof of universal action

Meaning

Ficino calls Parmenides Pythagorean and gives a work-title, De veritate et opinione, “On Truth and Opinion.” The four-word Latin gloss describes being as one, unmoved, and infinite; it is the gloss of a Greek expression quoted in this edition.

Use in the book

The citation opens the transition from proofs of God’s existence, unity, primacy, and infinity to the argument that God acts and preserves all things. Ficino presents the earlier conclusions as confirming what Parmenides said about God. The name thus serves as a compressed authority for a sequence already argued, not as the sole premise of the next proof.

This article records Ficino’s identification and title as printed. It does not independently authenticate the quotation, identify a modern fragment number, or imply that Parmenides himself used Ficino’s developed Christian account of divine causation. The later claims should be read as Ficino’s interpretation of the authority.

Places to read

II.7.1The formula summarizes the preceding divine attributes before the proof of universal action

Translation in this edition

The translation retains “Parmenides the Pythagorean.” That label belongs to the source’s presentation and should be attributed rather than silently converted into an externally verified biographical classification.

Parmenides / Pythagoreus

Parmenides / Pythagoreus. Printed forms: Parmenides; Pythagoreus.

Parmenides as Ficino identifies and cites him. The formula one, unmoved, infinite being summarizes the preceding proof; the historical label remains the source’s attribution. References: II.7.1. See Parmenides and the summary formula.