Philosophy does not regard pedigree, she received Plato not as a noble, but she made him one.
He that makes himself famous by his eloquence, justice or arms illustrates his extraction, let it be never so mean; and gives inestimable reputation to his parents. We should never have heard of Sophroniscus, but for his son, Socrates; nor of Ariosto and Gryllus, if it had not been for Xenophon and Plato.
Plato once wanted to punish one of his slaves and asked his nephew to do the actual whipping for he himself did not own his anger.
