Plotinus (MacKenna)/Volume 5/Acknowledgements

Mr. MacKenna desires to offer his sincerest apologies for the long delay in the publication of this concluding volume. After persistent effort he was forced to recognise that the adequate handling of this Sixth Ennead was beyond his competence and that his only resource was to call in expert assistance. He was fortunate in securing the services of Mr. B. S. Page, with whose help the work was speedily concluded. Mr. Page has translated the first three Tractates—making some concessions to the terminology adopted in the previous volumes—and has subjected the translation of the remaining six to minute revision, correcting errors and making valuable suggestions. It is to be clearly understood, however, that Mr. Page accepts no responsibility for the final form of this part of the work. Mr. MacKenna must also express his indebtedness to the German translations of Mueller and Kieffer, to Dean Inge's "Plotinus," and to "Select Passages Illustrating Neoplatonism," by Professor E. R. Dodds.

The warmest thanks of the translator and of all who have been served by the translation of Plotinus here completed are due to Mr. E. R. Debenham, without whose initiative and munificent aid it could not have appeared.

Mr. Page wishes to express his deep sense of obligation to Professor E. R. Dodds, who has always been ready to discuss with him difficulties of reading and interpretation; several passages are translated in the light of Professor Dodds's suggestions. From the books which have helped him in various ways he would select for special mention Mueller's translation and Nebel's "Plotins Kategorien der intelligiblen Welt."