IV. ENNIUS AND SCIPIO NASICA.

When Nasica came to (the house of) the poet Ennius, and, on asking for him at1 the door, was told by the servant2 that he was not at home, he perceived that she had said this by her master's orders, and that he was within. When, a few days after, Ennius came to the house of Nasica, and asked for him at1 the gate, Nasica called out that he was not at home. Then said Ennius: What! do I not recognise your voice? On this Nasica replied: You are an impudent fellow. When I asked for you, I believed your servant that you were not at home; do you not believe myself?-De Orat. ii. 68.

1 From.-2 And to him, asking for Ennius from the door, the servant had said.

V. FABRICIUS.

When Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, waged an aggressive war against the Roman people, and when there was a contest for the sovereignty with this noble and powerful king, a deserter from him came to the camp of the Roman general, Fabricius, and offered, for a reward, to return secretly, as he had come,2 to the camp of Pyrrhus, and cut him off with poison. Fabricius caused him to be taken back to Pyrrhus; and this deed of his was praised by the senate.-De Off. iii. 22.

1 Made war, of his own accord, upon.-2 And promised to him, if he should have set before him a reward, that, as he had secretly come, so he would secretly

return.

VI. ANTIMACHUS.

They say that Antimachus, the poet of Claros, when he was reading his large work to his assembled hearers, and all but Plato had left him reading, exclaimed: I shall read it nevertheless, for Plato alone is worth to me all the thousands.-De Clar. Orat. 51.

VII. BIAS.

I praise the wise Bias, who, when his native city Priene was taken by the enemy,2 when all the others fled, carrying 3 much 4 of their property away with them, and when he was advised by some one to do the same, replied: So indeed I do, for all that is mine I carry with me. These things, the sport of fortune,5 he did not even consider his own, while we even call them blessings.-Paradoxa, i. 1.

1 The well-known.-2 Whose native city when the enemy had taken, and all the others, &c., he replied.-3 So fled that they carried.-4 Many things.These sports of fortune.-6 Which we even call.

H

VIII. MANLIUS CURIUS.

Manlius Curius, after having triumphed over the Samnites, the Sabines, and Pyrrhus, spent the last part of his life in rural retirement.1 When the Samnites brought a great quantity 2 of gold to him,3 as he sat by his hearth, they were dismissed by him with scorn; for he said that he did not think it noble to have gold, but to rule over those who had it.-De Senect. 16. 1 In a country-life.-2 Weight.-3 To the same.

IX. SOPHOCLES.

Sophocles composed tragedies to the most advanced age. When he appeared to neglect his private fortune on account of this pursuit, he was brought to trial by his sons, that the judges might deprive him, as insane, of the management of1 his fortune. Then this famous old man is said to have read to the judges the play which he had in his hands, and which he had last written -the Oedipus Coloneus-and to have asked if that poem appeared to be (the work) of an insane man. Having read it,2 he was acquitted by the decision of the judges.-De Senect. 7.

The same Sophocles, when a heavy golden bowl had been stolen from the temple of Hercules, saw the god himself in a dream,3 saying who had done it. This (warning) he neglected once and again. When the same thing occurred repeatedly, he went up to the Areopagus, and gave information.4 Areopagites ordered the man who had been named by Sophocles to be arrested. He, having been put to the torture,5 confessed, and brought back the bowl.-De Divin. i. 25.

The

1 Remove him from.-2 Which having been read.-3 In sleep.-4 Informed against the accused.-5 Torture having been applied.

X. ON DEATH.

The sons of an Argive priestess, Cleobis and Bito, are extolled; the story is well known: for when it behoved her to drive in her chariot to the solemn and stated sacrifice, a considerable distance from the town to the temple, and the oxen were detained, then those youths whom I have just named, having laid aside their dress, anointed their bodies with oil and applied themselves to the yoke. The priestess having been thus brought to the temple, when the chariot had been drawn by her sons, is

1 Beasts of burden.-2 Delayed.

said to have entreated the goddess to give them, as a reward, the greatest blessing that could be conferred on man by God;3 and it is said that afterwards the youths, having feasted with their mother, gave themselves up to sleep, and early in the morning were found dead. Trophonius and Agamedes are said to have made use of a similar prayer. When they had built the temple to Apollo at Delphi, supplicating the god, they asked no small reward for their labour-nothing definite, but whatever might be best for man. Apollo signified that he would give them that on the third day thereafter. When it dawned, they were found dead.--Tusc. Disp. i. 47.

3 Whatever greatest (reward) could be given to man by God.-4 A reward, not small indeed, of their work and labour.

XI. POSIDONIUS.

Pompey was wont to relate that, when on departing from Syria, he had come to Rhodes, he wished to hear Posidonius; but when he heard that he was seriously ill with severe pain in the joints, he still wished to call upon the illustrious philosopher. When he saw him, he saluted him and addressed him in honourable terms, and said that he was sorry that he could not hear him, Posidonius replied: But, indeed, you can hear me ; nor shall I suffer bodily pain2 to cause so great a man to have come to me in vain. Accordingly (he related that) he discoursed reclining, in a dignified and copious strain, on this very subject -that nothing is good except what is virtuous; and when the fires 3 of pain, as it were, were applied to him, he often said: You lose your labour, pain! However troublesome you may be, I shall never confess that you are an evil.-Tusc. Disp. ii. 25.

1 Because his joints were violently painful.-2 Pain of body.-3 Torches.

XII. THE SPARTANS.

They say that Lysander was wont to affirm, that the most honourable abode for old age was at Lacedaemon; for nowhere is so much esteem shewn for years 1-nowhere is old age more respected. Nay, it has even been recorded, that when at Athens at the games, a certain old man came into the theatre, room was nowhere made for him2 in the large assembly by his own countrymen; but when he approached the Spartans,

1 Is so much granted to age.-2 Given to him.

who, being ambassadors, had a particular position assigned them,3 they all rose up and made room for the old man. When they were loudly applauded by the whole assembly, one of them said that the Athenians knew what was 5 right, but were unwilling to do it.-De Senect. 18.

3 Sat in a definite place.-4 When great (manifold) applause had been given to them.-5 What things were.

XIII. THE AGE OF ROMULUS.

If Rome was founded in the second year of the seventh Olympiad, the age of Romulus falls1 in that epoch when Greece was already full of poets and musicians. For a hundred and eight years after Lycurgus began to write his laws, the first Olympiad was fixed (which some, misled by the name, suppose to have been instituted by this same Lycurgus); moreover, Homer is placed by those who give the lowest estimate,2 about thirty years before the age of Lycurgus; from which it may be seen that Homer lived very many years before Romulus.→ De Republ. ii. 10.

1 Fell.-2 Those who say the least, place.

XIV. CAIUS COTTA.

Caius Cotta, a master of the art of canvassing, was wont to say that he used to promise his services to all, so long as he was not asked to do anything contrary to duty, but to bestow them on those on whom he thought them most advantageously laid out. Therefore (that) he refused nobody, because there often occurred some cause why he to whom he had promised his services did not require? them; often some cause why he himself was less occupied 3 than he had expected. It happened by accident, that those things were done which you did not expect, and that those things which you believed to be in your power, were, for some reason, not done. At worst, he to whom you told a lie, could only be angry.-Q. Cic. de Petitione Consulatus, 12.

1 That.-2 Make use of.-3 More free.-4 Thought.

XV. ON THE ENDURANCE OF PAIN.

Shall virtue sink under pain? wise and constant man yield to

Shall the happy life of a pain? How disgraceful!

1

Spartan boys do not groan when lacerated by scourging; we ourselves have seen troops of young men at Sparta contending, with incredible exertions, with fists, heels, nails, even teeth;2 sinking exhausted sooner than3 confess themselves conquered. What barbarous country is more wild or rude than India? Yet in that nation, first those who are esteemed wise, spend their life naked, and endure the snows of Caucasus and the violence of winter without discomposure; and when they have applied fire to themselves, suffer themselves to be burned without a groan. Moreover, the women, when the husband of any of them dies, come to a contest and trial, which of them he loved most; for several women are wont to be married to one man; and she who is victorious, attended by her friends,4 is placed rejoicing on the funeral-pile along with her husband; those who are conquered, depart in sadness. Never would habit overcome nature, for it is always unconquered; but we have corrupted the mind with effeminacy, luxury, ease, sluggishness, inaction; with fancies and evil customs we have rendered it soft and unmanly. Who does not know the usage of the Egyptians, whose minds, being imbued with perverse errors, would submit to any torture sooner than injure an ibis, a viper, a cat, a dog, or a crocodile; and if they did any of these things unawares, would decline no punishment? I speak of men. What of the beasts?5 Do they not endure cold, hunger, runnings and wanderings over mountains and through woods? Do they not fight in defence of their young in such a way as to receive wounds, to shrink from no attacks, no blows? I pass by what the ambitious endure and suffer for the sake of honour; those who are desirous of praise, for the sake of glory; those who are fired with love, for the sake of passion. Life is full of examples; but let me set limits to my discourse.6-Tusc. Disp. v. 27.

1 By the pain of stripes.- Lastly, with biting.-3 When they sank exhausted, before they would.-4 Her friends following.-5 Supply faciunt. What do the beasts do?-6 Let the discourse use limits, moderation.

XVI. ON CONTEMPT OF DEATH AND ON MAGNANIMITY.

Brave men are not sensible of wounds in battle; or they feel them, but choose rather to die than be driven ever so little from the post of honour. The Decii saw the flashing swords of the enemy, when they were rushing upon their line; they were freed from all fear of wounds by the nobleness and glory of their death. Do you think that Epaminondas groaned when he perceived that along with his blood, his life was flowing out? (No.) For he left his country to the Spartans supreme, which he had received subject. These are the consolations, these the