Chap. 31.] MEN EEMAEKAI3LE EOIi WISDOiT. 175 



self ;"^ a striking testimony, indeed, given in adversity, to the 

 merit of an enemy ! The Athenians sent their general, Thu- 

 cydides, into banishment, hut recalled him as their historian, 

 admiring his eloquence, though they had punished his want 

 of valour/ A strong testimony, too, was given to the merit 

 of Menander, the famous comic poet, by the kings of Egj^pt 

 and Macedonia, in sending to him a fleet and an embassy ; 

 though, what was still more honourable to him, he preferred 

 enjoying the converse of his literary pursuits to the favour of 

 kings. 



The nobles too of Rome have given their testimonies in favour 

 of foreigners, even. Cn. Pompeius, after having finished the 

 war against Mithridates, when he went to call at the house of 

 Posidonius, the famous teacher of philosophy, forbade the 

 lictor to knock at the door, as was the usual custom ;'' and he, 

 to whom both the eastern and the western world had 

 j-ielded submission, ordered the fasces to be lowered before the 

 door of a learned man, Cato the Censor, after he had heard 

 the speech of Cameades,® who was one of the embassy sent 



' This anecdote is related hy Cicero, De Oratore, B. iii. c. 56, and by 

 Val. Maximus, B, viii. c, 10. — B. 



6 This is rather a strong expression, and it is doubtful if the great his- 

 torian at all deserves it. The facts of the case seem to have been as follow. 

 Thucydides was employed in a military capacity, and was in command of 

 an Athenian squadron of seven ships at Thasos, b.c, 424, w^hen Eucles, 

 who commanded in Amphipolis, sent for his assistance against Brasidas, 

 who was before that town with an army. Fearing the arrival of a superior 

 force, Brasidas offered favourable terms to Amphipolis, which were readily 

 accepted, as there were but few Athenians in the place. Thucydides ar- 

 rived at Eion, on the mouth of the Strymon, the evening of the same day 

 on which Amphipolis surrendered : and though too late to save Amphipolis, 

 prevented Eion fi'om falling into the hands of the enemy. It was in con- 

 sequence of this failure, that he became voluntarily an exile, perhaps to 

 avoid the still severer punishment of death, which appears to have been 

 the penalty of such a failure as that which he had, though unavoidably, 

 committed. It is most probable that he returned to Athens about b.c. 403, 

 the period of its liberation by Thrasybulus. 



7 The following passage in Livy, 13. vi. c. 34, may serve to illustrate this 

 remark of Pliny : — " The lictors of Sulpicius, the military tribune, when 

 he went home from the forum, knocked at the door with his staff, as the 

 usual custom is." 



^ Of Cyrene, the Academic philosopher. In b.c. 155, being then fifty- 

 eight years old, he was chosen with some others to deprecate the fine of 

 500 talents which had been imposed on the Athenians for the destruction 

 of Oropus. It was then that, in presence of Cato the Elder, he delivered 



