Chap. 31.] MEtf HEMARKABLE FOR WISDOM. 177 



his own statue erected. This was placed in the first public 

 library that was ever built, and which was formed by Asinius 

 Pollio with the spoils of our enemies. 14 The fact of this dis- 

 tinction being conferred upon him by one who was in the first 

 rank, both as an orator and a citizen, and at a time, too, when 

 there was so great a number of men distinguished for their 

 genius, was not less honourable to him, in my opinion, than 

 the naval crown which Pompeius Magnus bestowed upon him 

 in the war against the pirates. The instances that follow 

 among the llornans, if I were to attempt to reckon tjiem, 

 would be found to be innumerable ; for it is the fact that this 

 one nation has furnished a greater number of distinguished 

 men in every branch than all the countries of the world taken 

 together. 15 



But what atonement could I offer to thee, Marcus Tullius, 16 

 were I to be silent respecting thy name ? or on what ground 

 am I to pronounce thee as especially pre-eminent ? On what, 

 indeed, that can be more convincing than the most abundant 

 testimony that was offered in thy favour by the whole Homan 

 people ? Contenting myself with the selection only of such of the 

 great actions of the whole of your life, as were performed during 

 your consulship. You speak, and the tribes surrender the 

 Agrarian law, or, in other words, their very subsistence; 17 you 

 advise them to do so, and they pardon lioscius, 18 the author of the 



the Romans. His command under Pompey, in the war against the Pirates, 

 has been already mentioned in B. iii. c. 16. He also served under him 

 against Mithridates, and was his legatus in Spain, at the first outbreak of 

 the civil wars. 



14 Pliny refers to the same subject: in B. xxxv. c. 2, he speaks of Pollio 



first library, formed for the use of the public, was that collected at Athens 

 by Pisistratus. B. Ptolemy Philadelphus, the king of Pergamus, and 

 Lucullus, had formed extensive libraries, but solely for their own use, and 

 not that of the public. 



15 Some of these are given by Val. Maximus, B, viii. c. 15. B. It is 

 very doubtful, however, if Greece did not greatly excel Rome in this respect. 



lc Meaning Cicero, the orator and philosopher. 



17 Cicero, in an Epistle to Atticus, B. ii. c. i., enumerates what he styles 

 his consular orations : the total number is twelve, and among them we find 

 all those here referred to by Pliny. B. 



18 The individual referred to is L. Roscius Otho; by his law the Roman 

 equites, who, before this time, sat mingled with the people generally, had 



