182 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book VII. 



CHAP. 37. (37.) THAMES OF MEtf WHO HAVE EXCELLED IN THE 



ARTS, ASTROLOGY, GRAMMAR, AND MEDICINE. 



Innumerable are the men who have excelled in the various 

 arts; we may, however, take a cursory survey of them, by 

 citing the names of the principal ones. Berosus excelled in 

 astrology ; and on account of his divinations and predictions, 

 a public statue was erected in his honour by the Athenians. 

 Apollodorus, for his skill as a grammarian, had public lionours 

 decreed him by the Amphictyonic Council of Greece. Hip- 

 pocrates excelled in medicine ; before its arrival, he pre- 

 dicted the plague, which afterwards came from Illyria, and 

 sent his pupils to various cities, to give their assistance. 

 As an acknowledgment of his merit, Greece decreed him the 

 same honours as to Hercules. 36 King Ptolemy rewarded a 

 similar degree of skill in the person of Cleombrotus of Ceos, 

 by a donation of one hundred talents, at the Megalensian 

 games, 37 he having succeeded in saving the life of King Anti- 

 ochus. 38 Critobulus also rendered himself extremely famous, 

 by extracting an arrow 39 from the eye of King Philip with so 



36 Pliny again speaks of the great talents of Hippocrates, B. xxvi. c. 6, 

 and B. xxix. c. 2. B. 



37 We have an account of the origin of these games in Livy, B. xxix. c. 

 14. B. S 



33 Cleombrotus is supposed to be the same person who is mentioned in B. 

 xxix. c. 3, as Erasistratus, the grandson of Aristotle. From Suidas we 

 learn that a near relative of his was called Cleombrotus, though, from his 

 perplexed language, it is impossible to say whether father or uncle. The 

 story to which Pliny is supposed here to refer is a curious one. Antio- 

 chus, the son of Seleucus Nicator, fell in love with Stratonice, whom his 

 father had married in his old age, but struggled to conceal his passion. 

 The skilful physician discovered the nature of his disease ; upon which he 

 reported to Seleucus that it was incurable, for that he was in love, and it 

 was impossible that his passion could be gratified. The king, greatly 

 surprised, inquired who the lady was ; to which Erasistratns replied that 

 it was his own wife ; whereupon Seleucus began to try and persuade him 

 to give her up to his son. The physician upon this asked him if he would 

 do so himself, if it were his own wife. Seleucus declared that he would ; 

 upon which Erasistratus disclosed to him the truth. Seleucus not only 

 gave up Stratonice to his son, but resigned to him several provinces. 

 Erasistratus was one of the most famous physicians and anatomists of 

 antiquity. 



39 It was on this occasion that a label was said to have been fastened on 

 the arrow, inscribed, " To Philip's right eye." The inhabitants were per- 



