\ 



Before Clirill 394. — 37c. 69 



exercifed a dominion of avaricious tyranny over the nations bordering 

 on it, were now humbled by the numerous enemies, whom the info- 

 lence and tyranny of their profperity had raifed up againft them. ITie 

 Spartans, who had fucceeded to the dominion of the ^ga:an fea on the 

 downfall of the Athenians, were ignorant of the commercial advan- 

 tages, which a more enlightened people might have derived from it. 

 Therefor now the Carthaginians feem to have had no rivals in the Me- 

 diterranean, and their fhips might fail v/ithout interruption, or even 

 competition, to every port in it. 



394 The naval battle at Cnidos deprived the Spartans of the fove- 



reignty of the Greciaa feas : and, if we confider the obflinacy of their 

 anticommercial prejudices, and their late ignorance of every branch of 

 nautical kriowlege, we mufl think it wonderful, that their valour could, 

 maintain the fuperiority fo long. 



370 — About this time flourifhed Plato, one of the mofl: celebrated 

 of the Grecian philofophers. Like other Greeks defirous of knowlege, 

 he traveled into Egypt * ; where he and Eudoxus, who became a fam- 

 ous aftronomer, having by an initiation of thirteen years acquired the 

 confidence and goodwill of the priefls of On, or Heliopolis, they im- 

 parted to them, as a fpecial favour and a great inyftery, the difcovery, 

 (apparently new to themfelves f, though long before known to the Ba- 

 bylonians) that the true period of the annual revolution was about fix 

 hours more than 365 days. Dionyfius king of Syracufe invited Plato 

 to his court ; but foon after, being offended that he did not flatter him, 

 he fold him for a Have at the price of five minge, or about fixteen 

 pounds fterling. Kotwithftanding this rough treatment, Plato ventured 

 to accept an invitation from Dionyfius the younger, who received him 

 on his landing with the moft; diftinguiflied honours, and for fome time 

 regulated his condudt by his advice. So highly fenfible was he of his 

 happinefs in having fuch a counfellor, that, according to Diogenes Laer- 

 tius, he prefented him with a fum of money exceeding eighty talents 

 (about ^^15, 500 fierling). Thus we fee, how very differently the fame 

 man was valued as a Have and ps a philofopher. But fome authors fay, 

 that Plato refufed to accept the gift. 



* Plutarch in the Life of Solon relates a report, ing the improvements' afcribed to Cleoftiatiis and 

 that Plato's chief errand to Egypt was to dilpofe Melon, perhlled fur ages in a calculation of years, 

 of a quantity of oil. But that Itory does not very which required the frequent interpofilion of inter- 

 well corrclpond with a relidt nee of thirteen years ; calary' months to bring them near to the true 

 and rtiU worfe with his plan of a wcll-regulattd courie of the fun and the moon. \_Hirod. L. \, 

 commonwealth, from which he excluded commer- c. 32, (in which the numerals are corrupted) L. 

 cial purfuits and maritime power. {^Plalo de Lg. ii, f. 4. — Shabo, L. xvii, p. ii6o.] It is alfo 

 L- iv.] worthy of remark, that the Greek language in the 



f The Egyptians, from whom Herodotus learn- time of Herodotus had not a word to txprcfs an 



ed what he knew of aflronomy, had in his time eclipfe ; or he would not have been obliged to de- 



apparently come no nearer to the exaft length of fcribe it [L. i, c. 74] by faying, that the day be- 



the year than 365 days. The Greeks in general came night, 



did not come fo near; moft of them, notwithftand- 1 



