286 CALLOGRAPHY. 



Choice of Hercules, by Prodicus, is one of the most beautiful fictions 

 of ancient times. The chief Grecian fables, are those of ^Esop, 

 originally composed in prose, but afterwards paraphrased in verse, 

 by^Socrates and others. Of Grecian epistles, or letters, which have 

 been preserved, a few only are genuine ; among which are some by 

 Isocrates, Demosthenes, and Aristotle. The only amatory letters 

 before the time of Constantine, are those of Alciphron. 



Of Grecian eloquence, Athens was the great school and theatre, 

 commencing as early as the times of Solon. The orations of Pisis- 

 tratus and Themistocles, of Pericles and Alcibiades, were highly 

 praised, but are lost. Lysias, is celebrated for his Funeral oration, 

 over the Athenians slain under the command of Iphicrates ; and Iso- 

 crates, for his Panegyric, pronounced at the Olympic games, and 

 his Panalhenaic, or eulogy of the Athenians. The orations of 

 Isaeus, are chiefly legal, relating to inheritances. Those of Demos- 

 thenes include the Olynthiacs, and Philippics, directed against 

 Philip of Macedon ; besides many judicial, and several political 

 speeches; of which that Concerning the Crown, in defence of 

 Ctesiphon, and of his own policy against Philip, is regarded as the 

 best. The previous oration of ^Eschines, against Ctesiphon, who 

 had advised the Athenians to present a golden crown to Demosthenes, 

 was unfortunate for its author, and led to his banishment from Athens. 

 We have only room to add that the Dialogues of Plato are philo- 

 sophical, and the characters well sustained; similar to which is the 

 Picture, by Cebes, (Cebetis Tabula), an allegoric;;! dialogue, of ex- 

 cellent tendency. Lucian's Dialogues of the Gods, and of the 

 Dead, are rather satirical than philosophical ; but written in a bold 

 and vigorous style and spirit. 



2. Roman Callography, is chiefly derived from Grecian models ; 

 to which it is inferior in originality, but equal in interest and import- 

 ance. The Romans paid but little attention to literature, until after 

 their conquest of Greece ; the arts and productions of which, in- 

 spired them with taste, and furnished them in part with subjects for 

 composition. The most flourishing period of Roman literature, was 

 in the last ages of the republic, and the reigns of the first emperors, 

 especially that of Augustus. Its decline was hastened by luxury 

 and tyranny, and, ultimately, by the invasions of the northern horde 

 of barbarous nations. The literature of the middle ages, being 

 chiefly in the Latin language, may properly be associated with that 

 of Rome, though of minor importance. 



The first Roman epic poet, is said to have been Ennius ; whose 

 poem, entitled Annals, is rather a chronicle in verse, than a regular 

 epic; being devoted to a description of Roman exploits, down to his 

 own times ; and drawn, perhaps, from national ballads, which were 

 common at an earlier period. The chief epic poem of the Romans, 

 is the JEneid, of Virgil ; which describes the adventures of ^Eneas, 

 from his leaving Troy when it was taken by the Greeks, until his 

 final settlement in Italy, as the supposed ancestor of the Roman 

 nation. The poem of Lucius Varius, celebrating the exploits of 

 Augustus and Agrippa, is, with several other minor epics, totally 

 lost. Lucan's Pharsalia, ranked as an epic poem, describes the 



