1 6 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



which had succeeded in the instances of Socrates 

 and Aristoteles. But Theophrastus pleaded his 

 own cause before the Areopagus with such convinc- 

 ing eloquence that he was pronounced innocent. 

 On the other hand, his accuser would have fallen a 

 victim to the false charge he had brought, had not 

 his noble-minded antagonist pleaded for his pardon. 

 After this event the teacher pursued his course of 

 public teaching and private research without any 

 molestation for years. His school increased in 

 reputation, and the most distinguished scholars of 

 the day were members of it. Demetrius Phalereus, 

 ruler of the State, was one of the students in his 

 youth, and he protected Theophrastus and patro- 

 nized him in every way. Botany was not the 

 strongest subject of this great man, and probably 

 what he knew about it was largely derived from 

 the teaching of Aristoteles ; but evidently his work 

 on plants was one of the earliest that was written 

 with anything like scientific precision. Never- 

 theless, Theophrastus added much original matter, 

 for he had a botanic garden, and he collected 

 plants during his travels in Greece. His military 

 friends kept him supplied with specimens of 

 Asiatic, Egyptian, and Arabian plants, and with 

 descriptions of their natures and peculiarities, some 

 of which were true and others quite imaginary. 

 What was true and what was not true was fre- 

 quently a puzzle to this philosopher, as it is to 

 modern naturalists. He wrote, " The drug sellers 

 and root cutters tell us some things which may be 



