BOOK VII. XXX. 112-116 



sion when the famous embassy of the three leaders 

 of philosophy -was sent from Athens," after hearina; 

 Carneades advised that these envoys shoiild be sent 

 away as soon as possible, because when Carneades 

 was diseoursing it Mas ditiicult to distinguish where 

 the truth lay. ^\Tiat a complete change of fashion ! 

 The Cato in question always on other oecasions 

 recommended the total banishment of Greelcs from 

 Italy, whereas his great-grandson Cato of Utica 

 brought home one philosopher ^* from his mihtary 

 tribunate and another from his mission to Cyprus ; 

 and of the two Catos the formcr has the distinction 

 of having banished and the otlier of having intro- 

 duced the same language. 



But let us also pass in review the glory of our own nima^u of 

 countrymen. The elder Africanus gave orders for a ^^ininence'^ 

 statue of Quintus Ennius to be placed on his own 

 tomb, and for that famous name, or rather trophy 

 of war won from a third part of the world, to 

 be read above his last ashes together Avith the 

 memorial of a poet. His late Majesty Augustus 

 overrode the modesty of VirgiVs will and forbade 

 the burning of his poems, and thus the bard achieved 

 a stronger testimony than if he had commended his 

 own works himself. In the Hbrary founded at Rome 

 by Asinius Polho, tlie earhest hbrary in the world 

 estabhshed out of tlie spoils of war, the only statue 

 of a hving person erected was that of Marcus \'arro, 

 the bestowal by a leading orator and citizen of lliis 

 crowning honour on one only out of the multitiide 

 of men of genius then existing constituting no iess 

 a distinction, in my own opinion, than whcn Poni])ey 

 the Great gave to that same Varro a naval crown 

 for his conduct in the war with the pirates. There 



581 



