INTEODUCTOKY. 9 



Nicanor, friend of Aristotle and son of Proxenus, who had 

 been Aristotle's guardian. On account of his close connec- 

 tion with Nicanor, who afterwards became his son-in-law, 

 Aristotle shared in the odium caused by this event. 



While Alexander lived, Aristotle was practically safe from 

 the attacks of his enemies, but, as soon as it was known 

 that the great conqueror had died, Aristotle's enemies 

 sought to ruin him. He had not taken an active part in 

 Athenian politics, for he was not a citizen of Athens, and 

 his enemies, not being able to bring a political charge 

 against him, determined to accuse him of impiety. He had 

 written a poem in honour of Hermias, associating his name 

 with the names of the greatest heroes of Hellas, and he had 

 erected a statue of Hermias at Delphi, with an inscription 

 in his honour. These were the chief charges against 

 Aristotle, the Athenians considering that it was especially 

 impious to praise Hermias as if he had been a demi-god. 

 These specific charges were supplemented by references to 

 passages in Aristotle's works tending to show his impiety. 

 A modern reader would have some difficulty in finding 

 passages of this nature, but it should be remembered that 

 the Athenians gave a very wide meaning to that impiety, at 

 which they expressed great horror. They found some 

 passages, so it is said, suitable for supporting their prose- 

 cution, such as, for example, certain statements to the effect 

 that prayer and sacrifices to the gods were of no avail. 



During the short time between Alexander's death and 

 the preferring of the charges against Aristotle, the anti- 

 Macedonian party became more powerful, and Aristotle soon 

 felt that he would be unable to withstand the attacks of his 

 enemies. He availed himself of an Athenian law which 

 allowed an accused person to avoid the risk of a trial by 

 going into voluntary exile, and escaped to Chalcis, in 

 Euboea. Shortly afterwards he died a natural death, at 

 Chalcis, in B.C. 322, at the age of about sixty-two years. 

 Diogenes Laertius, in his Life of Aristotle, says that he 

 died through taking poison, but there does not appear to be 

 any reliable evidence for this assertion. 



From statements made by various ancient writers, we 

 learn that Aristotle was rather short and slim ; that his 

 eyes were small and his speech lisping ; that he was 

 vivacious and energetic, although his bodily constitution was 

 weak ; and that he lived very elegantly and paid great 

 attention to his dress and personal appearance. 



