10 
Pliny's natural histoet. 
[Book I. 
Divine speaker \ and that from tliis circumstance originated 
the proverb of choosing a tree to hang oneself^. 
1 cannot refrain from quoting the words of Cato the censor, 
which are so pertinent to this point. It appears from them, 
that even Cato, who wrote commentaries on military disci- 
pline^, and who had learned the military art under Africanus, 
or rather under Hannibal (for he could not endure Afri- 
canus'^, who, when he was his general, had borne away the 
triumph from him), that Cato, I say, was open to the attacks 
of such as caught at reputation for themselves by detracting 
from the merits of others. And what does he say in his 
book ? " I know, that when I shall publish what I have writ- 
ten, there will be many who will do all they can to depre- 
ciate it, and, especially, such as are themselves void of 
all merit ; but I let their harangues glide by me." Nor was 
the remark of Plancus^ a bad one, when Asinius Pollio^ was 
said to be preparing an oration against him, which was to 
be published either by himself or his children, after the 
death of Plancus, in order that he might not be able to 
answer it: "It is only ghosts that fight with the dead." 
This gave such a blow to the oration, that in the opinion of 
^ His real name was Tyrtamus, but in consequence of the beauty of his 
style, he acquired the appellation by which he is generally known from 
the words Oelos (ppdais. Cicero on various occasions refers to him ; 
Brutus, 121 ; Orator, 17, et alibi. 
2 ''Suspendio jam quserere mortem oportere homines vitgeque renunciare, 
cum tantum hcentise, vel feminse, yel imperiti homines sumant, ut in 
doctissimos scribant;" Hardouin in Lemaire, i. 29. We learn from Cicero, 
De Nat. Peor. i. 33, that the name of this female was Leontium 
sed meretricula etiam Leontium contra Theophrastum scribere ansa 
sit." 
3 A. Grelhus (vii. 4) refers to this work and gives an extract from it. 
^ The hostility which Cato bore to Scipio Africanus is mentioned by 
Livy, xxxviii. 54, and by Corn. Nepos, Cato, i. 
^ Lucius Munatius Plancus took a conspicuous part in the pohtical 
intrigues of the times and was especially noted for his foUies and extra- 
vagance. 
^ Asinius PoUio is a name which stands high in Roman hterature ; 
according to the remark of Alexandre, " Yir magnus fuit, prono tamen 
ad obtrectandima ingenio, quod arguunt ejus cum Cicerone simultates," 
Lemaire, i. 30. This hostile feehng towards Cicero is supposed to have 
proceeded from envy and mortification, because he was unable to attain 
the same eminence in the art of oratory with his illustrious rival. See 
Hardouin's Index Auctorum, in Lemaire, i. 168. 
