30 
MEMOIR OF ARISTOTLE. 
more dangerous pursuits of ambition. His enter- 
prising courage, seconded by good fortune, raised 
him to the sovereignty of two Greek cities of Mysia, 
Assus and Atama, the former lying in the district of 
Troas, the latter in that of TEolis ; and both of them, 
like most Grecian colonies on the Asiatic coast, but 
loosely dependent on the Persian empire. His suc- 
cessful boldness in usurping the sceptre, was only 
equalled by the manly firmness with which he held 
it ; and as the armies of Artaxerxes were distant, he 
found little difficulty in maintaining peaceful posses- 
sion of it for a time. 
It was upon the invitation of his now royal friend 
and companion, that Aristotle, immediately after the 
death of Plato, repaired to Atama ; and his resolu- 
tion was probably influenced by the fond desire of 
revisiting the spot where he had spent the happy 
years of his youth, under the kind protection of 
Proxenus. In that city he found the wish of Plato 
realized ; he beheld in his friend Hermias philoso- 
phy seated on a throne. With him he resided near- 
ly three years, receiving the warmest testimonies of 
love and respect, and enjoying the inexpressible 
pleasure of seeing his own enlightened political 
maxims exemplified in the virtuous reign of his fel- 
low-student. But the seat of the usurper is gene- 
rally insecure, and so it proved with Hermias. Ar- 
taxerxes having subdued the rebels in Egypt, deter- 
mined to restore to his dominion the dismembered 
cities of Mysia. Mentor, a General whose zeal and 
