Part 34 (1/2)

36 Themista was a female philosopher, wife of a man named Leonteus, or Leon, and a friend and correspondent of Epicurus.

37 He means when he was banished, and when Torquatus joined in promoting the measures for his recal.

38 Cicero alludes here to the story of Damon, who, when his friend Pythias was condemned to death by Dionysius of Syracuse, pledged his life for his return in time to be put to death, if the tyrant would give him leave to go home for the purpose of arranging his affairs, and Pythias did return in time.-See Cic. de Off. iii. 10; Just. Div.

v. 22.

39 B.C. 363.

40 B.C. 480.

41 The Greek line occurs in the Orestes, 207.

? p?t??a ???? t?? ?a??? ?? e? ?????.

Virgil has the same idea-

Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem, penitusque sonantes Accetis scopulos, vos et Cyclopia saxa Experti; revocate animos, moestumque timorem Pellite: forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit.-aen. i. 200.

Which Dryden translates-

With me the rocks of Scylla have you tried, Th' inhuman Cyclops and his den defied: What greater ills hereafter can you bear?

Resume your courage and dismiss your care; An hour will come with pleasure to relate Your sorrows past as benefits of fate.

42 That is, of the past, the present, and the future.

43 This seems to refer to the Greek epigram-

??? ?a??? ?a? p??t?? ?e?f?e?sa?s? ?e?e?????, ?a?t?? ?pe????, pe??p???? pe??????.

?? t??ssa?? d???t?? ??at??t?s?? ?ste?e? ????

Sp??t?? a?s???es?? ???ea ?a? pe????.

Which may be translated-

Him who the paths of land and sea disturb'd, Sail'd o'er the earth, walk'd o'er the humbled waves, Three hundred spears of dauntless Sparta curb'd.

Shame on you, land and sea, ye willing slaves!

44 The Latin is _aerumnae_: perhaps it is in allusion to this pa.s.sage that Juvenal says-

Et potiores Herculis _aerumnas_ credat, saevosque labores Et Venere et cnis, et pluma Sardanapali.

Sat. x. 361.

45 The great Lucullus, father of this young Lucullus, was married to Servilia, half-sister to Cato, and daughter of Quintus Servilius Caepio, who was killed in the Social war, having been decoyed into an ambush by Pompaedius, B.C. 90. The young Lucullus was afterwards killed in the battle of Philippi.

46 ”Malitia, badness of quality ... especially malice, ill-will, spite, malevolence, artfulness, cunning, craft.”-Riddle and Arnold, Lat.

Dict.

47 The Greek proverb was, ??? ?a???t?? ?a?a ????t? p???.