Part 26 (1/2)

61: The Achaean League.

62: It was the favourite plan of the Peloponnesian states in the Persian war to fortify the Isthmus and leave all Northern Greece at the mercy of the Persians; but this plan was abandoned owing to the declaration of the Athenians that, if it was persisted in, they would make terms with the Persians. A wall, of course, would have been useless, if the fleet of the enemy were free to land an army wherever it pleased. The work, however, was begun, though never completed.

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

MUMMIUS.

Scipio had furnished Polybius with a letter addressed to Mummius, who, as one of the consuls of the year, was likely, sooner or later, to take command of the forces that were to operate against Corinth. Thanks to this he found no difficulty in obtaining for himself and Cleanor access to the great man. He had also the advantage of having made the consul's acquaintance during his sojourn in Italy. Mummius was a ”new man”,[63]

one of the cla.s.s which their enemies describe as upstarts, their friends as ”self-made men”. He was rude and uncultured, with just so much education as enabled him to spell through a state doc.u.ment and sign his name. But if he was ignorant and unrefined, on the other hand he was honest, a plain man who did his duty up to his light, not given either to self-indulgence or greed, and humane at least up to the Roman average.

The friends found him immersed in business, a kind of business, too, with which he was wholly unfitted to deal. This, however, did not prevent him greeting Polybius in friendly fas.h.i.+on, and speaking a few words of welcome to Cleanor.

”What can I do for you, gentlemen?” he asked, when these salutations had been exchanged.

Polybius briefly described what he had seen, and suggested that some steps should be taken to put a stop to this waste of valuable property.

”This sort of thing is quite beyond me,” exclaimed the consul in some irritation. ”I don't understand what you mean by these treasures of art.

However, I will see to it. But I have done a good stroke of business for the treasury. There are hundreds of statues about the city, which, indeed, is fairly blocked up with them. What they could want with so many I can't conceive. As for being statues of great men, as they tell me, I can hardly believe it. Why, the whole country is not a quarter of the size of Italy, and we haven't a half or anything like a half. But as to the statues. The agents of King Eumenes of Pergamus were here yesterday, and gave me five thousand sesterces apiece for the pick of a hundred statues. That makes a fine sum of money, more than a knight's qualification, as you know.”[64]

”Five thousand apiece! is that all?” cried Polybius. ”I don't know, of course, what the statues were, but I am pretty sure that King Eumenes would send an agent who knew what he was about. And if he had the first pick, I should say that the king has made the best bargain that he ever made in his life. Five thousand, indeed! It would not have been a bad stroke of business, I should say, if he had paid fifty thousand. I know that he gave double that to Diagoras of Rhodes for Myron's Dancing Faun.”

”You astonish me,” said Mummius. ”I never dreamt of such sums. Why, at Interamna--my native place, you know--they put up a statue of my father, twice the size of life, and the sculptor thought himself very well paid with five thousand sesterces, the town finding the stone. But I suppose you know all about these things. However, I have pa.s.sed my word, and I can't go back from my bargain. But the king didn't get quite the pick, as you call it. I sent Duilius my quaestor round the city to look about him and choose a cargo of specimens to send over to Rome. He told me that he knew something about these matters. And he can speak Greek, which is something.”

At this point of the conversation one of the consul's lictors knocked at the door and announced that the transport contractors had called by appointment.

Polybius and his companion offered to go away. ”No,” said Mummius, ”there is nothing private, and I have something else to say to you afterwards. Bring them in,” he went on, speaking to the lictor.

The contractors were three in number, the owners of as many transport s.h.i.+ps. They had undertaken to convey three s.h.i.+p-loads of statues to Rome. One of them had a catalogue of these works of art, which he handed to the consul. Mummius had another copy.

”Would you be good enough,” he said to Polybius, ”to go over the list with these gentlemen. You will tell me whether it is all right, and you will see what sort of choice Duilius has made.”

The list contained some two hundred items in all, and there was scarcely one of them which Polybius did not know or had not heard as being a master-piece in its way. There were works amongst them of all the famous sculptors of Greece, from Phidias downwards--Polyc.l.i.tus, Myron, Praxiteles, and the masters of the Rhodian and the Pergamene schools.

”Well,” said the historian, when the list had been carefully gone through, ”Duilius has done his business very well. He has got the pick of the treasures of Corinth. And King Eumenes, though he has done exceedingly well, can hardly have made the extravagantly good bargain that I thought. Yes, this is a very fine list indeed.”

The consul's face grew visibly brighter.

”That is good hearing,” he cried. ”I sha'n't have done so badly after all; but I wish very much that I had seen you a little sooner. Now, my friends,” he went on, addressing himself to the contractors, ”you hear what this gentleman says. He is a friend of mine, and knows all about these matters. You understand that you have a very valuable cargo. Are your transports water-tight and seaworthy in every way?”

”Certainly, sir,” said the spokesman of the three. ”I don't believe you could find better s.h.i.+ps between the Pillars and Tyre.”

”Well, I hope they are what you say. But mind this, you are answerable for the cargo. I paid your price, and I expect you to do your work. Mind this, if you lose them, you will replace them with others just as good.

Isn't that fair, Polybius?”

”Certainly, sir,” said the Greek, preserving a quite masterly command of his countenance.