Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners/Part I/IX
IX.ANECDOTES.
Contempt of pain.
34.Spartan boys do not groan when torn with whips. At Sparta youths fight with their fists, feet, nails, even with their teeth, and prefer being killed to being conquered. A Spartan boy is even said to have hidden a fox in the bosom of his garment, and to have been killed by the teeth of the beast, without uttering (lit. neither to have uttered) a murmur: for to steal anything without being caught (lit secretly) was held to be glorious among the Spartans; but to be caught (was held) most disgraceful.
The trial of Sophocles.
35.Sophocles wrote tragedies up to extreme old age: but he seemed to be neglecting his affairs through his application to study. Therefore he was summoned before the court by his sons. These implored the judges in these words: ‘Remove our foolish father from (the care of) his property.’ Then the old man is said to have recited that splendid tragedy, the ‘Oedipus Coloneus,’ to the judges, and to have asked, ‘Does this poem seem (the work) of a fool?’ When this had been recited, he was set at liberty by the sentences of the judges.
Respect paid to age.
36.Lysander the Lacedaemonian is said to have said this: ‘Old men can live best at Lacedaemon.’ For nowhere is so much (respect) paid to age, nowhere is old age more honoured. Once upon a time at Athens, at the beginning of the public games, a certain old man came into the theatre, nor was a place given to him by his own citizens; then he approached the Lacedaemonian ambassadors; but all these rose together and made room for the old man. When the Athenians began to applaud this act, one of the ambassadors remarked, ‘The Athenians indeed know (how) to do (what is) right, but they are not willing to do it.’
Diogenes.
37.Diogenes (when) dying, said: ‘Abandon me, do not place me in a tomb.’ Then (said) his friends, ‘To birds and wild beasts?’ ‘Not at all,’ remarked he, ‘but you must put a weapon by me: with this I shall drive the wild beasts from me.’ ‘How will you be able (to do so)?’ replied they; ‘for you will not perceive them.’ ‘What harm, then, will the teeth of wild beasts and the beaks of birds do to me if I perceive (lit. perceiving) nothing)?’
Anaxagoras.
Lysander at Sardis.
39.Cyrus the younger, a prince of the Persians, excelling in talent and in the renown of his rule, once received with hospitality at Sardis, Lysander the Lacedaemonian, a man of the greatest virtue. He showed him a certain field, carefully cultivated. Now to Lysander, wondering at the trees, and the cultivated ground, and the well-arranged rows, Cyrus replied: ‘I arranged all these things: the rows are my own: many also of these trees were sown by my hand.’ Then Lysander, seeing his dress splendid with much gold, ‘Rightly, indeed, do they call thee happy, Cyrus, for to thy virtue riches have been added.’
Contempt of death.
40.Of how great a mind was Theramenes! For once upon a time (when he had) been thrown into prison by order of the thirty tyrants, he drank the poison, and threw what remained from the cup into a vessel. But when a sound was re-echoed, he said with a smile, ‘This (is) for handsome Critias.’ Now Critias had been most cruel to him. For the Greeks at their feasts, when about to hand the cup to any one, are wont to call him by name.
Socrates.
41.A few years after Socrates went to the same prison through the same (kind of) wickedness of his judges. What then is his speech before the judges? ‘Willingly,’ said he, ‘shall I go to meet death; for one thing of two will happen: either death will altogether remove all feelings, or we shall go to some other (place) from these (places). So we shall either enjoy sleep, or shall be able to converse and live with all the best citizens.’
The Spartans.
Theodorus.
43.Shall we not admire Theodonis of Cyrene, (that) celebrated philosopher? To King Lysimachos (when) threatening (him with) the gallows, he remarked, ‘Threaten these cruelties to those nobles of yours: these things do not concern Theodorus: to rot on the ground or in the air is the same thing.’
Peace or war.
44.The Romans sent ambassadors to Carthage. One of these, showing the fold of his dress, said as follows: ‘I have in this fold peace and war: do you prefer peace or war?’ The Carthaginians replied: ‘We will accept whichever you please.’Then said the Roman, ‘I give you war.’ In reply, the Carthaginians (said), ‘We accept war willingly.’
The best fortifications.
45.Some one once said to a Spartan, ‘Why has not Sparta walls?’ In reply, the Spartan said, ‘Do not lie, my good friend; our city has the best of walls(namely) the courage of its inhabitants.’
Phocion..
46.Phocion the Athenian was a poor man. Once when a hundred talents had been sent to him by Alexander, king of the Macedonians, he said, ‘Why dost thou wish to give me so much money?’ The ambassador replied, ‘Alexander thinks you the only good man of all the Athenians.’ Then Phocion remarked, ‘Take away the money; I prefer to be good.’
The power of filial love.
47.Croesus, king of Lydea, had a son of remarkable beauty and excellent understanding; but he was unable to speak. The physicians had used every contrivance, yet were not able to effect anything. When Sardis was taken by Cyrus, a certain soldier rushed at Croesus with drawn sword. Then the boy, moved by love, endeavoured with all his might to speak. At length he exclaimed, with a loud voice, ‘Do not kill my father Croesus.’
A retort.
48.Once upon a time a certain man came to Aristippus, the philosopher, and said to him: ‘Art thou willing to teach my son your sciences?’ Aristippus replied, ‘I will do so on receiving two talents.’ But the father, terrified at the price, said, ‘Why, I can buy a slave for less.’ Aristippus (said) in reply, ‘Do so; thus you will have two slaves.’
An affectionate fish.
49.Once upon a time a dolphin is said to have formed a friendship with a certain boy. Now it being called by the boy daily used to receive crumbs of bread. It used to come to the top of the water, and, having received the crumbs, used to take the boy on its back. When the boy died, the dolphin is said to have died of grief.
Practical philosophy.
50.A certain youth had lived for a long time at the house of the philosopher Zeno. At length he returned home. Then his father questions him in these words‘What hast thou learnt, my son?’ The son (said) in reply, ‘I shall show you this by my conduct, father.’ The father, taking this reply very ill, laidied him with whips. The son remarked, ‘I have learned (how) to bear a father’s anger.’
Philoctetes.
51.The poets tell many (stories) of Philoctetes. He is said to have been the armour-bearer of Hercules, and to have received from him the arrows (which had been) dipped in the poisonous blood of the Hydra. Now, his foot was woimded by a falling arrow or the tooth of a serpent. From this wound arose a very unpleasant smell, so the Greeks drove him from them, and left him in the island of Lemnos. Here for a long time he lived alone in a cave. But the Greeks were not able to take Troy without his arrows. Then, indeed, Ulysses and Diomedes (were) sent to Lemnos, (and) tried to bring Philoctetes with them to Troy. He resisted for a long time: at length, overcome by their prayers, he went to Troy. Not long after Troy was taken with the help of his arrows, having been attacked in vain for ten years.
The best sauce.
52.The tyrant Dionysius, (when) supping with the Lacedaemonians, said, ‘I, for my part, am not at all pleased with this black soup.’ For at the public tables at Sparta they eat black soup, bread, (and) fruit; milk and water are drunk. Then the cook replied: ‘It is not at all surprising, for the sauces are wanting. Now these sauces are toil, running, hunger, (and) thirst. Without these no one can be pleased with this soup.’
A noble foe.
53.Once upon a time, after the Persians had been utterly defeated in a naval engagement, Themistocles said before the Assembly at Athens: ‘I have a plan in my mind; this will be useful to the republic, yet it must be kept secret. I wish to communicate it to one of our chief men.’ Aristides was chosen for this office. Themistocles said to him: ‘The fleet of the Lacedaemonians is at anchor in harbour. We shall be able to set it on fire secretly. Thus their naval power will be destroyed.’ On hearing this, Aristides having returned to the Council, spoke as follows: ‘The counsel of Themistocles is both useful, and also not at all honourable.’ Therefore, the Athenians rejected the plan without even hearing it.
Zeuxis and Parrhasius.
54.Zeuxis and Parrhasius were very celebrated painters. Zeuxis, first painted grapes. The birds kept flying to the picture, wishing to eat the grapes. Then Parrhasius painted a cloth. But Zeuxis, not understanding a trick of this sort, said to Parrhasius, ‘Take away the cloth ; I want to see the picture.’ Soon on understanding his mistake, he said: ‘I have been conquered by thee: for I have deceived birds, thou hast (deceived) Zeuxis himself.’