About this book

Cicero's Tusculan Disputations

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Which Roscommon translates: Painters and poets have been still allow'd Their pencil and their fancies unconfined. [7] Epicharmus was a native of Cos, but lived at Megara, in Sicily, and when Megara was destroyed, removed to Syracuse, and lived at the court of Hiero, where he became the first writer of comedies, so that Horace ascribes the invention of comedy to him, and so does Theocritus. He lived to a great age. [8] Pherecydes was a native of Scyros, one of the Cyclades; and is said to have obtained his knowledge from the secret books of the Phoenicians. He is said also to have been a pupil of Pittacus, the rival of Thales, and the master of Pythagoras. His doctrine was that there were three principles ([Greek: Zeus], or AEther; [Greek: Chthon], or Chaos; and [Greek: Chronos], or Time) and four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, and Water), from which everything that exists was formed.--_Vide_ Smith's Dict. Gr. and Rom. Biog. [9] Archytas was a native of Tarentum, and is said to have saved the life of Plato by his influence with the tyrant Dionysius. He was especially great as a mathematician and geometrician, so that Horace calls him Maris et terra numeroque carentis arenae Mensorem. Od. i. 28.1. Plato is supposed to have learned some of his views from him, and Aristotle to have borrowed from him every idea of the Categories. [10] This was not Timaeus the historian, but a native of Locri, who is said also in the De Finibus (c. 29) to have been a teacher of Plato. There is a treatise extant bearing his name, which is, however, probably spurious, and only an abridgment of Plato's dialogue Timaeus. [11] Dicaearchus was a native of Messana, in Sicily, though he lived chiefly in Greece. He was one of the later disciples of Aristotle. He was a great geographer, politician, historian, and philosopher, and died about 285 B.C. [12] Aristoxenus was a native of Tarentum, and also a pupil of Aristotle. We know nothing of his opinions except that he held the soul to be a _harmony_ of the body; a doctrine which had been already discussed by Plato in the Phaedo, and combated by Aristotle. He was a great musician, and the chief portions of his works which have come down to us are fragments of some musical treatises.--Smith's Dict. Gr. and Rom. Biog.; to which source I must acknowledge my obligation for nearly the whole of these biographical notes. [13] The Simonides here meant is the celebrated poet of Ceos, the perfecter of elegiac poetry among the Greeks. He flourished about the time of the Persian war. Besides his poetry, he is said to have been the inventor of some method of aiding the memory. He died at the court of Hiero, 467 B.C. [14] Theodectes was a native of Phaselis, in Pamphylia, a distinguished rhetorician and tragic poet, and flourished in the time of Philip of Macedon. He was a pupil of Isocrates, and lived at Athens, and died there at the age of forty-one. [15] Cineas was a Thessalian, and (as is said in the text) came to Rome as ambassador from Pyrrhus after the battle of Heraclea, 280 B.C., and his memory is said to have been so great that on the day after his arrival he was able to address all the senators and knights by name. He probably died before Pyrrhus returned to Italy, 276 B.C. [16] Charmadas, called also Charmides, was a fellow-pupil with Philo, the Larissaean of Clitomachus, the Carthaginian. He is said by some authors to have founded a fourth academy. [17] Metrodorus was a minister of Mithridates the Great; and employed by him as supreme judge in Pontus, and afterward as an ambassador. Cicero speaks of him in other places (De Orat. ii. 88) as a man of wonderful memory. [18] Quintus Hortensius was eight years older than Cicero; and, till Cicero's fame surpassed his, he was accounted the most eloquent of all the Romans. He was Verres's counsel in the prosecution conducted against him by Cicero. Seneca relates that his memory was so great that he could come out of an auction and repeat the catalogue backward. He died 50 B.C. [19] This treatise is one which has not come down to us, but which had been lately composed by Cicero in order to comfort himself for the loss of his daughter. [20] The epigram is, [Greek: Eipas Helie chaire, Kleombrotos Hombrakiotes helat' aph' hypselou teicheos eis Aiden, axion ouden idon thanatou kakon, alla Platonos hen to peri psyches gramm' analexamenos.] Which may be translated, perhaps, Farewell, O sun, Cleombrotus exclaim'd, Then plunged from off a height beneath the sea; Stung by pain, of no disgrace ashamed, But moved by Plato's high philosophy. [21] This is alluded to by Juvenal: Provida Pompeio dederat Campania febres Optandas: sed multae urbes et publica vota Vicerunt. Igitur Fortuna ipsius et Urbis, Servatum victo caput abstulit.--Sat. x. 283. [22] Pompey's second wife was Julia, the daughter of Julius Caesar, she died the year before the death of Crassus, in Parthia. Virgil speaks of Caesar and Pompey as relations, using the same expression (socer) as Cicero: Aggeribus socer Alpinis atque arce Monoeci Descendens, gener adversis instructus Eois.--AEn. vi. 830. [23] This idea is beautifully expanded by Byron: Yet if, as holiest men have deem'd, there be A land of souls beyond that sable shore To shame the doctrine of the Sadducee And sophist, madly vain or dubious lore, How sweet it were in concert to adore With those who made our mortal labors light, To hear each voice we fear'd to hear no more. Behold each mighty shade reveal'd to sight, The Bactrian, Samian sage, and all who taught the right! _Childe Harold_, ii. [24] The epitaph in the original is: [Greek: O xein' angeilon Lakedaimoniois hoti tede keimetha, tois keinon peithomenoi nomimois.] [25] This was expressed in the Greek verses, [Greek: Arches men me phynai epichthonioisin ariston, phynta d' hopos okista pylas Aidyo peresai] which by some authors are attributed to Homer. [26] This is the first fragment of the Cresphontes.--Ed. Var. vii., p. 594. [Greek: Edei gar hemas syllogon poioumenous Ton phynta threnein, eis hos' erchetai kaka. Ton d' au thanonta kai ponon pepaumenon chairontas euphemointas ekpemein domon] [27] The Greek verses are quoted by Plutarch: [Greek: Epou nepie, elithioi phrenes andron Euthynoos keitai moiridio thanato Ouk en gar zoein kalon auto oute goneusi.] [28] This refers to the story that when Eumolpus, the son of Neptune, whose assistance the Eleusinians had called in against the Athenians, had been slain by the Athenians, an oracle demanded the sacrifice of one of the daughters of Erechtheus, the King of Athens. And when one was drawn by lot, the others voluntarily accompanied her to death. [29] Menoeceus was son of Creon, and in the war of the Argives against Thebes, Teresias declared that the Thebans should conquer if Menoeceus would sacrifice himself for his country; and accordingly he killed himself outside the gates of Thebes. [30] The Greek is, [Greek: mede moi aklaustos thanatos moloi, alla philoisi poiesaimi thanon algea kai stonachas.] [31] Soph. Trach. 1047. [32] The lines quoted by Cicero here appear to have come from the Latin play of Prometheus by Accius; the ideas are borrowed, rather than translated, from the Prometheus of AEschylus. [33] From _exerceo_. [34] Each soldier carried a stake, to help form a palisade in front of the camp. [35] Insania--from _in_, a particle of negative force in composition, and _sanus_, healthy, sound. [36] The man who first received this surname was L. Calpurnius Piso, who was consul, 133 B.C., in the Servile War. [37] The Greek is, [Greek: Alla moi oidanetai kradie cholo hoppot' ekeinou Mnesomai hos m' asyphelon en Argeioisin erexen.]--Il. ix. 642. I have given Pope's translation in the text. [38] This is from the Theseus: [Greek: Ego de touto para sophou tinos mathon eis phrontidas noun symphoras t' eballomen phygas t' emauto prostitheis patras emes. thanatous t' aorous, kai kakon allas hodous hos, ei ti paschoim' on edoxazon pote Me moi neorton prospeson mallon dakoi.] [39] Ter. Phorm. II. i. 11. [40] This refers to the speech of Agamemnon in Euripides, in the Iphigenia in Aulis, [Greek: Zelo se, geron, zelo d' andron hos akindynon bion exeperas', agnos, aklees.]--v. 15. [41] This is a fragment from the Hypsipyle: [Greek: Ephy men oudeis hostis ou ponei broton thaptei te tekna chater' au ktatai nea, autos te thneskei. kai tad' achthontai brotoi eis gen pherontes gen anankaios d' echei bion therizein hoste karpimon stachyn.] [42] [Greek: Pollas ek kephales prothelymnous helketo chaitas.]--Il. x. 15. [43] [Greek: Etoi ho kappedion to Aleion oios alato hon thymon katedon, paton anthropon aleeinon.]--Il. vi. 201. [44] This is a translation from Euripides: [Greek: Hosth' himeros m' hypelthe ge te k' ourano lexai molouse deuro Medeias tychas.]--Med. 57. [45] [Greek: Lien gar polloi kai epetrimoi emata panta piptousin, pote ken tis anapneuseie ponoio; alla chre ton men katathaptemen, hos ke thanesi, nelea thymon echontas, ep' emati dakrysantas.]-- Hom. Il. xix. 226. [46] This is one of the fragments of Euripides which we are unable to assign to any play in particular; it occurs Var. Ed. Tr. Inc. 167. [Greek: Ei men tod' emar proton en kakoumeno kai me makran de dia ponon enaustoloun eikos sphadazein en an, hos neozyga polon, chalinon artios dedegmenon nyn d' amblys eimi, kai katertykos kakon.] [47] This is only a fragment, preserved by Stobaeus: [Greek: Tous d' an megistous kai sophotatous phreni toiousd' idois an, oios esti nyn hode, kalos kakos prassonti symparainesai hotan de daimon andros eutychous to prin mastig' epise tou biou palintropon, ta polla phrouda kai kakos eiremena.] [48] [Greek: Ok. Oukoun Prometheu touto gignoskeis hoti orges nosouses eisin iatroi logoi. Pr. ean tis en kairo ge malthasse kear kai me sphrigonta thymon ischnaine bia.]-- AEsch. Prom. v. 378. [49] Cicero alludes here to Il. vii. 211, which is thus translated by Pope: His massy javelin quivering in his hand, He stood the bulwark of the Grecian band; Through every Argive heart new transport ran, All Troy stood trembling at the mighty man: E'en Hector paused, and with new doubt oppress'd, Felt his great heart suspended in his breast; 'Twas vain to seek retreat, and vain to fear, Himself had challenged, and the foe drew near. But Melmoth (Note on the Familiar Letters of Cicero, book ii. Let. 23) rightly accuses Cicero of having misunderstood Homer, who "by no means represents Hector as being thus totally dismayed at the approach of his adversary; and, indeed, it would have been inconsistent with the general character of that hero to have described him under such circumstances of terror." [Greek: Ton de kai Argeioi meg' egetheon eisoroontes, Troas de tromos ainos hypelythe gyia hekaston, Hektori d' auto thymos eni stethessi patassen.] But there is a great difference, as Dr. Clarke remarks, between [Greek: thymos eni stethessi patassen] and [Greek: kardee exo stetheon ethrosken], or [Greek: tromos ainos hypelythe gyia].--_The Trojans_, says Homer, _trembled_ at the sight of Ajax, and even Hector himself felt some emotion in his breast.