least to surrender to the Romans; these, without mercy, and without distinction of sex or age, put the greater part of those inhabitants to the sword, and sold the rest for slaves. Florus, l. 2. c. 2. gives him the title of dictator, but his story is obscure. It was to save this army, that Calpernius Flamma, with three hundred more, sacrificed their own lives, as in note 100. Page 282. 87 Æmilius Lepidus was the first time consul in the 567th year of Rome, eight years after Cato; he was the second time in the 579th year. He was chosen one of the pontiffs in the 556, and Pontifex Maximus about the year 571, and continued so near 30 years, till his death, which was about 602. See note 47. It is noted in the It is noted in the argument of the year the 48th book of Livy, (for that and all the rest from the forty-fifth are lost, but the arguments remain) that he was six times appointed by the censors prince of the senate, and that he ordered his son at his death, that his funeral should be without any pomp or charge. Page 284. 88 Mitio and Demea, characters directly opposite in two brothers; the latter of whom ruined his own son by his moroseness, the other by his mild treatment of his nephew, brother to that son, made him a fine gentleman. Terence was contemporary with Cato, and his comedy of the Adelphia was first acted in the year of Rome 594, by the names of the consuls in the Didascalia prefixed to it. Page 285. 89 Cato's son and namesake died prætor of the city of Rome, the same year that Lepidus died, as in note 87. viz. in the year 602; and, as it noted in the same argument of Livy there mentioned, viz. of book 48. his father gave him but a very mean funeral, being able to afford no better, for that he was poor: [M. P. Cato funus mortui filii, in prætura, tenuissimo, ut valuit (nam pauper erat) sumptu facit.] Which, considering the offices that Cato bore, and Y y VOL. IV. his frugality, adds not a little to his character of probity, -Plutarch gives this remarkable story of young Cato, in the life of his father, that being in the army, under P. Æmilius, afterwards his father-in-law, in the great battle fought with Perseus king of Macedon, [note 24] his sword was struck out of his hand, and he lost it; upon which, getting together a company of young men of his acquaintance, they made such an impression on, the enemy, that they cleared the way before them to the same place again, where he recovered it amongst heaps of the slain: and adds, that in his time [Plutarch's, above 250 years after] Cato's letter to his son was extant, congratulating him on the bravery of that action. Page 285. 90 See note 24.-These were brothers to Scipio, but by half blood, viz. the sons of Paulus Æmilius by his second wife, as Scipio was born of his first. 91 Tartessus, a city on the north side of the river Bætis, now Guadalquivar, or the river of Seville in Spain, and near the mouth of it; supposed by some to be the Tarshish that Solomon sent his ships to; the Phoenicians his neighbors were the first (it is said) who sailed thither, where they found silver in such plenty, and got so much of it in exchange for their goods, that they could not carry it off, Aristotle says, that to have the more of it, they threw away their anchors, to make others of that metal: but this is in his book of wonderful stories, and therefore may be more strange than true. The Phoceans, a Greek colony in Ionia, were the next who sailed thither, in the time of this Arganthonius, who was exceeding kind to them, inviting them to stay with him, and when they excused themselves, he gave them money enough to wall in their town against the Medes, who were then, invading them. Herodotus gives the story of Arganthonius and the Phoceans l. 1. c. 163. The learned Bochart derives his name from two Phoenician words Arc-antho, long-lived. Canaan, c. 34. Page 287. 92 Solon, see note 45. It is there said, his discourse with Crasus, king of Lydia, is well known but the moral of it is so good and suitable to this discourse, that it may properly come in here. Plutarch, in his life of Solon, says, he was sent for by Croesus; but Herodotus with more probability, says, that absenting himself from Athens, after he had given them his body of laws, and travelling into Egypt, in his return from thence through Asia Minor, he took Sardis, where Croesus had his royal seat, in his way. Crosus was that time accounted the richest king then known, and gloried much in his magnificence, of which he was desirous Solon (whose fame had reached those parts) should be a witness. Sending therefore for him to his palace, and causing his treasures and other marks of his grandeur to be shewn to him, when he afterwards came into his presence, he asked Solon, who he thought was the happiest man in the world? not doubting but he must answer, Crœsus himself. Solon said, the happiest man he had known, was one Tellus. Cræsus disappointed in his answer, asked, what prince or hero was this Tellus? Solon replied, he was an honest man of Athens, who lived above want, and in good repute brought up several children as reputably; then being called to the defence of his country, signalised himself in the battle with the enemy, whom he overcame, and afterwards died fighting bravely in the same cause; for which a monument was erected in honor of his memory. Crœsus then asked Solon, whom he allowed to be the happiest in the next degree? Solon said, next to Tellus he had known none happier than Cleobis and Biton, two young men of Argos, who, when their mother wanted creatures to draw her in her carriage to the temple of Juno, harnessing themselves, supplied their place, and drew her five miles to the solemnity; where being arrived, and the whole assembly greatly admiring and applauding their dutifulness and af fection, their mother fervently prayed the goddess to reward her sons filial piety with the choicest blessings she had. in store and her prayers were heard; for the youths sleep. ing the same night in the temple, never awaked again, but crowning their life with a glorious action, by the special favor of the gods, honorably ended it. Cræsus grew angry, asked what he thought of him? Solon, in answer, made several fine reflections on the uncertainty of all things in human life; and concluded, that no man was to be esteemed happy before his end was known. Upon which Crœsus dismissed him with scorn; but afterwards had rueful occasion to remember him. For making war on Cyrus, king of Persia, he was defeated; then besieged in his capital, taken prisoner, and condemned to the flames. When laid bound on the pile, he cried out with a mighty voice, "O Solon! Solon! Solon!" Cyrus hearing him, stopt the execution, to know the meaning of it: Croesus told the whole passage; which so affected Cyrus, that he not only gave him his life, but large possessions with it, and took him into favor. Herodot. . 1. Plut. in Solon. Page 287. 93 The ancients called those tyrants, who took the government upon them against the people's consent, without regard to their manner of administering it.—Athens was a free state, under an archon chosen by the people, and the government popular. Pisistratus was a citizen, wealthy, and for many excellent qualities dear to the people; but secretly ambitious, which Solon discovered, though in vain : for though he was their law-giver, the other was better heard, and at length gained his end by this trick. There were at that time two factions in the state; the one of the inland-men, the other of the shore-men and citizens. Pisistratus being one day in the country, gave both himself and his mules some wounds, and driving into the city in that condition in his chariot, calling the people together, he bid them see how their adversaries had used him, they had resolved to murder him, and he had narrowly escaped with his life. The people hereupon, to secure him for the future granted him a guard of fifty young men. On the foot of this grant, he added what number he thought fit; and then possessing himself of the citadel, he usurped the government; yet made no change either in the magistracy or the laws, save that he made himself sovereign. But he was soon expelled; recovered it again by a stranger contrivance; expelled a second time, reinstated himself a third time, died possessed of it, and left it to his children, who were expelled totally by Harmodius and Aristogiton, to whom statues in remembrance of this action were erected. Page 288. 94 Lucius Junius Brutus got his name of Brutus (brute or stupid) by his counterfeiting himself a fool, or very silly, under the reign of Tarquin the Proud, the last king of the Romans. He was Tarquin's own sister's son; but the king, his uncle, having amongst others put his elder brother to death, and becoming, by his cruelty and injustice, generally odious, Junius vowed his destruction; and the better to conceal it, affected that appearance. He happened in riding from the camp at Ardea towards Rome, to be in company with his kinsman Tarquinius Collatinus, husband to Lucretia, whom the king's son Sextus had ravished, when her messenger meeting him, brought him the melancholy account of it, Junius immediately laid hold on the occasion, joined Collatinus the husband, and Lucretius her father, in their revenge; and carrying the bloody knife, with which Lucretia had stabbed herself, through the city, incited the people to rise, and assert their liberty; which they effectually did, by expelling Tarquin and all his race. Junius and Collatinus were hereupon chose the two first consuls of Rome. A conspiracy to restore Tarquin was formed the same year, in which Junius's own two sons were engaged. These, with others, their father caused to be lashed, and beheaded in public in his sight. Tarquin then, with the Veientes, his allies, made war against Rome; and the two armies meeting, Aruns the king's son spying Junius at the head of that of Rome, made directly up to him; and they so furiously engaged, that each run his lance through the other's shield and body, and both died on the spot, |