family weaknefs and diforder, which operated together with the course of time. For feveral of his relations are faid to have lost their fight in the fame manner, having it gradually impaired by years. But Athanis tells us, notwithstanding, that during the war with Hippo and Mamercus, and while he was before Millæ, a white speck appeared on his eye, which was a plain indication that blindness was coming on. However, this did not hinder him from continuing the fiege, and profecuting the war, until he got the tyrants in his power. But, when he was returned to Syracufe, he laid down the command immediately, and excufed himself to the people from any farther fervice, as he had brought their affairs to a happy conclufion. It is not to be wondered, that he bore his misfortune without repining; but it was really admirable to observe the honour and refpect which the Syracufans paid him when blind. They not only visited him conftantly themfelves, but brought all ftrangers who fpent fome time amongst them, to his houfe in the town, or to that in the country, that they too might have the pleasure of feeing the deliverer of Syracufe. And it was their joy and their pride that he chose to spend his days with them, and defpifed the fplendid reception which Greece was prepared to give him, on account of his great fuccefs. Among the many votes that were paffed, and things that were done in honour of him, one of the moft ftriking was, that decree of the people of Syracufe," That whenever they should be "at war with a foreign nation, they would employ a "Corinthian general." Their method of proceeding, too, in their affemblies, did honour to Timoleon. For they decided fmaller matters by themselves, but confulted him in the more difficult and important cafes. On these occafions he was conveyed in a litter through the market-place to the theatre; and when he was carried in, the people faluted him with one voice, as he fate. He returned the civility, and having paufed a while to give time for their acclamations, took cognizance of the affair, and delivered his opinion. The affembly gave their fanction to it, and then his fervants carried the litter back through the theatre; and the people having waited on him out with loud applaufes, would fome misfortune happen, to counter-balance it. This they imputed to the envy of fome malignant demon. plaufes, difpatched the rest of the public business without him. With fo much respect and kindness was the old age of Timoleon cherished, as that of a common father! and at lalt * he died of a flight illness co-operating with length of years. Some time being given the Syracufans to prepare for his funeral, and for the neighbouring inhabitants andftrangers to affemble, the whole was conducted with great magnificence. The bier fumptuoufly adorned, was carried by young men felected by the people, over the ground. where the palace and castle of the tyrants ftood, before they were demolished. It was followed by many thousands of men and women, in the most pompous folemnity, crowned with garlands and clothed in white. The lamentations and tears, mingled with the praises of the deceafed, fhowed that the honour now paid him was not a matter of courfe, or compliance with a duty enjoined, but the teftimony of real forrow and fincere affection. At last, the bier being placed upon the funeral pile, Demetrius, who had the loudest voice of all their heralds, was directed to make proclamation, as follows:" The people of Syracuse "inter Timoleon the Corinthian, the fon of Timodemus, at the expence of two hundred mine: they honour him, moreover, through all time with annual games, to be “celebrated with performances in mufic, horfe-racing and wrestling; as the man who deftroyed tyrants, fubdued "barbarians, repeopled great cities which lay defolate, and "restored to the Sicilians their laws and privileges." 60 The body was interred, and a monument erected for him in the market-place; which they afterwards furrounded with portico's and other buildings fuitable to the purpose, and then made it a place of exercise for their youth, under the name of Timoleontéum. They continued to make ufe: of the form of government and the laws that he established, and this infured their † happiness for a long course of years. H 5 PAULUS. *He died the last year of the hundred and tenth Olympiad, three e hundred and thirty-five years before the Christian era. This profperity was interrupted about thirty years after, by the cruelties of Agathocles. PAULUS EMILIUS. WHEN I first applied myfelf to the writing of thefe lives, it was for the fake of others, but I purfue that study for my own fake; availing my felf of hiftory as of a mirror, from which I learn to adjust and regulate my own conduct. For it is like living and converfing with these illustrious men, when I invite, as it were, and receive them, one after another, under my roof; when I confider how great and wonderful they were*, and felect from their actions the most memorable and glorious. Ye gods! what greater pleasure? + Democritus has a pofition in his philofophy, utterly falfe indeed, and leading to endless fuperftitions, that there are phantafms or images continually floating in the air, fome propitious, and fome unlucky, and advifes us to pray, that fome may ftrike upon our fenfes, as are agreeable to and perfective of our nature, and not fuch as have a tendency to vice and error. For my part, inftead of this, I fill my mind with the fublime images of the best and greatest men, by attention to history and biography; and if I con. tract any blemish or ill custom from other company which I am unavoidably engaged in, I correct and expel them, by calmly and difpaffionately turning my thoughts to thefe excellent examples. For the fame purpose, I now put in your hands the life of Timoleon the Corinthian, and that of Æmilius Paulus, men famous not only for their virtues, but their fuccefs; infomuch that they have left room to doubt, whether their great atchievements were not more owing to their good fortune than their prudence. Moft writers agree, that the Æmilian family was one of the most ancient among the Roman nobility: and it is afferted, * όσσος την οἷος -Hoм. Il, xxix. ver. 629. + Democritus held that visible objects produced their image in the ambient air, which image produced a fecond, and a fecond a third still lefs than the former, and fo on till the laft produced its counterpart in the eye. This he supposed the procefs of the act of vifion. But he went on to what was infinitely more abfurd. He maintained that thought was formed, according as those images struck upon the imagination; that of these there were fome good and fome evil; that the good. produced virtuous thoughts in us, and the evil the contrary. afferted, that the founder of it, who also left it his furname, was Mamercus the fon of Pythagoras the philofopher, who, for the peculiar charms and gracefulness of his elocution was called Æmilius; fuch, at leaft, is the opinion of those who say that Numa was educated under Pythagoras. Thofe of this family that ‡ diftinguifhed themselves, found their attachment to virtue generally bleft with success. And not withstanding the ill fortune of Lucius Paulus at: Cannæ, he fhowed on that occafion both his prudence and his valour. For, when he could not diffuade his colleague from fighting, he joined him in the combat, though much against his will, but did not partake with him in his flight: on the contrary, when he who plunged them in the danger, deferted the field, Paulus ftood his ground, and fell bravely amidst the enemy, with his fword in his hand. This Paulus had a daughter named Emilia, who was married to Scipio the Great, and a fon called Paulus, whofe history I am now writing. At the time he made his appearance in the world, f Rome. abounded in men who were celebrated for their virtues and other excellent accomplishments; and even among these Æmilius made a diftinguished figure, without purfuing the fame ftudies, or fetting out in the fame track, with the young nobility of that age. For he did not exercise himself in pleading caufes, nor could he ftoop to falute, to folicit and carefs the people, which was the method that most men took who aimed at popularity. Not but that he had talents from nature to acquit himself well in either of these refpects, but he reckoned the honour that flows from valour, from juftice and probity, preferable to both; and in thefe virtues he foon furpaffed all the young men of his time. The first of the great offices of ftate for which he was a candidate, was that of ædile, and he carried it against twelve competitors, who, we are told, were all afterwards confuls. * See the life of Numa." H 6 He is called Pythagoras the philofopher, to distinguish him from Pythagoras the famed wrestler. From Lucius Æmilius, who was conful in the year of Rome two hundred and feventy, and overcame the Volfcians, to Lucius Paulus, who was father to Paulus Æmilius, and who fell at Cannæ, in the year of Rome five hundred and thirty-feven, there were many of thofe Emilii renowned for their victories and triumphs. § In that period we find the Sempronii, the Albini, the Fabii Maximi, the Marcelli, the Scipios, the Fulvii, Sulpitii, Cethegi, Metelli; and other great and excellent men, * confuls. And when he was appointed one of the augurs, whom the Romans employ in the infpection and care of divination by the flight of birds, and by prodigies in the air, he ftudied fo attentively the ufages of his country, and acquainted himself fo perfectly with the ancient ceremonies of religion, that what before was only confidered as an honour, and fought for on account of the authority annexed to it, appeared in his hands to be one of the principal arts. Thus he confirmed the definition which is given by fome philofophers, That religion is the Science of worshipping the gods. He did every thing with skill and application; he laid afide all other concerns while he attended to this, and made not the leaft omiffion or innovation, but difputed with his colleagues about the fmalleft article, and infifted, that though the Deity might be fuppofed to be merciful, and willing to overlook fome neglect, yet it was dangerous for the ftate to connive at and pafs by fuch things. For no man ever began his attempts against government with an enormous crime; and the relaxing in the smallest matters, breaks down the fences of the greatest. Nor was he lefs exact in requiring and obferving the Roman military difcipline. He did not study to be popular in command, nor endeavour, like the generality, to make one commiffion the foundation for another, by humouring and indulging the foldiery: but as a priest instructs the initiated with care in the facred ceremonies, so he explained to those that were under him the rules and cuftoms of war; and being inexorable, at the fame time, to thofe that tranfgreffed them, he re-establish'd his country in its former glory. Indeed with him, the beating of an enemy was a matter of much lefs account, than the bringing of his countrymen to ftrict difcipline, the one feeming to be the neceffary conquence of the other. During the war which the Romans were engaged in with Antiochus the Great, in the eaft, and in which § their moft * Under pretence that the aufpices were favourable or otherwife, the augurs had it in their power to promote or put a stop to any public affair whatever. The Roman foldiers were, at the fame time, citizens, who had votes for the great employments, both civil and military. The war with Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, began about the year of Rome five hundred and fixty-one, twenty-four years after the battle of Canne. The conful Glabrio, and after him the two Scipios, the elder of whom was content to ferve as lieutenant under his brother. LIV. 1. xxxvii. |
