Through the Year With Famous Authors Part 61

Our Theocritus, our Bion, And our Pindar's shining goals!-- These were cup-bearers undying, Of the wine that's meant for souls.

"Wine of Cyprus,"--_E. B. Browning_.

THEOCRITUS, the greatest of Greek bucolic poets, lived in the first half of the third century B.C. Thirty-one of his idyls and pastorals and a number of his epigrams have been preserved.

No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.

--_Aristotle_.

ARISTOTLE, the most renowned of Greek philosophers, was born at Stagira, Macedonia, 384 B.C., and died at Chalcis, Euboea, 322 B.C. He wrote numerous treatises on philosophy.

There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust.

"Philippic 2," Sect. 24,--_Demosthenes_.

DEMOSTHENES, a renowned Athenian orator, was born about 384 B.C., and died at Calauria, 322 B.C. Besides his numerous orations, he wrote the "Olynthiacs" and the "Philippics," and his great speech, "On the Crown."

Amnesty, that n.o.ble word, the genuine dictate of wisdom.

--_aeschines_.

aeSCHINES, a great Athenian orator, rival of Demosthenes, lived 389-314 B.C.

A good man never dies.

"Epigrams," X,--_Callimachus_.

CALLIMACHUS, a renowned Greek poet, born in Cyrene, flourished in the third century B.C. Besides his tragedies, comedies, elegies and hymns, he wrote the epics, "Hecale" and "Galatea," a "Hymn to Jupiter," and an "Epitaph on Heracleitus."

Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.

"Rudens," Act II, Sc. 5, 71,--_Plautus_.

t.i.tUS MACCIUS PLAUTUS, a celebrated Roman comic poet, was born at Sarsina in Umbria, about 254 B.C., and died at Rome about 184 B.C. His "Captives" has been declared "the best constructed drama in existence."

Buy not what you need, but what you must have; what you do not need is dear at a penny.

--_Cato_.

MARCUS PORCIUS CATO, THE CENSOR, a famous Roman statesman and pamphleteer (234-149 B.C.) He wrote many tractates on different subjects, but only one of them, "On Farming," has come down to our times. Of "Beginnings" we have only a few fragments.

"Polybius of Megalopolis in Arcadia must rank as the third Greek historian, Herodotus and Thucydides being first and second."

POLYBIUS, a celebrated Greek historian, was born at Megalopolis in Arcadia, 204 B.C., and died 122 B.C. His "Histories," won for him great fame.

The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love.

"Andria," Act III, Sc. 3, 23,--_Terence_.

TERENCE, the renowned Latin writer of comedy, was born at Carthage, about 185 B.C., and died about 159 B.C. Among his writings are: "Andria," "Hecyra," "Heautontimorumenos," "Eunuchus," "Phormio," and "Adelphi."

While the sick man has life there is hope.

"Epistolarum ad Attic.u.m,"--_Cicero_.

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO, the prince of Roman orators, a distinguished writer on philosophy, rhetoric, morals, etc., was born at Arpinum, 106 B.C., and died 43 B.C. Among his treatises on the art of oratory are: "The Orator, to Marcus Brutus," "Of the Orator," and "Brutus, or of Ill.u.s.trious Orators." His philosophical writings include: "The Academics," "Tusculan Disputations," "Of Definitions of Good and Evil."

Of discussions of moral questions, we have the practical treatise, "Of Mutual Offices." Theological questions are examined in the two treatises, "Of Divinations" and "Of the Nature of the G.o.ds"; also the treatises, "Of Old Age," "Of Friendship," "Of Consolation." The letters of Cicero are extant to the number of 864, under the t.i.tles: "To Intimate Friends" (16 books), "To Atticus" (also 16 books), "To Quintus," his brother, (3 books), and "Correspondence with M. Brutus"

(in 2 books).

Wine and other luxuries have a tendency to enervate the mind and make men less brave in battle.

--_Caesar_.

CAIUS JULIUS CaeSAR, the great Roman general and writer of memoirs, was probably born about 100 B.C.; killed March 15, 44 B.C. Besides his famous "Commentaries," he wrote a grammatical treatise, "On a.n.a.logy,"

but it has not come down to our times.

What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.

"De Rerum Natura," IV, 637,--_Lucretius_.

t.i.tUS LUCRETIUS CARUS, a renowned Roman poet, was born about 98 B.C., and died 55 B.C. His one work, "On Nature," in six books, is considered one of the greatest of Latin didactic poems.

I hate and love--the why I cannot tell But by my tortures know the fact too well.

"Two Chords," (translation of Sir Theodore Martin),--_Catullus_.

CAIUS VALERIUS CATULLUS, the greatest of Roman lyric poets, was born at Verona, 84 B.C., and died 54 B.C. A number of his compositions have come down to our time, The most celebrated are those "To Lesbia," "The Boat,"

and "Address to Himself."

Numero deus impare gaudet. (The G.o.d delights in odd numbers.)

"Eclogae," 8, p. 75,--_Virgil_.

VIRGIL, the greatest of Roman epic poets, was born at Andes near Mantua, October 5, 70 B.C., and died at Brundisium, September 21, 19 B.C. He wrote the "Georgics," "Bucolics," and the epic, "The aeneid," in 12 books.