Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/124

 116 DEMETRIUS. yet it made no greater impression than such a slight scratch as might be made with the point of a style or graver. Demetrius took tliis for his own wearing, and gave the other to Alcimus the Epirot, the best soldier and strongest man of all his captains, the only one who used to wear armor to the weight of two talents, one talent be- ing the weight which others thought sufficient. He fell durino; this sieij-e in a battle near the theatre. The Rhodians made a brave defence, insomuch that Demetrius saw he was making but little progress, and only persisted out of obstinacy and passion ; and the rather be- cause the Rhodians, having captured a ship in which some clothes and furniture, with letters from herself, were coming to him from Phila his wife, had sent on every thing to Ptolemy, and had not copied the honorable ex- ample of the Athenians, who, having surprised an express sent from king Philip, their enemy, opened aU the letters he was charged with, excepting only those directed to queen Olympias, which they returned with the seal un- broken. Yet, although greatly provoked, Demetrius, into whose power it shortly after came to repay the affi'ont, would not suffer himself to retaliate. Protogenes the Caunian had been making them a painting of the story of lalysus,* which was all but completed, when it was taken by Demetrius in one of the suburbs. The Rhodians sent a herald begging him to be pleased to spare the work and not let it be destroyed ; Demetrius's answer to which was that he would rather burn the pic- • This is the famous picture of irus " were already in Homer's day Ial3sus and his dog, spoken of by " the three departments of the in- Cicero and Pliny, in which the habiters of Rhodes." Lindus, laly- foam on the dog's mouth was made sus and Camirus, grandchildren of by a happy throw of the sponge, the Sun, were the founders of the while the painter in vexation was three towns. But the legends told rubbing off his previous unsuccess- of them, one of which was repre- ful attempts. sented in the picture, have not come " Lindus, lalysus, and white Cam- down to us.