Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/166

 358 ANTONY. deceased Archelaus less taken notice of. He had been formerly his guest and acquaintance, and, as he was now compelled, he fought him bravely while alive, but, on his death, sought out his body and buried it with royal hon- ors. The consequence was that he left behind him a great name among the Alexandrians, and all who were serving in the Roman anny looked upon him as a most gallant soldier. He had also a very good and noble appearance ; his beard was well grown, his forehead large, and his nose aquiline, giving him altogether a bold, masculine look, that reminded people of the faces of Hercules in paint- ings and sculptures. It was, moreover, an ancient tra- dition, that the Antonys were descended from Hercules, by a son of his called Anton ; and this opinion he thought to give credit to, by the similarity of his person just men- tioned, and also by the fashion of his dress. For, when- ever he had to appear before large numbers, he wore his tunic girt low about the hips, a broadsword on his side, and over all a large, coarse mantle. What might seem to some very insupportable, his vaunting, his raillery, his drinking in public, sitting down by the men as they were taking their food, and eating, as he stood, off the common soldiers' tables, made him the delight and pleasure of the army. In love affairs, also, he was very agreeable ; he gained many friends by the assistance he gave them in theirs, and took other people's raillery upon his own with good-humor. And his generous -ways, his open and lavish hand in gifts and favors to his friends and fellow-soldiers, did a great deal for him in his first advance to power, and, after he had become great, long maintained his for- tunes, when a thousand follies were hastening their over- throw. One instance of his liberality I must relate. He had ordered payment to one of his friends of twenty-five myriads of money, or decies, as the Romans call it, and