Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/712

 NOTES TO THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER was the son of the still more ifamous Miltiades. His victories repulsed the last Persian aggressions and consolidated the Athenian supremacy. Although an admirer of Spartan institutions, he seems to have been of a somewhat in- dulgent disposition. The SciPio here referred to, is probably Publius Cor- nelius Scipio the Elder, who was the victor over Hannibal and died 183 B.C. LucoLLUS is cited earlier in The Courtier as an instance of a soldier with studious tastes; see note 113. Note 435, page 250. The Theban general and statesman Epaminondas, (died 362 B.C.), is said by Plutarch to have enjoyed the instruction of the Pythagorean philosopher Lysis of Tarentum, who was driven out of Italy in the persecution of his sect, and found refuge at Thebes. Note 436, page 250. AGESILAUS was King of Sparta 398-361 B.C. Although small and lame, he was the greatest Spartan commander, and became famous for his victories against the Persian and Greek enemies of his country. Xeno- PHON, historian, essayist and disciple of Socrates, was banished from Athens about the time of Socrates's death (399 B.C.), accompanied Agesilaus into Asia, and wrote a panegyric upon him, regarded by Cicero as more glorious than all the statues erected to kings. The reverence and love of SCIPIO the Younger (about 185-129 B.C.) for the Rhodian Stoic philosopher Pan^tius (about 180-111 B.C.) is frequently men- tioned by Cicero, from whose De Oratore Castiglione seems to have taken this whole passage. Note 437, page 252. In Greek mythology Epimetheus (Afterthought) and Prometheus (Forethought) were sons of the Titan lapetus and the ocean nymph Clymene. Angered by a deceit practised upon him by Prometheus, Zeus withheld from men the use of fire; but Prometheus stole fire from heaven and brought it to earth in a hollow reed. For this offence he was chained to a rock where an eagle preyed daily upon his liver (which grew again in the night), until he was finally liberated by Hercules. As compensation for the boon of fire, Zeus sent Pandora (the first woman, endowed with beauty, cun- ning and other attributes designed to bring woe to man) to be the wife of Epi- metheus. Although warned by his brother, Epimetheus accepted her, with the result that she set free the evils which Prometheus had concealed in a box. In a later form of the legend, she received from the gods a box contain- ing the blessings of life, and on her being moved by curiosity to open the box, all of them (save hope) escaped and were lost. Note 438, page 263. Bias was born at Priene in Asia Minor, and lived in the 6th century B.C. He was celebrated for his apothegms and reckoned among the Seven Sages of Greece,— the other six being: Thales of Miletus, Solon of Athens, Chilon of Sparta, Cleobulus of Rhodes, Periander of Corinth, and Pittacus of Mitylene,— all of whom flourished about 600 B.C. The fame of these seven men rested not upon their philosophy, as we use the word, but upon their practical wisdom — the fruit of experience. 408