Page:The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology, Volume 1, 1854.djvu/220

 210 Journal of Philology. It is amusing to see in contrast to the above coincidence, rejected merely because it is a coincidence, what a coincidence Dr Dollinger can not only admit but invent, when he conjectures pp. 39, 40, and again p. 68, that the account of the Horse-Mar- tyrdom was derived from the discovery of an ancient sculpture of the death of the son of Theseus on the very spot where his presbyter Hippolytus was interred. This will not do ; but a less violent conjecture might be hazarded, that as originally the man- ner of the death of Laurence's Friend may have been unknown, the early Christian painting was a pictorial mode of writing above the shrine Hippolytus Martyr. Mar. 24, 1854. E. W. Benson. III. On some special Difficulties in Pindar. Among the many services which a Classical Journal is calcu- lated to perform, not the least important is to be recognised in the opportunity which it supplies for the full discussion of difficult and doubtful passages in the ancient writers. The com- mentator and editor is obliged to content himself with a brief statement of his own views, and with a general reference to the labours of his predecessors. And this is sufficient in the great majority of cases. But passages are found here and there, in which an emendation or interpretation cannot be proposed with- out a full discussion pro and con; and the scholar, who undertakes the interpretation of an author, is always glad to find such work done to his hand by others, or previously accomplished by him- self. Whether, therefore, I shall be called upon shortly to renew my labours as an editor of Pindar, or whether I am to enjoy a longer respite from that toil, I shall be glad to submit to the learned world my views upon a few passages, which have occupied my attention since the first beginning of my acquaintance with this author.