Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/44

 10 plint's natueal histoet. [Book I. Divine speaker^ and that from this circumstance originated the proverb of choosing a tree to hang oneself^. I cannot refrain from quoting the words of Cato the censor, which are so pertinent to this point. It appears from them, that even Cato, who wrote commentaries on military disci- pline^, and who had learned the military art under Africanus, or rather under Haiuiibal (for he could not endure Afri- canus"*, who, when he was his general, had borne away the triumph from him), that Cato, I say, was open to the attacks of such as caught at reputation for themselves by detracting from the merits of others. And what does he say in his book ? " I know, that when I shall publish what I have writ- ten, there will be many who will do all they can to depre- ciate it, and, especially, such as are themselves void of all merit ; but I let their harangues glide by me." Nor was the remark of Plancus^ a bad one, when Asinius Pollio^ was said to be preparing an oration against him, which was to be published either by himself or his children, after the death of Plancus, in order that he might not be able to answer it : " It is only ghosts that fight with the dead." This gave such a blow to the oration, that in the opinion of ^ His real name was Tyrtamus, but in consequence of the beauty of his style, he acquired the appellation by which he is generally known from the words OeZos (ppaai?. Cicero on various occasions refers to him ; Brutus, 121 ; Orator, 17, et alibi. " " Suspendio jam qugerere mortem oportere homines vitaeque renunciare, cum tantum hcentise, vel feminse, vel imperiti homines sumant, ut in doctisshnos scribant;" Hardoiiin in Lemaire, i. 29. We learn from Cicero, De Nat. Deor. i. 33, that the name of this female was Leontium ; " . . . . sed meretricvila etiam Leontium contra Theophrastum scribere ansa Bit. " 3 A. GreUius (vii. 4) refers to tliis work and gives an extract from it. ^ The hostihty which Cato bore to Scipio Africanus is mentioned by Livy, xxxviii. 54, and by Com. Nepos, Cato, i, 5 Lucius Munatius Plancus took a conspicuous part in the pohtical intrigues of the times and was especially noted for his follies and extra- vagance. ^ Asinius Pollio is a name which stands liigh in Roman hterature ; according to the remark of Alexandre, " Vfr magnus fuit, prono tamen ad obtrectandum ingenio, quod arguunt ejus cum Cicerone simultates," Lemaire, i. 30, This hostile feehng towards Cicero is supposed to have proceeded from envy and mortification, because he was unable to attain the same eminence in the art of oratory with liis illustrious rival. See Hardouin's Index Auctorum, in Lemaire, i. 168.