Syracusans, saw his fortune change on a sudden by the loss of a battle, and was abandoned by the greatest part of his forces. In the consternation and despondency into which so general and sudden a desertion threw him, he formed such a resolution as despair only could suggest. He withdrew in the night to Syracuse, advanced as far as the great square of the city, and there falling prostrate at the foot of the altar, he abandoned his life and dominions to the mercy of the Syracusans, that is, to his professed enemies. The singularity of this spectacle drew great numbers of people to it. The magistrates immediately convened the people, and debated on the affair. They first heard the orators, whose business was generally to address the people by their speeches; and these animated them prodigiously against Deucetius, as a public enemy whom Providence seemed to throw into their way, to revenge and punish by his death all the injuries he had done the republic. A speech, in this cast, struck all the virtuous part of the assembly with horror. The most ancient and wisest of the senators represented, "That they were not to consider what punishment "Deucetius deserved, but how it behoved the Syracusans to "behave on that occasion; that they ought not to look upon "him any longer as an enemy, but as a suppliant, a character 66 by which his person was become sacred and inviolable: That "there was a goddess, Nemesis, who took vengeance of crimes, "especially of cruelty and impiety, and who doubtless would "not suffer that to go unpunished: That besides the baseness "and inhumanity there is in insulting the unfortunate, and in "L crushing those who are already under one's foot, it was "worthy the grandeur and goodness natural to the Syracusans, "to exert their clemency even to those who least deserved it." All the people came into this opinion, and with one consent spared Deucetius's life. He was ordered to reside in Corinth, the metropolis and foundress of Syracuse; and the Syracusans engaged to furnish Deucetius with all things necessary for his subsisting honourably there. What reader, who compares these two different opinions, does not perceive which of them was the noblest and most generous? SECTION II. FAMOUS PERSONS AND CITIES IN GRÆCIA MAJOR, &C. 1. PYTHAGORAS. IN treating of what relates to Græcia Major in Italy, I must not omit Pythagoras, who was the glory of it. He was born in Samos*. After having travelled into a great many regions, and enriched his mind with the most excellent learning of every kind, he returned to his native country, but did not make a long stay in it, because of the tyrannical government Polycrates had established in it, who however had the highest regard for him, and showed him all the esteem due to his rare merit. But the study of the sciences, and particularly of philosophy, is scarce compatible with slavery, though of the mildest and most honourable kind. He therefore went into Italy, and resided usually either at Croton, Metapontum, Heraclea, or Tarentum. Servius Tullius †, or Tarquinius Superbus, reigned in Rome at that time; which absolutely refutes the opinion of those who imagined that Numa Pompilius, the second king of the Romans, who lived upwards of 100 years before, had been Pythagoras's disciple; an opinion that very probably was grounded on the reseniblance of their manners, disposition, and principles. The whole country soon felt very happy effects from the presence of this excellent Philosopher. An inclination for study, and a love of wisdom, diffused themselves almost universally in a very short time. Multitudes flocked from all the neighbouring cities to get a sight of Pythagoras, to hear him, and to improve by his salutary counsels. The several princes of the country took a pleasure in inviting him to their courts, which they thought honoured by his presence; and all were delighted with his conversation, and glad to learn from him the art of governing nations with wisdom. His school became the most famous that had ever been till that age. He had no less then 400 or 500 disciples. Before he admitted them in that quality, they were probationers five years, during which time he obliged them to keep the strictest silence, thinking it proper for them to be instructed before they should attempt to speak. I shall take notice of his tenets and sentiments, when I come to speak of the various sects of philosophers; it was well known that the transmigration of souls was one of the chief of them. His disciples had the greatest reverence for every word he uttered; and if he did but barely aver a thing, he was immediately believed without its being once examined; and to affirm the truth of any thing, they used to express *A. M 3480. Ant. J. C. 524. Diog. Laert. in vit. Pythag. ↑ Liv. l. i. n. 18. Pythagoras, cum in Italiam venisset, exornavit eam Græciam, que magna dicta est, et privatim et publice, præstantissimis et inStuis, et artibus. Cic. Tuscul. Quæst. l. v. n. 10. themselves in this manner, "The master said it." However, the disciples carried their deference and docility too far,in thus waving all enquiry, and in sacrificing implicitly their reason and understanding; a sacrifice that ought to be made, only to the divine authority, which is infinitely superior to our reason and all our knowledge; and which, consequently, is authorised to prescribe laws to us, and dictate absolute obedience. The school of Pythagoras bred a great number of illustrious disciples, who did infinite honour to their master, as wise legislators, great politicians, persons skilled in all the sciences, and capable of governing states, and being the ministers of the greatest princes t. A long time after his death, that part of Italy which he had cultivated and improved by his instructions, was still considered as the nursery and seat of men skilled in all kinds of literature, and maintained that glorious character for several ages, The Romans certainly entertained a high opinion of Pythagoras's virtue and merit, since the oracle of Delphos having commanded that people, during the war of the Samnites, to erect two statues in the most conspicuous part of Rome, the one to the wisest, and the other to the most valiant among the Greeks, they accordingly set up two in the "Comitium," representing Pythagoras and Themistocles. Historians are not exact with respect to the time and place of Pythagoras's death. II. CROTON. SYBARIS. THURIUM. Croton was founded by Myscellus, chief of the Achaians, the third year of the 17th Olympiad. This Myscellus being come to Delphos to consult the oracle of Apollo, about the spot on which he should build his city, met Archias the Corinthian there, who was arrived upon the same account. The god gave him a favourable audience; and after having determined them with regard to the place that would best suit their new settlements, he proposed different advantages to them; and left them, among other particulars, the choice of riches or health. The offer of riches struck Archias, but Myscellus desired health; and, if history is to be credited, Apollo performed his promise faithfully to both. Archias founded Syracuse, which soon became the most opulent city of Greece. || Myscellus laid the * Αυτος εφα. Pythagoras tenuit magnam illam Græciam cum honore, et disciplina, tum etiam auctoritate, multaque secula postea sic viguit Pythagoreorum nomen, ut nulli alii docti viderentur. Tusc. Quæst. 1 i. n. 38. Plin. I. xxxiv. c. 6. A. M. 3295. Ant. J. C. 709. Strab. 1. vi. p. 262, et 269. Dienys. Halicarn. Antiq. Rom. 1. ii. p. 121. | Kpoteros igitsaposo foundation of Croton, which became so famous for the long life and innate strength of its inhabitants, that its name was used proverbially, to signify a very healthy spot, whose air was 0. extremely pure. The people of it signalised themselves in a Π great number of victories in the Grecian games; and Strabo -relates, that in the same Olympiad seven Crotonians were crowned in the Olympic games, and carried off all the prizes * of the stadium. **Sybaris was 10 leagues (200 stadia) from Croton, and had also been founded by the Achaians, but before the other. This city became afterwards very powerful. Four neighbouring states, and 25 cities, were subject to it; so that it was alone able to raise an army of 300,000 men. The opulence of Sybaris was soon followed by luxury, and such a dissoluteness as is scarcely credible. The citizens employed themselves in nothing but banquets, games, shows, parties of pleasure and carousals. Public rewards and marks of distinction were bestowed on those who gave the most magnificent entertainments; -¡and even to such cooks as were best skilled in the important art of making new discoveries in the dressing dishes, and inventing new refinements to tickle the palate. The Sybarites carried - their delicacy and effeminacy to such a height, that they carefully removed from their city all such artiñcers whose work was noisy; and would not suffer any cocks in it, lest their shrill piercing crow should disturb their balmy slumbers. All these evils were heightened by dissention and discord, which at last proved their ruin. Five hundred of the wealthiest in the city, having been expelled by the faction of one Telys, fled to Croton. Telys demanded to have them surrendered to Chim; and on the refusal of the Crotonians to deliver them up, prompted to this generous resolution by Pythagoras, who then lived among them, war was declared. The Sybarites marched 300,000 men into the field, and the Crotonians only 100,000; but then they were headed by Milo, the famous champion, of whom we shall soon have occasion to speak, over whose › shoulders a lion's skin was thrown, and himself armed with a club, like another Hercules. The latter gained a complete victory, and made a dreadful havoc of those who fled, so that very few escaped, and their city was depopulated. About threescore years after,some Thessalians came and settled in it; however, they did not long enjoy peace, being driven out by * Strab. 1. vi. p. 263. Athen. 1. xii. p. 518–520. the Crotonians. Being thus reduced to the most fatal extremity, they implored the succour of the Lacedæmonians and Athenians. The latter, moved to compassion at their deplorable condition, after causing proclamation to be made in Peloponnesus, that all who were willing to assist that colony were at liberty to do it, sent the Sybarites a fleet of ten ships, under the command of Lampon and Xenocrates. *They built a city near the ancient Sybaris, and called it Thurium. Two men, greatly renowned for their learning, the one an orator, and the other an historian, settled in this colony. The first was Lysias, at that time but 15 years of age. He lived in Thurium till the ill fate which befel the Athenians in Sicily, and then went to Athens. The second was Herodotus. Though he was born in Halicarnassus, a city of Caria, he was however considered as a native of Thurium, because he settled there with that colony. I shall speak more largely of him hereafter. Divisions soon broke out in the city, on occasion of the new inhabitants, whom the rest would exclude from all public employments and privileges. But as these were much more numerous, they repulsed all the ancient Sybarites, and got the sole possession of the city. Being supported by the alliance they made with the people of Croton, they soon grew vastly powerful; and having settled a popular form of government in their city, they divided the citizens into ten tribes, which they called by the names of the different nations whence they sprung. III. CHARONDAS, the legislator. They now bent their whole thoughts to the strengthening of their government by wholesome laws, for which purpose they made choice of Charondas, who had been educated in Pythagoras's school, to digest and draw them up. I shall quote some of them in this place. 1. He excluded from the senate, and all public employments, all such as should marry a second wife, in case any children by their first wife were living; being persuaded, that any man who was so regardless of his children's interest, would be equally so of his country's, and be as worthless a magistrate as he had been a father. 2. He sentenced all false accusers to be carried through every part of the city, crowned with heath or broom, as the vilest of men; an ignominy which most of them were not able to sur * A. M. 3560. Ant. J. C. 444. Dionys. Halicarn in vit. Lys. p. 82. Strab. l. xiv. p. 656. |