We are indebted to Mr. Cumberland for the following translation from the fragments of Menander. The original is preserved in the commentary of Eustathius. Suppose some god should say,-Die when thou wilt, And for that life make choice of all creation And see these villains lord it o'er their betters. PHILEMON, a Greek comic poet, son of Damon, flourished in the reign of the king Antigonus Gonatus. He was a rival of Menander, against whom he frequently gained the prize. The titles of some of his plays are preserved; and the "Mercator" of Plautus is professedly taken from one of Philemon's plays. It is said that he died at the age of ninety-seven or ninety-nine, and that the cause of his death was a fit of laughter, occasioned by seeing his ass eat figs. Philemon the Younger was also a comic writer, and, according to Suidas, composed fifty-four comedies, of which fragments remain, and have been published with those of Menander. Some of them have been translated by Cumberland. LYCOPHRON, a famous Greek poet and grammarian, was born at Chalcis, in Euboea, and flourished about B. C. 300. He was one of those poets who lived in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and who, from their number, obtained the name of Pleiades. According to Ovid, he was slain by an arrow. He was author of several tragedies, of which the titles of twenty have been preserved; but the only work which has come down to us, is a very singular poem, entitled, "Alexandra," or, Cassandra, the subject of which is a series of predictions, feigned by him to have been uttered by Cassandra, the daughter of Priam, during the Trojan war. This poem contains four hundred and seventy-four verses, the obscurity of which has procured the epithet of "Tenebrosus" to its author. The Cas sandra of Lycophron has been several times edited. The best edition is accounted that of Bishop Potter, Oxon, folio, 1697 and 1702. SOTADES, a Greek poet of Thrace. He wrote verses against Philadelphus Ptolemy, for which he was thrown into the sea in a cage of lead. He was called Sinædus, not only because he was addicted to the abominable crime which the sirname indicates, but because he wrote a poem in commendation of it. ARATUS, a celebrated Greek poet, who, according to Strabo, was born at Soli, in Cilicia. He flourished in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt. He discovered, in his youth, a remarkable poignancy of wit, and capacity for improvement; and having received his education under Dionysius Heracleotes, a stoic philosopher, he espoused the principles of that sect. Aratus was physician to Antigonus Gonatus, king of Macedon, who being a great encourager of learned men, sent for him to court; admitted him to his intimacy; and encouraged him in his studies. The Phænomena of Aratus, which is still extant, gives him a title to the character of an astronomer as well as a poet. In this piece he describes the nature and motion of the stars, and shows the particular influence of the celestial bodies. He wrote this poem in Greek verse; it was translated into Latin by Cicero, who tells us, in his first book De Oratore, that the verses of Aratus are very noble. There is also a translation of this poem by Germanicus Cæsar, and another into elegant verse, by Festus Avienus. A quarto edition of the Phænomena was published by Grotius, at Leyden, in 1600, in Greek and Latin, with the fragments of Cicero's version, and the translations of Germanicus and Avienus; all which the editor has illustrated with curious notes. He was certainly much esteemed by the ancients, since we find so great a number of commentators upon him. There are several other works also ascribed to Aratus. Virgil, in his Georgics, has imitated or translated many passages from this author; and St. Paul quoted a passage from Aratus in his speech to the Athenians, Acts xvii. 28., wherein he told them that some of their own poets have said, "For we are also his offspring." These words are the beginning of the fifth line of Aratus's Phænomena. THEODECTUS, a Greek poet and orator of Phaselis, in Pamphylia, son of Aristander. He wrote fifty tragedies, besides other works now lost. He had such a happy memory, that he could repeat with ease whatever verses were spoken in his presence. When Alexander passed through Phaselis, he crowned with garlands the statue which had been erected to the memory of the deceased poet. EZÉKIEL, a Greek Jew and poet, who composed tragedies on Scriptural subjects. Fragments of one, on the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, are preserved by Clemens Alexandrinus, and Eusebius. He flourished about B. C. 300. CALLIMACHUS, a celebrated Greek poet, the son of Battus, and native of Cyrene, in Lybia, flourished under Ptolemy Philadelphus and Ptolemy Euergetes, kings of Egypt, about B.C. 280. He passed, according to Quintilian, for the prince of the Greek elegiac poets. His style is elegant, delicate, and nervous. He wrote a great number of small poems, of which we have only some hymns and epigrams remaining. Catullus has closely imitated him, and translated into Latin verse his small poem on the locks of Berenice. Callimachus was also a good grammarian and a learned critic. A late author, under the fictitious name of Candidus Hesychius, observes, that Callimachus, finding that the wind did not favour him, never durst venture into the open sea, but always kept near the shore, so that he might the more easily get into harbour; that is, he wanted a poetical genius, which elevates a poet; and therefore never cared to undertake a work of too great a length. This very objection his envious rivals made against him in his life-time; they urged that his muse made very short flights, and would attempt nothing of length or consequence. He gave a very ingenious and sharp reply to this charge, at the end of the hymn to Apollo, which seems to be composed and introduced with all that art, which Ovid makes the great excellency of Callimachus. Sly envy in his ear Apollo told, He's poor that writes less than a sea can hold; The scholiast on this place observes, that, to stop the mouths of these detractors, the poet composed his Hecate, a work of a larger size, now lost, but frequently cited by the Greek and Roman authors. Ovid gives the following account of the poetical character of Callimachus: Battiades toto semper cantabitus orbe ; Quamvis ingenio non valet, arte valet. The strains of Battus' son shall ne'er depart; Ingenium must here be supposed to mean the inventive fa culty, or genius properly so called. He is supposed to have been much imitated by Catullus and Propertius; and the Coma Berenices of the former is a translation from Callimachus. The best editions of Callimachus are those of Grevius, 2 vols. 8vo.; Bentley, London, 1741, 8vo.; and Ernest, Leyden, 2 vols. His works have been translated into English, first by Dodd, and next by Tytler. LITERATURE. EUBULIDES, a philosopher and dramatic writer of Melitus, was a disciple of Euclid, and preceptor to Demosthenes and Alexinus. He wrote comedies, and a book against Aristotle. There was another of the same name, but of the cynic sect. DEMOSTHENES, the famous Athenian orator, was born at Athens, B. C. 381. He lost his father at seven years of age, and was placed under the conduct of guardians, who robbed him of his substance, and neglected his education. Demosthenes soon repaired this loss by his extraordinary abilities. He became the disciple of Isæus and Plato, and studied the orations of Isocrates. At the age of seventeen he gave a proof of his eloquence and abilities against his guardians, from whom he recovered the greatest part of his estate. His rising talents were, however, impeded by various natural defects, but which he overcame by dint of resolution and unwearied attention. He declaimed by the sea-shore, that he might be used to the noise of a tumultuous assembly; and with pebbles in his mouth, that he might correct a defect in his speech. He practised at home with a naked sword hanging over his shoulder, that he might check an ungraceful motion to which he was subject. He confined himself in a subterraneous cave, to devote himself more closely to study; and to check all inclination to appear in public, he shaved one half of his head. In this solitary retirement, by the help of a glimmering lamp, he composed the greatest part of his orations, which have since been the admiration of all ages, though his contemporaries and rivals inveighed against them, and observed that they smelt of oil. His abilities as an orator raised him to consequence at Athens, and he was soon placed at the head of government. In this public capacity he roused his countrymen from their indolence, and animated them against the encroachments of Philip of Macedonia. In the battle of Charonea, however, his eloquence could not supply the want of courage, and he saved his life by flight. After the death of Philip he declared himself warmly against his son Alexander, when the Macedonians demanded of the Athenians their orators, Demosthenes reminded his countrymen of the fable of the sheep which delivered up their dogs to the wolves. By the prevalence of party, however, he was forced to retire to Trozen, in Ægina, where, it is said, he lived with more effeminacy than heroism. When Antipater made war against Greece, after the death of Alexander, Demosthenes was publicly recalled from his exile, and a galley was sent to fetch him from Ægina. His return was attended with much splendour, and all the citizens crowded at the Piræus to see him land. But his triumph and popularity were short. Antipater and Craterus were near Athens, and demanded all the orators to be delivered up into their hands. Demosthenes fled to the temple of Neptune, in Calauria; when he saw no hopes of safety he.took a dose of poison, which he always carried in a quill, and expired on the day that the Thesmophorio were celebrated, B. Č. 322. The Athenians raised a brazen statue to his memory, with a suitable inscription. Demosthenes has been deservedly called, the prince of orators. Indeed no orator had ever a finer field than Demosthenes in his Olynthiacs and Philippics, which are his capital orations; and undoubtedly to the greatness of the subject, and to that integrity, and public spirit which breathe in them, they owe a large portion of their merit. The subject is, to excite the indignation of his countrymen against Philip of Macedon, the public enemy of the liberties of Greece; and to guard them against the treacherous measures by which that crafty tyrant endeavoured to lull them into neglect of their danger. To attain this end, he uses every proper means to animate a people, distinguished for justice, humanity, and valour; but, in many instances, become corrupt and degenerate. He boldly accuses them of venality, indolence, and indifference to the public good; while, at the same time, he reminds them of their former glory, and of their present resources. His contemporary orators, who were bribed by Philip, and who persuaded the people to peace, he openly reproached as traitors to their country. He not only prompts to vigorous measures, but teaches how they are to be carried into execution. His orations are strongly animated, and full of the impetuosity and ardour of public spirit. His composition is not distinguished by ornament and splendour; it is an energy of thought, peculiarly his own, which forms his character, and raises him above his species. He seems not to attend to words, but to things. We forget the orator, and think of the subject. He has no parade and ostentation; no studied introductions; but is like a man full of his subject, who, after preparing his audience, by a sentence or two, for the reception of plain truths, enters directly on business. The style of Demosthenes is strong and concise; though sometimes, it must be confessed, harsh and abrupt. His words are highly expressive, and his arrangement firm and manly. Negligent of lesser graces, he seems to have aimed at that true sublime which lies VOL. I. Kk |