Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 5 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 5 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
Now nothing do they differ from him, who strip themselves for every
public affair, and render themselves reprehensible by many, becoming
troublesome, and being, when they do well, the subject of envy, and
when they do ill, of rejoicing. And that industry which was at the
beginning admired turns afterwards to contempt and laughter. In this
manner it was said; Metiochus leads forth the army, Metiochus oversees
the highways, Metiochus bakes the bread, Metiochus bolts the meal,
Metiochus does all things, Metiochus shall suffer for it at last. This
Metiochus was a follower of Pericles, and made use, it seems, of the
power he had with him invidiously and disdainfully. For a statesman
ought to find the people when he comes to them (as they say) in love
with him, and leave in them a longing after him when he is absent;
which course Scipio Africanus also took, dwelling a long time in the
country, at the same time both removing from himself the burthen of
envy, and giving those leisure to breathe, who seemed to be oppressed
by his glory. But Timesias the Clazomenian, who was otherwise a good
commonwealths-man, was ignorant of his being envied and hated for
doing all things by himself, till the following accident befell him.
It happened that, as he passed by where certain boys were striking
a cockal-bone out of an hole, some of them said, that the bone was
still left within; but he who had stricken it cried out, I wish I had
as certainly beaten out Timesias’s brains, as this bone is out of the
hole. Timesias, hearing this, and thereby understanding the envy and
spite borne him by every one, returned home, where he imparted the
matter to his wife, and having commanded her to pack up all and follow
him, immediately left both his house and the city. And Themistocles
seems to have been in some such condition amongst the Athenians, when
he said: How is it, O ye blessed ones, that you are tired with the
frequent receiving of benefits?
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