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
haste, thinking an enemy had overtaken him, he cried out, Save my life,
and say what shall be my ransom. On his buckler he had engraven for
his motto, To Good Fortune. And it was he that made the oration at the
funerals of such as died in that battle.
After these things, he bent his whole care and study for the reparation
of the city and wall; and being chosen commissary for repairing the
walls, besides what money he expended out the city stock, he laid out
of his own at least a hundred minas. And besides this, he gave ten
thousand drachms to the festival fund; and taking ship, he sailed
from coast to coast to collect money of the allies; for which he was
often by Demotelus, Aristonicus, and Hyperides crowned with golden
crowns, and afterwards by Ctesiphon. Which last decree had like to have
been retracted, Diodotus and Aeschines endeavoring to prove it to be
contrary to the laws; but he defended himself so well against their
allegations, that he overcame all difficulties, his enemies not having
the fifth part of the votes of the judges.
After this, when Alexander the Great made his expedition into Asia,
and Harpalus fled to Athens with a great sum of money, at first he
would not let him be entertained, but afterwards, Harpalus being landed
and having given him a thousand darics he was of another mind; and
when the Athenians determined to deliver Harpalus up to Antipater,
he opposed it, proposing to deposit the money in the Citadel, still
without declaring the amount to the people. Thereupon Harpalus declared
that he had brought with him from Asia seven hundred talents, and that
this sum had been deposited in the Citadel; but only three hundred and
fifty or a little more could be found, as Philochorus relates. But
when Harpalus broke out of the prison wherein he was kept till some
person should come from Alexander, and was escaped into Crete,—or, as
some will have it, into Taenarum in Laconia,—Demosthenes was accused
that he had received from him a sum of money, and that therefore he
had not given a true account of the sum delivered to him, nor had
impeached the negligence of the keepers. So he was judicially cited
by Hyperides, Pytheus, Menesaechmus, Himeraeus, and Patrocles, who
prosecuted him so severely as to cause him to be condemned in the
court of Areopagus; and being condemned, he went into exile, not being
able to pay fivefold; for he was accused of receiving thirty talents.
Others say, that he would not run the risk of a trial, but went into
banishment before the day came. After this tempest was over, when the
Athenians sent Polyeuctus to the republic of Arcadia to draw them off
from the alliance with the Macedonians, he not succeeding, Demosthenes
appeared to second him, where he reasoned so effectually that he easily
prevailed. Which procured him so much credit and esteem, that after
some time a galley was dispatched to call him home again. And the
Athenians decreed that, whereas he owed the state thirty talents, as a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account