and that Odysseus recommends “nothing in excess” since he urges Diomede _Nay, prithee, Tydeus’ son; nor praise me much nor reprove me_. As for a pledge, not only is it the general opinion that he is reprobating it as a misguided and futile thing when he says _Sorry, I trow, to take are the pledges that sorry folk offer_, but our friend Chersias here tells us how “Mischief” was hurled from heaven by Zeus because she was present when he was tripped [Sidenote: D] up through pledging his word in connexion with the birth of Heracles.’ Here Solon interposed. ‘Well, Homer was a very wise man, and we should do well to take his advice: _Already the night is here; night bids, and ’tis good to obey her._ Let us therefore pour an offering to the Muses and to Poseidon and Amphitrite, and then—with your permission—break up the party.’ This, Nicarchus, terminated the party on that occasion. Footnote 24: The home of Bias. Footnote 25: According to another account he waited till the shadow was equal in length to the stick. The pyramid was then also equal in height to the length of its shadow. Footnote 26: The divinities of spring-water. Footnote 27: The title _Lusios_ or _Luaios_ was popularly interpreted Deliverer (from care or difficulty). Footnote 28: See note on _Amasis_. Footnote 29: i.e. anointing himself, not in connexion with bathing, but with exercise in the wrestling-schools. Footnote 30: The precise remark is uncertain, the text here being corrupt. Footnote 31: Equivalent to a command to ‘go weep’. Footnote 32: In antiquity these vessels were of bronze. Footnote 33: Which was bequeathed ‘to the wisest’. It was given to Thales, who passed it on to another, and the process was repeated till it came back to Thales, whereupon he dedicated it to Apollo. ON OLD MEN IN PUBLIC LIFE It is well known, Euphanes, that as an admirer of Pindar you [Sidenote: 783 B] are fond of quoting his ‘fine and forcible words’: _When struggle is afoot, excuses Cast a deep cloud on valour._