[297] Some of these points of grammar which attracted the scorn of Heracleon were whether βάλλω loses a λ in the future; and what were the positives from which the comparatives χεῖρον and βέλτιον, and the superlatives χεῖριστον and βέλτιστον were formed (412 E).—“_Quelques années après les guerres médiques, le pinceau de Polygnote couvrit la Lesché des Cnidiens à Delphes de scènes empruntées au monde infernal._” (Bouché-Leclerq: iii. 153.)—It would have been more interesting to a modern student if Heracleon had replied that the pictures of Polygnotus were quite sufficient to keep one mentally alert, and had seized the opportunity to give us an exact description of the scenes depicted and the meaning they conveyed to the men of his time. “‘Not all the treasures,’ as Homer has it, ‘which the stone threshold of the Far-darter holds safe within, would now,’ as Mr. Myers says, ‘be so precious to us as the power of looking for one hour on the greatest work by the greatest painter of antiquity, the picture by Polygnotus in the Hall of the Cnidians at Delphi, of the descent of Odysseus among the dead.’” [298] Didymus, “surnamed Planetiades,” is a picturesque figure, evidently drawn from life. It is interesting to compare his attitude with that imposed upon the ideal cynic of Epictetus: “It is his duty then to be able with a loud voice, if the occasion should arise, and appearing on the tragic stage to say, like Socrates, ‘Men, whither are you hurrying? what are you doing, wretches? Like blind people you are wandering up and down: you are going by another road, and have left the true road: you seek for prosperity and happiness where they are not, and if another shows you where they are you do not believe him’” (LONG’s _Epictetus_, p. 251). Planetiades certainly endeavours to play this _rôle_ on the occasion in question, though he is doubtless as far below the stoic ideal as he is above the _soi-disant_ cynics whom Dion met at ALEXANDRIA. [299] Cf. BLOUNT: _Apollonius of Tyana_, p. 37. Blount collects a number of ancient and modern parallels to the thought of Plutarch here. HORACE, _Epist._ i. 16. 59, readily occurs to the memory. (For the Pindaric fragment, see W. Christ, p. 225.) [300] 413 D. [301] “Plutarch does not mean to say that Greece was not able at all to furnish 3000 men capable of arms, but that if burgess armies of the old sort were to be formed they would not be in a position to set on foot 3000 ‘hoplites.’”—MOMMSEN. [302] 414 C. [303] 417 A, B. Cf. _De Facie in Orbe Lunæ_, 944 C, D. [304] 431 B. [305] 436 F. [306] 437 F. [307] _De Pythiæ Orac._, 398 B. [308] _De Defectu Orac._, 418 E. [309] _De Defectu Orac._, 438 D.