The following fragment illustrates the dawning interest in ethical speculation, which became much more active in the age of Cicero, under the influence of Greek studies:-- Fortunam insanam esse et caecam et brutam perhibent philosophi Saxoque instare in globoso praedicant volubili: Insanam autem esse aiunt, quia atrox, incerta, instabilisque sit: Caecam ob eam rem esse iterant, quia nil cernat quo sese adplicet: Brutam quia dignum atque indignum nequeat internoscere. Sunt autem alii philosophi, qui contra fortunam negant Esse ullam, sed temeritate res regi omnis autumant. Id magis veri simile esse usus reapse experiundo edocet: Velut Orestes modo fuit rex, factu'st mendicus modo[20]. These lines again from the Chryses show that Pacuvius, like Ennius, exposed and ridiculed the superstition of his time-- Nam isti qui linguam avium intelligunt Plusque ex alieno jecore sapiunt quam ex suo, Magis audiendum quam auscultandum censeo[21]; and this is to the same effect-- Nam si qui, quae eventura sunt, provideant, aequiparent Jovi. This tendency to physical and ethical speculation may be the reason for which Horace applies to Pacuvius the epithet 'doctus.' The fragments of Pacuvius show not only the cast of understanding, but also the grave and dignified tone of morality, which was found to be one of the most Roman characteristics of Ennius. They indicate also a similar humanity of feeling. The moral nobleness of the situation, in which Pylades and Orestes contend which should sacrifice himself for the other, has already been noticed: 'stantes plaudebant in re ficta.' Again, in the Tusculan Disputations (ii. 21), Cicero commends Pacuvius for deviating from Sophocles, who had represented Ulysses, in the Niptra, as utterly overcome by the power of his wound; while, in Pacuvius, those who are supporting him, 'personae gravitatem intuentes,' address this reproof to him, 'leviter gementi':-- Tu quoque Ulysses, quanquam graviter Cernimus ictum, nimis paene animo es Molli, qui consuetu's in armis Aevom agere[22]! The strong tones of Roman fortitude are heard in this grave rebuke; and the lines in which Ulysses, at the point of death, reproves the lamentations of those around him, have the unstudied directness that may be supposed to have characterised the serious speech of the time:-- Conqueri fortunam adversam, non lamentari decet: Id viri est officium, fletus muliebri ingenio additus[23]. The following maxim is quoted by Aulus Gellius with the remark 'that a Macedonian philosopher, a friend of his, an excellent man, thought it deserving of being written in front of every temple':-- Ego odi homines ignava opera et philosopha sententia. There are other fragments the significance of which is political rather than ethical, as for instance the following:-- Omnes qui tam quam nos severo serviunt Imperio callent dominum imperia metuere.