Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

'4 ^,4NOTES.•lectures or philosophizing.' Plutarch's Lives (Life of Pelopidas), ed.A. H. Clough, vol. ii. p. 204.34. Swifte-foote Achilles-, alluding to Homer's frequent phrase iroMsujKvs '^x'^XXivs. See also the description of the funeral games in honourof Patroclus in the Iliad, bk. xxiii.'Alexander. When he was asked by some one about him, whetherhe would run a race in the Olympic games, as he was very swift-footed,!ie answered, he would, if he might have kings to run with him/Plutarch's Lives, ed. A. H. Clough, vol. iv. p. 163.45. Lucius Papirius Cursor. There were two Roman generals of thisname, father and son, distinguished in the second and third Samnite warsrespectively. It is very probable that the first of the Papiria gens whowas named Cursor did actually obtain it from being distinguished in running,but it is by no means certain that the elder Lucius was the man.47. Marius died on the eighteenth day of his seventh consulship, in hisseventy-first year. He therefore never attained to the age of ' four-scoreyears, nor was there ever a time when he had seven times completed hisyears of consulship. For other examples of bodily strength and swiftness,see Pliny, lib. vii. cap. xx.80. Oratius. The story of Horatius Codes (i.e. the one-eyed) ispopularly known amongst us from Macaulay's ' Lays of Ancient Rome.'It is told by Livy, Dionysius of Halicamassus, and Polybius ;but the lastof these makes Horatius to have perished in the stream. The Sublicianbridge is supposed to have been beneath the Mons Aventinus.102. Cesar. The story of Caesar's escape at the battle near the Pharus(a small island in the bay of Alexandria, connected with the mainlandby a mole) is told by Plutarch and Dion Cassius.See Plutarch's SelectLives, translated by G. Long ; Life of Caesar, ch. xlbc and the notes ; alsoPlutarch's Lives, ed. A. H. Clough, vol. iv. p. 408.1 16. Seriorius. ' Now, first of all, after the Cimbri and Teutones hadinvaded Gaul, he was serving under Caepio [not Scipio'] at the time whenand though hethe Romans were defeated and put to flight [b.c. 105J;lost his horse and was wounded in the body, he crossed the Rhone swimmingin his cuirass and with his shield against the powerfuLstream— sostrong was his body and disciplined by exercise.' Plutarch's Select Lives,translated by G. Long ; Life of Sertorius, ch. iii.128. Alexander. This stoiy is told by Plutarch. 'At another time,seeing his men march slowly and unwillingly to the seige of the placecalled Nysa, because of a deep river between them and the town, headvanced before them, and standing upon the bank, " WTiat a miserableman," said he, " am I, that I have not learned to swim ! " and then washardly dissuaded from endeavouring to pass it upon his shield.'Plutarch's