The lives, opinions, and remarkable sayings of the most famous ancient philosophers. The first volume written in Greek, by Diogenes Laertius ; made English by several hands ...

The LIFE of POLEMO.

POlemo, an Athenian, the Son of Philo∣stratus, and born in the Village cal∣led Oeta, when he was a young Man, was so dissolute and profuse, that it was his cu∣stom to carry summs of Money along with him where-ever he went, that he might be provided still with sufficient supplies for the satisfaction of his pleasures. Nay, he would hide his money up and down in holes and corners of the streets; in so much that some of his Cash was found in the Academy, near a certain Pillar, laid there to be ready when he had occasion

to fetch it for his private uses. Now it happen'd that one time among the rest, as had been agreed between him and his companions, in the height of their Carou∣sing, that in a drunken frolick, with his Garland upon his head, he brake into Xenocrates's School: Who nothing di∣sturb'd at the rudeness of such Roysters, pursu'd his discourse, which then fell out to be concerning Temperance, the more vigorously. And this Oration it was, which so prevail'd at first upon the list'n∣ing Debauchee, that stopping the Career of his Extravagance; at length he became quite reclaim'd. And such were the ef∣fects of his laborious and industrious studies, that he surpassed all others, and himself succeeded in the School, begin∣ning from the hundred and sixteenth Olympiad.

Antigonus Carysthius, in his Lives, re∣ports, That his Father was one of the chief Men of the City, and one that bred up Horses for the Chariot: And that Po∣lemo fled from the severe Sentence of Ju∣stice, being prosecuted by his Wife for his addiction to Male-Venery.

In the first years that he fell to his stu∣dies, he acquir'd such a constancy of Ha∣bit and Aspect, that it became unalter∣able; neither did he ever change his

voice. Which were the reasons that Crantor so highly admir'd him. Hence it was that being bit in the Heel by a mad Dog, he never so much as chang'd co∣lour: And that at another time, a great uproar happening in the City, and under∣standing what was the matter, he stood undaunted like one that had been un∣concern'd; nor could the Theatre at any time move him to Joy, Anger, or Compassion. So that when Nicostratus, surnam'd Clytemnestra, told a lamentable story to him and Crates; that which mov'd the latter, nothing affected him, who all the while persever'd in an equal temper, as though he had not heard him. And indeed he was altogether just such another, as Melanthius the Painter de∣scribes in his Treatise of Painting. For he says that there is a certain Pride and Moroseness that ought to accompany a Man's Actions as well as his Manner. And it was the saying of Polemo, that i•• behov'd Men to exercise themselves i•• Things, and not in Logical Speculations; which is but labouring, and as it were drinking up some little pleasing Science whereby they become admir'd for the subtilty of some particular questions, but shew themselves most opposite in their affections. And therefore as he was civi••

and affable, so was he no less resolutely constant; and he avoided that which Aristophanes writes concerning Euripides, when he gives him the Nick-names of Oxotes, and Stilpho, who no doubt were two cross-grain'd, stingy, vinegar-condition'd fellows, well known at that time. For he never sate when he return'd his An∣swers to the Questions that were pro∣pounded to him, but always walking.

Polemo therefore for his extraordinary generosity was highly honour'd in his Ci∣ty. Nor did he wander out of the way neither, but remain'd in the Garden, where his Pupils making up little sheds, lodg'd near the Musaeum, and the Cloi∣ster.

Indeed Polemo seems in every thing to emulate Xenocrates, and to have had a great love for him, as Aristippus witnesses in his fourth Book of the Ancient Delights. For which reason he always took an oc∣casion to talk of his Innocency and Sin∣cerity, and had appropriated to himself his resolution and gravity, affecting, as it were, a kind of Dorick Government of himself.

He was a great admirer of Sophocles, especially in those places where some sur∣ly Mastiff (according to the Taunts of the Comedian) seem'd to have assisted

him in the composition of his Verses, and where (according to the relation of Phry∣nicus) he did not towre in lofty swelling Language, but flow'd in a smooth and placid Style. And therefore he was wont to call Homer, Epic Sophocles, and Sopho∣cles, Tragic Homer.

He dy'd, well stricken in years, of •• Consumption, leaving not a few Writing•• and Commentaries behind him. Upon whom we made the following Lines.

Know'st thou not, Passenger, already?—no. Then sickness here has hid fam'd Polemo— For my part I believe ye, Sir,—for why? Diseases never spare Philosophy— 'Tis true—but this I'le tell ye for your com∣fort, Though his dry Bones ly here, his Soul is run for't; And whither think'st thou? To the starry Spheres: Let Death and Sickness now go shake their Ears.