The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. I.

Chilon his life.

* 1.1 CHILON was a Lacedaemonian, son of Dama∣getus, corruptly termed in* 1.2 Stobaeus, Page 6. He was eminent amongst the Greeks for two pre∣dictions.

The first to Hippocrates,* 1.3 to whom (being a private person) hapned a great prodigie at the Olym∣pick games: having prepared an offering, and filled a Cauldron with flesh and water, it boiled over without fire: This portent Chilon (accidentally present) beholding, advised him that he should not take a wise by whom he might have issue; that if he had one, he should put her away, and if a son, turn him out of dores: Hippocrates not following this advice, brought up his son Pisistratus, who in the sedition of the Maritimes and country∣men at Athens, those led by Megacles, these by Lycurgus, stirred up a third faction, and gained the tyranny.

* 1.4 He was much renowwed also for his prediction concerning Cythera a Lacedaemonian Island; examining the Scituation thereof, would to God (said he) it had never been; or since it is, it might be swallowed up by the sea, and wisely did he foresee. Damaratus, a Laecedaemonian exile, counselled▪ Xerxes to seize upon that Island, which advice if he had fol∣lowed, would have ruined all Greece. His words (according to* 1.5 He∣rodotus) were these. You may effect your desires, if you send three hundred ships to the Lacedaemonian coast; there lies an Island, named Cythera, of which Chilon, a person of greatest wisdome amongst us, said, it were better for the Lacedaemonians that it were under water then above: he, it seemes, expected from it some such thing as I am now going to declare, not that he foresaw your Navy, but doubting any in the same kind; Let your men issue out of this Island upon the Lacedaemonians, to strike them into terror.* 1.6 Afterwards, in the time of the Peloponesian war, Nicias taking the Island, placed some Athenians therein, who much infested the Lacedaemonians.

Laertius saith, that he was old in the fifty two Olympiad, at what time Aesop flourish'd: that he was Ep••orus in the fiftie sixt. (Casaubon reads the fiftie five) but Pamphila (continueth Laertius) saith in the sixt. He was first Ephorus, when Euthydemus was Archon, as Sosicrates also affirmes, and first appointed the Ephori to be joyned with Kings, which Satyrus saith, was the institution of Lycurgus. Hence it is doubtfull

whether Chilon was Ephorus in the sixt Olympiad, or in the fiftie sixt; the latter is more probable, in as much as he bore that office when Euthydemus was Archon at Athens, which was in the fiftie sixt Olympiad, as appeares by the Marmor Arunde li∣anum, where for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is corruptly read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendred Archonte populo. But it is likewise true, that the Ephori were first created about the sixt Olympiad, when Polydorus and Theopompus were Kings of Lacedaemon, a hundred and thirty yeares after ••ycurgus, as Plutarch (in his life) affirmes, from which time there were five annuall Ephori chosen in Lacedaemon, whereof the first is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because the year had its denomination from him: the first of the first election was* 1.7 Elatus; Chilon in the fiftie sixt Olympiad was the first of the five of his year; which might perhaps give the occasion of the mistake to them, who take him to be the first of that institution, of whom is * Sca∣liger.

* 1.8 How he behav'd himself in this office, may be gathered from his speech▪* 1.9 to his brother, displeased that himselfe was not Ephorus at the same time:

I can bear injuries, saith he, you cannot.

He was so just in all his actions,* 1.10 that in his old age he pro∣fessed, he never had done any thing contrary to the conscience of an upright man, only that of one thing he was doubtfull; ha∣ving given sentence against his friend according to law, he ad∣vised his friend to appeal from him (his Judge) so to preserve both his friend and the law:* 1.11 Agellius relates it thus;

When his life drew towards an end, ready to be seized by death, he spoke thus to his friends about him: My words and actions in this long term of years, have been (almost all) such as I need not repent of, which perhaps you also know; truly even at this time I am certain, I never committed any thing, the remembrance whereof begets any trouble in me, unlesse this one thing only, which whether it were done amisse or not, I am uncertain: I sat with two others as Judge upon the life of my friend; the law was such, as the person must of necessity be condemned; so that either my friend must lose his life, or some deceit be used towards the Law: revolving many things in my mind for relief of a condition so despeate, I conceived that which I put in practise to be of all other the most easie to be born: Silently I condemned him, and perswaded those others who judged to absolve him: Thus preserved (in so great a businesse) the dutie both of a judge and friend; but from that act I receive this trouble, that I fear it is not free from perfidiousnesse and guilt, in the same businesse, at the same time, and in a publick affair, to perswade others, contra∣ry to what was in my own judgment best.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Laert.
• * 1.2

  Serm. 28.
• * 1.3

  Herodot. lib. 1. Laert.
• * 1.4

  Laert.
• * 1.5

  Lib. 7. 235:
• * 1.6

  Laert.
• * 1.7

  Plut. vit. Ly∣cur.
• * 1.8

  In Euseb. p. 67:
• * 1.9

  Laert.
• * 1.10

  Laert.
• * 1.11

  Lib. 1. cap. 3: