But Lucullus, met Tigranes fresh and unfoiled, elated and exulting in the battles he had fought and the victories he had won *. Nor is the number of the enemy's troops. which Cimon defeated, in the least to be compared to that. of those who gave battle to Lucullus. In short, when we weigh all the advantages of each of thefe great men, it is hard to fay to which fide the balance. inclines. Heaven appears to have favoured both; direct ing the one to what he should do, and warning the other what he should avoid. So that the gods bore witness of their virtue, and regarded them as perfons in whom there was fomething divine.. NICI A S. WE have pitched upon Craffus, as a proper person to be put in parallel-with Nicias, and the misfortunes which befel the one in Parthia, with those which overtook the other in Sicily. But we have an apology to make to the reader on another account. As we are now undertaking a hiftory, where Thucydides in the pathetic has even outdone himself, and in energy and variety of compofition is perfectly inimitable; we hope no one will fufpect we have the ambition of Timæus, who flattered himself he could exceed the power of Thucydides, and make † Philiftus pafs for an inelegant and ordinary writer. Under the influence of that deception, Timæus plunges into the midit of the battles both at fea and land, and fpeeches in which * Πλάθει δ' εδ' αξιον παραβαλειν τοις επι Λ8κελλον συνελθεσε της υπο κίμωνος κρατηθέντας. M. Dacier thinks, that if, befide the other advantages juft mentioned, the advantage be alfo allowed Lucullus in refpect of the number of barbarians he had defeated, the balance muft clearly incline to his fide. But while he fays this, he feems to have forgot the preference his author had given Cimon, in refpect to his continuing his labours for his country to the last hour of his life; the more excellent use and application of riches; his knowing how to gain and keep the hearts of his foldiers; and his gaining important victories on two different elements in one day. Philiftus was fo able a writer that Cieero calls him younger Thucydides. which thofe hiftorians fhine the most. However, he foon appears, Not like a footman by the Lydian car, * as Pindar expreffes it, but a fhallow puerile writer, or, to use the words of the poet Diphilus, Sometimes he falls into the dreams of +Xenarchus: as' where he says, "He could not but confider it as a bad "omen for the Athenians, that they had a general with 66 a name derived from victory, who difapproved the expedition." As alfo, ".That by the mutilation of the "Hermæ, the gods prefignified that they should fuffer "moft in the Syracufan war from Hermocrates the fon of "Hermon." And again," It is probable that Hercu"les affifted the Syracufans, because Proferpine delivered "up Cerberus to him; and that he was offended at the "Athenians for fupporting the gefteans, who were de"fcended from the Trojans his mortal enemies, whofe ci"ty he had facked in revenge for the injuries he had re"ceived from Laomedon." He made thefe fine obfervations with the fame difcernment, which put him upon finding fault with the language of Philiftus, and cenfuring the writings of Plato and Ariftotle. For my part, I cannot but think all emulation and jealoufy about expreffion, betrays a littlenefs of mind, and is the characteristic of a fophift: and when that spirit of contest attempts things inimitable, it is perfectly abfurd. M 6. Since, * Timæus might have his vanity, and if he hoped to excel Thucydides, he certainly had. Yet Cicero and Diodorus fpeak of him as a very able hiftorian. Longinus reconciles the cenfure and the praife. He fays, fometimes you find in him the grand and fublime. But, blind to his own defects, he is much inclined to cenfure others, and is fo fond of thinking out of the common road, that he often finks into the utmost puerility. + Xenarchus, the peripatetic, was mafter to Strabo; and Xenarchus, the comic poet, was author of feveral pieces of humour: but we know no hiftorian of that name. That is, Nicias. Nice fignifies victory. Longinus quotes this paffage as an example of the frigid style, and of thofe puerilities he had condemned in Timæus. Since, therefore, it is impoffible to pass over in filence those actions of Nicias which Thucydides and Philistus have recorded; especially fuch as indicate his manner and difpofition, which often lay concealed under the weight of his misfortunes; we fhall give an abstract from them of what appears moft neceffary, left we should be accused of negligence or indolence. As for other matters not gene rally known, which are found scattered in hiftorians, or in ancient infcriptions and decrees, we fhall collect them with care; not to gratify an ufelefs curiofity, but by drawing from them the true lines of this general's character, to ferve the purposes of real instruction. The first thing I fhall mention relating to him, is the obfervation of Aristotle; that three of the most worthy men in Athens, who had a paternal regard and friendship for the people, were Nicias the fon of Niceratus, Thucydides the fon of Milefias, and Theramenes the fon of Agon. The laft, indeed, was not fo remarkable in this refpect, as the other two. For he had been reproached with his birth, as a stranger come from the Ile of Ceos; and from his want of firmness, or rather verfatility in matters of government, he was called the Bufkin *. Thucydides was the oldest of the three; and when Pe ricles acted a flattering part to the people, he often oppofed him in behalf of the nobility. Though Nicias was much the younger man, he gained fome reputation while Pericles lived, infomuch that he was feveral times his colleague in the war, and often commanded alone. But when Pericles died, he was foon advanced to the head of the adminiftration, particularly by the influence of the rich and great, who hoped he would prove a barrier against the daring infolence of Cleon. He had, however, the good wishes of the people, and they contributed their fhare to his advancement. It is true, Cleon had confiderable intereft, which he gained by making his court to the old men, and by his frequent donations to the poor citizens. Yet even many of thofe whom he ftudied to oblige, feeing his avarice and effrontery, *The form of the bufkin was fuch that it might be worn indifferently on either leg. effrontery, came over to Nicias. For the gravity of Nicias had nothing auftere or morofe in it, but was mixed with a reverence for the people in which fear feemed to be prevalent, and confequently was very agreeable to them. Indeed, he was naturally timid and cold-hearted; but this defect was concealed by the long courfe of fucecfs with which fortune favoured his expeditions. And his timidity in the affemblies of the people, and dread of perfons who made a trade of impeachments, was a popular thing. It contributed not a little to gain him the regards of the multitude, who are afraid of those that despise them, and love to promote those that fear them; becaufe in general the greatest honour they can hope to attain, is not to be despised by the great. As Pericles kept the reigns of government in his hands, by means of real virtue, and by the force of his eloquence, he had no need to hold out falfe colours, or to use any artifice with the people. Nicias was deficient in those great endowments, but had fuperior riches; and he applied them to the purposes of popularity. On another hand, he could not, like Cleon, divert and draw the people by an eafy manner, and the fallies of buffoonery; and therefore he amufed them with the chorufes of tragedy, with gymnastic exercises, and fuch like exhibitions, which far exceeded, in point of magnificence and elegance, all that went before him, and thofe of his own times too. Two of his offerings to the gods are to be feen at this day; the one a flatue of Pallas dedicated in the citadel, which has loft part of its gilding; the other a fmall chapel in the temple of Bacchus, under the tripods which are commonly offered up by those who gain the prize in tragedy. Indeed, Nicias, was already victorious in those exhibitions. It is faid that in a chorus of that kind, one of his flaves appeared in the character of Bacchus. The flave was of an uncommon fize and beauty, but had not yet arrived at maturity: and the people were fo charmed with him, that they gave him long plaudits. At last, Nicias rofe up and faid, "He fhould think it an act of 66 impiety to retain a person in fervitude, who seemed by "the public voice to be confecrated to a god ;" and he enfranchised him upon the fpot. His regulations with refpect to Delos, are ftill fpoken of, as worthy of the deity who prefides there. Before his time, the choirs which the cities fent to fing the praifes of Apollo, landed in a diforderly manner, becaufe the inhabitants of the ifland ufed to run up to the ship, and prefs them to fing before they were difembarked; fo that they were forced to strike up, as they were putting on their robes and garlands. But when Nicias had the conduct of this ceremony, known by the name of Theoria, he landed first in the Ile of Rhenia with the choir, the victims, and all the other neceffary preparations. He had taken care to have a bridge conftructed before he left Athens, which fhould reach from that ifle to Delos, and which was magnificently gilded, and adorned with gar lands, rich stuffs and tapestry. In the night he threw his bridge over the channel, which was not large; and at break of day he marched over it at the head of the proceffion, with his choir richly habited and finging hymns to the god. After the facrifices, the games and banquets were over, he confecrated a palm-tree of brafs to Apollo, and likewise a field which he had purchased for ten thou fand drachmas. The Delians were to lay out the income in facrifices and feafting, and at the fame time to pray for Apollo's bleffing upon the founder. This is inscribed on a pillar, which he left in Delos as a monument of his benefaction. As for the palm-tree, it was broken by the winds,' and the fragment falling upon a great ftatue + which the people of Naxos had fet up, demolished it. It is obvious that most of these things were done for oftentation, and with a view to popularity. Nevertheless, we may collect from the rest of his life and conduct, that ́ religion had the principal fhare in thefe dedications, and that popularity was but a fecondary motive. For he certainly was remarkable for his fear of the gods, and, as Thucydides obferves, he was pious to a degree of fuperftition 1. It is related in the dialogues of Pafiphon, that he facrificed every day, and that he had a diviner in his houfe, who, in appearance, inquired the fuccefs of the public affairs, but in reality was much oftner confulted about *There was a felect band of mufic annually fent by the principal' cities of Greece. The proceffion was called Theoria, and it was looked upon as an honourable commiffion to have the management of it A ftatue which the Naxians had dedicated to Apollo. The pedeftal has been difcovered by fome modern travellers. Thucyd... vii. |