| Plutarch's Parallel Lives | |
| The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch | |
|
From the Life of Titus Flamininus, The Conqueror of Philip
Among the songs written after the battle of Cynos Cephalas (the
Dog-heads), was the following epigram, composed by Alcaeus in
mockery of Philip, exaggerating the number of the slain:
Naked and tombless see, O passer-by
The thirty thousand men of Thessaly,
Slain by the Aetolians and the Latin band,
That came with Titus from Italia's land:
Alas for mighty Macedon! that day,
Swift as a roe, king Philip fled away.
Titus himself thought more highly of his liberation of Greece than
of any other of his actions, as appears by the inscription upon
some silver targets, dedicated together with his own shield, to
Apollo at Delphi:
Ye Spartan Tyndarids, twin sons of Jove,
Who in swift horsemanship have placed your love,
Titus, of great Aeneas' race, leaves this
In honor of the liberty of Greece.
And a golden crown, also offered to Apollo, bore this inscription:
This golden crown upon thy locks divine,
O blest Latona's son, was set to shine
By the great captain of the Aenean name
O Phoebus, grant the noble Titus fame!
When the ambassadors of Antiochus were recounting to those of
Achaea, the various multitudes composing their royal master's
forces, and ran over a long catalogue of hard names, "I supped
once," said Titus, "with a friend, and could not forbear
expostulating with him at the number of dishes he had provided,
and said I wondered where he had furnished himself with such a
variety; 'Sir,' replied he, 'to confess the truth, it is all hog's
flesh differently cooked.' And so, men of Achaea, when you are
told of Antiochus' lancers, and pikemen, and foot-guards, I advise
you not to be surprised; since in fact they are all Syrians
differently armed."
The Chalcidians, who owed their lives to Titus, dedicated to him
all the best and most magnificent of their sacred buildings,
inscriptions upon which, like the following, may be seen to this
day: THE PEOPLE DEDICATE THIS GYMNASIUM TO TITUS AND TO HERCULES;
so again: THE PEOPLE CONSECRATE THE DELPHINIUM TO TITUS AND TO
HERCULES; and what is yet more remarkable, even in our time, a
priest of Titus was formally elected and declared; and after
sacrifice and libation, they sang a set song, of which these are
the closing verses:--
The Roman Faith, whose aid of yore,
Our vows were offered to implore,
We worship now and evermore.
To Rome, to Titus, and to Jove,
O maidens, in the dances move.
Dances and Io-Paeans too
Unto the Roman Faith are due
O Savior Titus, and to you.
Return to
©2013 About.com. All rights reserved. | |
