the
painters and sculptors were of high excellence, being frequently
endowed by heaven, not only with the additional gift of poetry, as
we read in Pacuvius, but also with that of philosophy. Metrodorus is
an instance in point, for he was equally skilled as a philosopher and
as a painter, and when Apelles was sent by the Athenians to Paulus
Emilius to adorn his triumph he remained to teach philosophy to the
general's sons. Sculpture was thus generally practised in Greece,
where there flourished a number of excellent artists, among them
being Phidias of Athens, Praxiteles and Polycletus, very great
masters. Lysippus and Pyrgoteles who were of considerable skill in
engraving, and Pygmalion in ivory carving in relief, it being
recorded of him that he obtained life by his prayers for the figure
of a maid carved by him. The ancient Greeks and Romans also honoured
and rewarded painting, since they granted the citizenship and very
liberal gifts to those who excelled in this art. Painting flourished
in Rome to such an extent that Fabius gave a name to his house,
subscribing himself in the beautiful things he did in the temple of
safety as Fabius the painter. By public decree slaves were prohibited
from practising painting, and so much honour was continually afforded
by the people to the art and to artists that rare works were sent to
Rome among the spoils to appear in the triumphs; excellent artists
who were slaves obtained their liberty and received notable rewards
from the republic. The Romans bore such a reverence for the art that
when the city of Syracuse was sacked Marcellus gave orders that his
men should treat with respect a famous artist there, and also that
they should be careful not to set fire to a quarter in which there
was a very fine picture. This was afterwards carried to Rome to adorn
his triumph. To that city in the course of time almost all the spoils
of the world were brought, and the artists themselves gathered there
beside these excellent works. By such means Rome became an
exceedingly beautiful city, more richly adorned by the statues of
foreign artists than by those made by natives. It is known that in
the little island city of Rhodes there were more than 30,000 statues,
in bronze and marble, nor did the Athenians possess less, while those
of Olympus and Delphi were more numerous still, and those of Corinth
were without number, all being most beautiful and of great price.
Does not every one know how Nicome