lessed among men I count his father Arkesilas, and himself for his
splendid body and his heritage of a dauntless heart.

But if any man shall possess wealth, and withal surpass his fellows in
comely form, and in games have shown his strength to be the best, let
such an one remember that his raiment is upon mortal limbs, and that
the earth shall be his vesture at the end.

Yet in good words of his fellow-citizens is it meet that his praise be
told, and that we make his name comely with notes of honey-sounding
song.

Now among the neighbouring peoples sixteen illustrious victories have
crowned Aristagoras and his famous clan in the wrestling-match and
in the pankration of weighty honour. But hopes too diffident of his
parents kept back the might of their son from essaying the Pythian or
Olympian strife: yet verily by the God of Truth I am persuaded that
both at Castaly and at the tree-clad hill of Kronos, had he gone
thither, he should have turned back home with more honour than any of
his rivals who had striven with him, when that he had kept the fifth
year's feast[3] ordained of Herakles with dance and song, and with the
shining shoots had bound his hair.

But thus among mortals is one cast down from weal by empty boasts,
while another through overmuch mistrusting of his strength is robbed
of his due honours, for that a spirit of little daring draggeth him
backward by the hand.

This were an easy thing to divine, that Peisander's[4] stock was from
Sparta in the time of old (for from Amyklai he came[5] with Orestes,
bringing hither an army of Aiolians in bronze mail): and also that the
blood of his mother's brother Melanippos was blended with Ismenos'
stream[6].

The virtues of an old descent repeat their vigour uncertainly in the
generations of men. Neither doth the black-soiled tilth bring forth
fruit continually, neither will the trees be persuaded to bear with
every year's return a fragrant flower of equal wealth, but in their
turns only. Thus also doth destiny lead on the race of mortals. From
Zeus there cometh no clear sign to men: yet nevertheless we enter on
high counsels, and meditate many acts: for by untameable hope our
bodies are enthralled: but the tides of our affairs are hidden from
our fore-knowledge. Meet is it to pursue advantage moderately:
fiercest is the madness that springeth from unappeasable desires.

[Footnote 1: The sacred fire of the state, over which Hestia watched,
was kept in the