and therefore it could not be lasting.
But, it may be asked, did not Rome flourish by her wars? It is hard to
answer such a question, in an age which values wealth, luxury, and
dominion more than a gentle peaceful life that wrongs no one and
suffices for itself. Yet this fact seems to tell for Lykurgus, that the
Romans gained such an enormous increase of power by departing from
Numa's policy, while the Lacedaemonians, as soon as they fell away from
the discipline of Lykurgus, having been the haughtiest became the most
contemptible of Greeks, and not only lost their supremacy, but had even
to struggle for their bare existence. On the other hand, it was truly
glorious for Numa that he was a stranger and sent for by the Romans to
be their king; that he effected all his reforms without violence, and
ruled a city composed of discordant elements without any armed force
such as Lykurgus had to assist him, winning over all men and reducing
them to order by his wisdom and justice.

LIFE OF SOLON.

I. Didymus the grammarian, in the book about Solon's laws which he wrote
in answer to Asklepiades, quotes a saying of one Philokles, that Solon
was the son of Euphorion, which is quite at variance with the testimony
of all other writers who have mentioned Solon: for they all say that he
was the son of Exekestides, a man whose fortune and power were only
moderate, but whose family was of the noblest in Athens; for he was
descended from Kodrus the last Athenian king. Herakleides of Pontus
relates that the mother of Solon was first cousin to the mother of
Peisistratus. The two boys, we are told, were friends when young, and
when in after years they differed in politics they still never
entertained harsh or angry feelings towards one another, but kept alive
the sacred flame of their former intimate friendship. Peisistratus is
even said to have dedicated the statue of Love in the Academy where
those who are going to run in the sacred torch-race light their torches.

II. According to Hermippus, Solon, finding that his father had by his
generosity diminished his fortune, and feeling ashamed to be dependent
upon others, when he himself was come of a house more accustomed to give
than to receive, embarked in trade, although his friends were eager to
supply him with all that he could wish for. Some, however, say that
Solon travelled more with a view to gaining experience and learning than
to making money. He was indeed eager to learn,