wisdom of many distinguished men, he
eclipsed them all, though he followed none of the studies by which young
men were then gaining themselves a reputation, but chose a different
path. He did not practise at the bar, nor could he bring himself to
court the favour of the people by the greetings, embraces, and
professions of friendship to which most men used to stoop to obtain
popularity. Not that he was by nature unfitted for such pursuits; but he
considered it better to gain a reputation for courage, justice, and
truth, in which he soon outshone his contemporaries.

[Footnote A: In Sintenis's text the chapter with which this life usually
begins is prefixed to the Life of Timoleon.]

III. The first honourable office for which he was a candidate was that
of aedile, for which he was elected against twelve others, who, they
say, all afterwards became consuls. When chosen a priest of the college
of Augurs, whom the Romans appoint to watch and register the omens
derived from the flight of birds, or the signs of the heavens, he so
carefully applied himself to learning the ancient customs and religion
of his ancestors, that the priesthood, hitherto merely considered as an
empty title of honour and sought after for that reason only, became
regarded as the sublimest craft of all, confirming the saying of the
philosophers, that holiness consists in a knowledge of how to serve the
gods. Under him everything was done with both zeal and skill. He
neglected all other duties, when engaged upon these, neither omitting
any part nor adding any, arguing with his companions, when they blamed
him for his care about trifles, that though a man might think that
heaven was merciful and forgiving of negligences, yet that habitual
disregard and overlooking of such points was dangerous for the state,
seeing that no one ever begins till some flagrant breach of the law to
disturb the constitution, but those who are careless of accuracy in
small things soon begin to neglect the most important. He was no less
severe in exacting and maintaining military discipline than with
religious observances, never forgetting the general in the demagogue,
nor, as many then did, endeavouring to make his first command lead to a
second by indulgence and affability to his troops, but, like a priest
expounding mysteries, he carefully taught them everything requisite for
a campaign, and, by his severity to the careless and disobedient,
restored the former glory to his c