10
Eumetis, to judge by her appearance, would have liked to give him an answer, but restrained herself with all modesty, and her face was covered with blushes. But Aesop, as though he would take her part, said, Is it not then even more ridiculous not to be able to solve these? Take, for instance, the one which she propounded to us a few minutes before dinner: Sooth I have seen a man with fire fasten bronze on another. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. ii. p. 440, Cleobulina, No. 1. Could you tell me what this is?
10
No, said Cleodorus, and I don’t want to be told, either.
10
Yet it is a fact, said Aesop,that nobody knows this more perfectly than you, or does it better, either; and if you deny this, I have cupping-glasses to testify to it.
10
At this Cleodorus laughed; for of all the physicians of his time he was most given to the use of cuppingglasses, and it was largely owing to him that this form of treatment has come to have such repute.
11
Mnesiphilus the Athenian, Mnesiphilus, according to Plutarch, Life of Themistocles, chap. ii. (p. 112 D), handed down the political wisdom of Solon to Themistocles. At any rate Herodotus, viii. 57, represents Mnesiphilus as advising Themistocles against withdrawing the Greek fleet from Salamis. Cf. also Plutarch, Moralia, 869 D-E. a warm friend and admirer of Solon’s, said, I think it is no more than fair, Periander, that the conversation, like the wine, should not be apportioned on the basis of wealth or rank, but equally to all, as in a democracy, and that it should be general. Now in what has just been said dealing with dominion and kingdom, we who live under a popular government have no part. Therefore I think that at this time each of you ought to contribute an opinion on the subject of republican government, beginning again with Solon.
