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Ateas, the Scythian king, took the flute-player Ismenias captive, and ordered him to play at a banquet. The rest were delighted, and applauded, but Ateas swore his horse’s neighing was sweeter to his ear. Cf.Moralia, 174 f, and the note. So far from the Muses’ habitation did he allow his ears to dwell, and his soul he kept in the mangers,better attuned to hear, not horses’ neigh,but asses’ bray! At the court of monarchs such as these what advancement or esteem could there be for Art, or for Poetry and Music of excellence? Nor, again, could artistic endeavour flourish at the court of those who wish to be rival performers in these arts, and thus through malice and ill-will suppress the true artists. Such a prince was Dionysius (to use him again as an example), who threw the poet Philoxenus Ibid. 471 e; Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, v. 22 (63); Aelian, Varia Historia, xii. 44; Diodorus, xv. 6. into the stone-quarries; for when Dionysius ordered him to correct a tragedy of his, Philoxenus cancelled the whole piece from the very beginning to the final flourish.The coronis at the end of the roll.
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Philip also was in these matters somewhat more petty and childish than became him, since he had acquired his knowledge late in life. Thus they tell the tale that Philip Cf.Moralia, 67 f, 179 b, 634 d. once argued with a certain harp-player about the technique of his instrument, and even thought he was confuting the man; but the harp-player smiled gently and said, God forbid, your Majesty, that you should ever fall so low as to know more of these matters than I.
