Book 13
9
But, above all other cases, those who when advanced in years marry young wives, do not perceive that they are running voluntarily into danger, which every one else foresees plainly; and that, too, though the Megarian poetTheognis. has given them this warning:— A young wife suits not with an aged husband; For she will not obey the pilot's helm Like a well-managed boat; nor can the anchor Hold her securely in her port, but oft She breaks her chains and cables in the night, And headlong drives into another harbour. And Theophilus, in his Neoptolemus, says— A young wife does not suit an old man well; For, like a crazy boat, she not at all Answers the helm, but slips her cable off By night, and in some other port is found.
10
And I do not think that any of you are ignorant, my friends, that the greatest wars have taken place on account of women:—the Trojan war on account of Helen; the plague which took place in it was on account of Chryseis; the anger of Achilles was excited about Briseis; and the war called the Sacred War, on account of another wife (as Duris relates in the second book of his History), who was a Theban by birth, by name Theano, and who was carried off by some Phocian. And this war also lasted ten years, and in the tenth year was brought to an end by the cooperation of Philip; for by his aid the Thebans took Phocis.
