Book 9
12.114
Hence, when he came to read parts of them to Zopyrus the orator, he would turn over the pages and recite whatever came handy; then, when he was half through, he would discover the piece which he had been looking for in vain, so careless was he.Similar carelessness is recorded of Lamartine. Furthermore, he was so easy-going that he would readily go without his dinner. They say that once, when he saw Arcesilaus passing through the knaves-market, he said, What business have you to come here, where we are all free men? He was constantly in the habit of quoting, to those who would admit the evidence of the senses when confirmed by the judgement of the mind, the line— Birds of a feather flock together.Usually explained, after Diogenianus, of two notorious thieves, Attagas the Thessalian and Numenius the Corinthian. There may, however, be a sly hit at Pyrrho’s disciple Numenius (supra, § 102). Or merely the birds partridge and woodcock may be meant, not any Mr. Partridge and Mr. Woodcock. Jesting in this fashion was habitual with him. When a man marvelled at everything, he said, Why do you not marvel that we three have but four eyes between us? for in fact he himself had only one eye, as also had his disciple Dioscurides, while the man whom he addressed was normal.
12.115
Asked once by Arcesilaus why he had come there from Thebes, he replied, Why, to laugh when I have you all in full view ! Yet, while attacking Arcesilaus in his Silli, he has praised him in his work entitled the Funeral Banquet of Arcesilaus.
