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FUNDANUS. A cheerful behaviour toward the affairs of life makes a master cheerful and gentle toward his slaves also; and if to slaves, he will evidently be so to his friends as well as to those who are subject to his rule. And in fact we observe that ne wly purchased slaves inquire about their new master, not whether he is superstititious or envious, but whether he is ill-tempered Cf. Plutarch, De Calumnia, Frag. 1 (Bernardakis, vol. vii. p. 128).; and, speaking generally, we see that if anger is present in a home, husbands cannot endure even their wives’ chastity, nor wives even their husbands’ love, nor friends even familiar intercourse with one another. Thus neither marriage nor friendship is tolerable if anger is there, but without anger even drunkenness is easily borne. For the wand of Dionysus suffices to punish the drunkard, unless hot temper is added and makes the undiluted drink Choreius and Lyaeus, epithets of Dionysus. cause of savagery and madness instead of a dispeller of care and an inspirer of the dance. Madness pure and simple can indeed be cured by AnticyraA town on the Corinthian Gulf in Phocis, famous for its hellebore; see Rolfe’s note on Aulus Gellius, xvii. 15. 6 (L.C.L., vol. iii. p. 260).; but if madness is mingled with anger, it produces tragedies and tales of horror.
