The Life of Polemo

I. Polemo was the son of Philostratus, an Athenian, of the burgh of Œa. And when he was young, he was so very intemperate and profligate, that he used always to carry money about with him, to procure the instant gratification of his passions; and he used also to hide money in the narrow alleys, for this purpose. And once there was found in the Academy a piece of three obols, hidden against one of the columns, which he had put there for some purpose like that which I have indicated; and on one occasion he arranged beforehand with some young men, and rushed, adorned with a garland, and drunk, into the school of Xenocrates. But he took no notice of him, and continued his discourse as he had begun it, and it was in praise of temperance; and the young man, hearing it, was gradually charmed, and became so industrious, that he surpassed all the rest of the disciples, and himself became the successor of Xenocrates, in his school beginning in the hundred and sixteenth olympiad.

I. Polemo was the son of Philostratus, an Athenian from the district of Œa. As a young man, he was so self-indulgent and dissolute that he always carried money to satisfy his desires immediately. He also hid money in narrow alleys for the same purpose. Once, a three-obol coin was found hidden against a column in the Academy. Polemo had put it there for a similar purpose. On one occasion, after making plans with some young men, Polemo burst into the school of Xenocrates, drunk and wearing a garland. But Xenocrates took no notice of him and continued the discourse he had begun, praising moderation. As Polemo listened, he gradually became captivated. He became so diligent that he surpassed all the other students. He succeeded Xenocrates as head of the school, beginning in the one hundred and sixteenth olympiad.

II. And Antigonus, of Carystus, says in his Lives, that his father had been the chief man of the city, and had kept chariots for the Olympic games.

II. Antigonus of Carystus says in his Lives that his father had been the city's leading man. He had kept chariots for the Olympic games.

III. He also asserts that Polemo was prosecuted by his wife, on the charge of ill-treatment, because he indulged in illicit pleasures, and despised her.

III. He also says that Polemo’s wife brought charges of mistreatment against him because he pursued illicit pleasures and despised her.

IV. But that when he began to devote himself to philosophy, he adopted such a rigorous system of morals, that he for the future always continued the same in appearance, and never even changed his voice, on which account Crantor was charmed by him. Accordingly, on one occasion, when a dog was mad and had bitten his leg, he was the only person who did not turn pale; and once, when there was a great confusion in the city, he, having heard the cause, remained where he was without fleeing. In the theatres too he was quite immoveable; accordingly, when Nicostratus the poet, who was surnamed Clytæmnestra, was once reading something to him and Crates, the latter was excited to sympathy, he behaved as though he heard nothing. And altogether, he was such as Melanthius, the painter, describes in his treatise on Painting; for he says that some kind of obstinacy and harshness ought to exist in works of art as in morals.

IV. But when he began studying philosophy, he adopted such a strict moral code that his appearance always remained the same. He never even changed his tone of voice. For this reason, Crantor was charmed by him. Once, a mad dog bit him on the leg, and he was the only person who did not turn pale. Another time, when there was great confusion in the city, he heard the cause and stayed where he was instead of fleeing. He was equally unmoved at the theater. Once, Nicostratus the poet, who was nicknamed Clytæmnestra, read something to him and Crates. Crates was moved to sympathy, but he acted as though he heard nothing. In all, he was as Melanthius the painter describes in his treatise on Painting. Melanthius says that some stubbornness and harshness should be present in works of art, as in morals.

And Polemo used to say that a man ought to exercise himself in action, and not in dialectic speculations, as if one had drunk in and dwelt upon a harmonious kind of system of art, so as to be admired for one’s shrewdness, in putting questions; but to be inconsistent with one’s self in character. He was, then, a well-bred and high-spirited man, avoiding what Aristophanes says of Euripides, speeches of vinegar and assafœtida, such as he says himself:—

Polemo used to say that a man should practice philosophy through action, not through abstract argument. He should not simply absorb and dwell on a coherent system of principles. That might win him admiration for his clever questions, while his character remained inconsistent. Polemo was a well-bred and spirited man. He avoided what Aristophanes attributes to Euripides, speeches of vinegar and assafœtida, such as Aristophanes himself describes:

V. And he did not use to lecture on the propositions before him while sitting down; but he would walk about, it is said, and so discuss them. And he was much honoured in the city because of his noble sentiments; and after he had been walking about, he would rest in his garden; and his pupils erected little cabins near it, and dwelt near his school and corridor.

V. He did not lecture on the topics before him while sitting down. Instead, he reportedly walked around as he discussed them. He was highly respected in the city because of his noble ideals. After walking, he would rest in his garden. His pupils built small cabins nearby and lived close to his school and corridor.

VI. And as it seems, Polemo imitated Xenocrates in everything; and Aristippus, in the fourth book of his treatise on Ancient Luxury, says that Xenocrates loved him; at all events, Polemo used to be always speaking of him, and praising his guileless nature, and his rigorous virtues, and his chaste severity, like that of a Doric building.

VI. It seems that Polemo imitated Xenocrates in everything. In the fourth book of Ancient Luxury, Aristippus says that Xenocrates loved Polemo. In any case, Polemo was always speaking of Xenocrates. He praised his innocent nature, his rigorous virtues, and his austere chastity, which he compared to a Doric building.

VII. He was also very fond of Sophocles, and especially of those passages where, according to one of the comic poets, he seemed to have had a Molossian hound for his colleague in composing his poems; and when there was, to use the expression of Phrynichus:—

VII. He was also very fond of Sophocles, especially the passages that, as one comic poet said, seemed to have been written with the help of a Molossian hound. And when there was, to use Phrynichus's expression:

And he used to say that Homer was an epic Sophocles, and Sophocles a tragic Homer.

He used to say that Homer was an epic Sophocles, and Sophocles was a tragic Homer.

VIII. And he died when he was very old, of decline, having left behind him a great number of writings. And there is this epigram of ours upon him:—

VIII. He died of decline at a very old age, leaving behind many writings. Here is our epigram about him: