Plutarch's Lives : the translation called Dryden's . ations. These, however, he dissembled, and rodethrough his army without either breastplate or helmet,with a serene and cheerful countenance. On the contrary, as Polybius relates, no sooner was thebattle begun, but the Macedonian king basely withdrew tothe city Pydna, under a pretence of sacrificing to Hercules;a god that is not wont to regard the faint ofierings ofcowards, or to fulfil unsanctioned vows. For truly it canhardly be a thing that heaven would sanction, that he thatnever shoots should carry away the prize; he triumph thatslinks f
Plutarch's Lives : the translation called Dryden's . ations. These, however, he dissembled, and rodethrough his army without either breastplate or helmet,with a serene and cheerful countenance. On the contrary, as Polybius relates, no sooner was thebattle begun, but the Macedonian king basely withdrew tothe city Pydna, under a pretence of sacrificing to Hercules;a god that is not wont to regard the faint ofierings ofcowards, or to fulfil unsanctioned vows. For truly it canhardly be a thing that heaven would sanction, that he thatnever shoots should carry away the prize; he triumph thatslinks from the battle; he that takes no pains meet withsuccess, or the wicked man prosper. But to ^uiiliusspetitions the god listened; he prayed for victory with hissword in his hand, and fought while entreating divineassistance. A certain Posidonius, who has at some length written ahistory of Perseus, and professes to have lived at the time,and to have been himself engaged in these events, deniesthat Perseus left the field either through fear or pretence. .?EMILIUS PAULUS. 115 of sacrificing, but that, the very day before the , hereceived a kiclc from a horse on his thigh: that thoughvery nuicli disabled, and dissuaded by all his friends, heconuuanded one of his riding-horses to be brought, andentered the field unarmed; that amongst au infinitenumber of darts that flow about on all sides, one of ironlighted on him, and though not with the point, yet by aglance struck him with such force on his left side, that ittore his clothes and so bruistxl his flesh, that the markremained a long time after. This is wliat Posidonius saysin defence of Perseus. The Romans not being able to make a breach in the pha-lanx, one Salius, a commander of the Pelignians, snatchedthe ensign of his company and threw it amongst tlieenemies; on seeing wdiich, the Pelignians (as amongst theItalians it is always thought the greatest breach of honorto abandon a standard) rushed with great violence towardsthe
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