quence and rank in their native city. His father had distinguished himself as a warrior. The Greek scholiast speaks of him as επιφανούς καὶ έν πολέμω ἀριστεύσαντος. One of his brothers was known as a classical scholar, and broke a lance in defence of Homer with the unhappily famed critic Zoilus[1]. Aratus was brought up by his parents to the profession of a physician, and consequently enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education, the foundation of which might probably have been laid at Tarsus, then rising into renown and eminence as a school of philosophy, and shortly rivaling those of Alexandria and Athens; and hence he might obtain the title of Tarsensis. It was, however, at Athens, the celebrated seat of literature and science, that the Poet completed his education. Here he became the pupil of Menedemus, and of Persæus the Stoic. In the latter the young student found not only a tutor, but a patron and friend. Persæus was in high estimation with Antigonus, sirnamed Gonatas, at that time king of Macedonia[2]; and upon
- ↑ "Hoc uno facinore nobilitatus, quod Homerum ausus sit reprehendere." (Hofm.)
- ↑ Antigonus II. or Gonatas, was the great grandson of Antigonus, Alexander's general. Antigonus intrusted to Persæus the defence of the citadel at Corinth, from which the philosopher fled when it was stormed by Aratus of Sicyon. Plutarch gives the following anecdote. Some time after, when Persæus was amusing himself with disputations in philosophy, and some one advanced this position: "None but a philosopher is fit to be a general:" "It is true," he said, "and indeed, this maxim of Zeno once pleased me more than all the rest, but I changed my opinion, when I was better taught by the young Sicyonian."
