Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON ANGER, III. XX. 1-4a whole population in Syria, whence it gets its nameof " Land-of-the-stump-nosed." Think you he wasmerciful because he did not cut off their entire heads ?No, he got some pleasure from a new kind of punishment.And the Ethiopians, who on account of theprodigiously long time they live are kno\vn as the" Longevals," might also have suffered some such fate.For Cambyses became enraged against them because,instead of embracing servitude with outstretchedarms, they sent envoys and made reply in the independentwords which kings call insults ; wherefore,without pro\dding supphes, Avithout investigatingthe roads, through a trackless and desert region hehurried against them his whole host of fighting men.During the first day's march his food supplies beganto fail, and the country itself, barren and uncultivatedand untrodden by the foot of man, furnished themnothing. At first the tenderest parts of leaves andshoots of trees satisfied their hunger, then skinssoftened by fire and whatever necessity forced themto use as food. After, amid the desert sands, evenroots and herbage failed them, and they viewed awilderness destitute also of animal life, choosingvery tenth man by lot, they secured the nutrimenthat was more cruel than hunger. And still thewas driven headlong onwards by his anger,til having lost one part of his army and having.evoured another part, he began to fear that he tooght be summoned to the choice by lot. Only thenid he give the signal for retreat. And all the whileowls of choice breed were being kept for him, and;amels carried supplies for his feasts, while hisoldiers drew^lots to discover who should miserably>erish, who should more miserably^ve^^307