0"T' LAERT> "! - USP

2 ANCIENT TIMES.
5
might have been in his profession. The writings ascribed
to him bespeak genuine philanthropy, sincere religious
feeling, and glowing patriotism. From the prevailing petty
agitations of political or social parties he held himself
aloof and lived only for his science and his calling. The
words which EURIPIDES addresses to the Natural Philo­
sopher may be applied to him :
" Oh ! happy the man
Who exploring the realms of knowledge has thoroughly surveyed them.
Thought does not lead him towards strife pernicious to the citizens
Or to a deed of wrong:
He thoroughly investigates the never-aging Universe
Of the Everlasting Mother—Nature ;-how it came into being:
Never harbours in the heart of the upright man
A thought of shameful actions."
HIPPOKRATES passed the last years of his life in Thessaly :
and there he is said to have died. Even up to the time of
SORANUS* his tomb was pointed out in the district
between Gyrton and Larissa: on it a swarm of bees had
settled, and the honey thence derived was considered to
have the power of healing sores in the mouths of children.
The high importance of HIPPOKRATES was already recognized
by his contemporaries. PLATO t compared him with
POLYKLEITOS and PHEIDIAS, and ARISTOTLE X called him
the 'Great' HIPPOKRATES. His writings were preserved
by his successors with the works of the other members of
his family and served them for medical teaching and for
instruction when they had need of counsel in their professional
practice. When the Ptolemies began to found a
library and with this object caused the works of the most
celebrated authors to be bought, transcripts of the Hippokratic
collection reached Alexandria. Through the unprincipled
acts of interested speculators, who turned the
love for books manifested by Egyptian kings to their own
account, the opportunity was seized upon for ascribing to
renowned authors many works not belonging to them in
* Op. cit. p. 254. t Protagoras c. 3. J Polit. vii, 4.