[Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations by Marcus Tullius Cicero]@TWC D-Link book
Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations

BOOK II
17/38

This is certainly Eurypylus himself.

What an experienced man!--While his friend is continually enlarging on his misfortunes, you may observe that he is so far from weeping that he even assigns a reason why he should bear his wounds with patience.
Who at his enemy a stroke directs, His sword to light upon himself expects.
Patroclus, I suppose, will lead him off to his chamber to bind up his wounds, at least if he be a man: but not a word of that; he only inquires how the battle went: Say how the Argives bear themselves in fight?
And yet no words can show the truth as well as those, your deeds and visible sufferings.
Peace! and my wounds bind up; but though Eurypylus could bear these afflictions, AEsopus could not, Where Hector's fortune press'd our yielding troops; and he explains the rest, though in pain.

So unbounded is military glory in a brave man! Shall, then, a veteran soldier be able to behave in this manner, and shall a wise and learned man not be able?
Surely the latter might be able to bear pain better, and in no small degree either.

At present, however, I am confining myself to what is engendered by practice and discipline.

I am not yet come to speak of reason and philosophy.


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