addressed to the emperor, they are written in so enigmatical a style that they will have to be explained to him, either by myself in person, or by you acting as my interpreter." Damis says that he discovered when it was too late that this statement was only a pretext, for the letter was very clearly written concerning affairs of state, and might as well have been sent by any other messenger. What then was the purpose of this subterfuge? During all his life Apollonius is said to have repeated frequently this maxim: "Live unobserved; but if that is impossible, at least die unobserved." In order to procure Damis' absence, so that he might pass away without a witness, he invented the necessity of his taking the letter to Rome. Damis says that he himself was much agitated over the leavetaking, although he had no inkling of what would happen; but that Apollonius, who knew it well, said none of those things to him which men usually say at parting with those they will see no more, he seemed to be so sure that he would live forever; but that he did leave with him this last word: "Keep me before your eyes, Damis, even if you should be philosophizing all alone." 29. With that monition end the memoranda which Damis the Assyrian has left us concerning Apollonius of Tyana. Many others have professed to tell how he died, if he did die, but nothing of it is told by Damis. Nevertheless I must not pass over those accounts in silence, for his end is the necessary completion of my biography. Neither has Damis told us anything of the Master's age, and some traditions say that he reached eighty years, some more than ninety, and others far more than a hundred, and that he aged gradually while preserving perfect health in all his body, and that he was even more beautiful as an old man than he had been in his youth. In wrinkles themselves there may be a certain attractiveness, which notably bloomed in him, as is proved by his statues in his temple at Tyana, and by those orations which celebrate the old age of Apollonius as more charming than the youth of Alcibiades. 30. Some traditions say that he died at Ephesus in the care of two maidservants, for his freedmen whom I mentioned in the beginning had died before that; and that when he had emancipated one of these women, the other had upbraided him for not being equally kind to her; and that Apollonius had said to her: "On the contrary, you must be her slave, for only so can good-fortune come to you;" and that on his death she did become the slave of the other woman, who on some slight provocation sold her to a slave-dealer, from whom someone bought her who fell in love that she had children by him. Others say that the Master's end came at Lindus in Rhodes, where he entered the temple of Athene, and there vanished from the sight of men. Another account tells that it occurred in Crete, and more marvellously than in the Lindus story. It tells how he was lingering in Crete more reverenced than ever before, and that he made his way at dead of night into the temple at Dictynna. Dogs are kept in this temple to guard the treasures deposited there, which animals the Cretans think a match for bears or any other such savage beasts. The story goes that these dogs did not bark at his coming, but fawned upon him more affectionately than upon their own keepers; and that the chief priests of the temple laid hands upon him, and chained him as a sorcerer and robber, accusing him of administering some narcotic to their hounds; and that he freed himself from his chains about midnight, and after calling to his captors, like one who had nothing to conceal, he hastened to the temple doors which flung themselves open to receive him, and when he had passed through they came together and locked themselves again behind him, while the sound of girlish voices re-echoed from the temple, singing: "Come from earth! Come to heaven! Come!" That is to say: "Ascend from earth!" 31. Even after that he continued to philosophize upon the immortality of the soul so far as to teach that this doctrine is true, but he did not permit inquisitiveness concerning so stupendous a fact. After he had left the world of men, his mutation was the subject of much speculation, though no one ventured to express a doubt of his immortality. This gave rise to many discussions concerning the soul, at Tyana especially, for there the young men were entirely devoted to philosophy, and one disputatious and stubborn youth who had come there would not concede that the soul is immortal, saying: "Sirs, I have now been praying to Apollonius constantly for ten months past, that he would reveal to me the truth about the soul, but he is so dead that he has not shown himself to me for all my prayers, nor has he given me any proof of his own immortality." After speaking thus, he held forth again on the same subject five days later, and then fell asleep where he sat, while his companions who had been listening to him were absorbed in their books, or engaged in drawing geometrical figures on the ground. Suddenly he leapt wildly to his feet, half-awake and dripping with perspiration, and cried out: "You have convinced me now!" When the others asked what had befallen him he exclaimed: "Do you not see Apollonius the Sage standing there, listening to what you say, and chanting marvellous words about the soul?" "Where is he?" they asked: "for he is not visible to us anywhere, although we long for a sight of him more than for the wealth of all mankind!" Then the youth said: “It would seem that he has manifested himself only to me, because of my lack of faith. Listen then to his divine revelation: ""Thy soul is deathless, and not thine but God's; After the body's death it leaps from it But what is this to thee, before the time? All will be plain when thou shalt cease to breathe; This clear revelation has been set by Apollonius over the hidden mysteries of the soul, in order to so resolve our doubts that we may go on rejoicing, and aware of our own nature, to whatever goal the Fates may decree. I do not remember to have come across any tomb or cenotaph of his, although I have visited nearly every part of the world; but everywhere I have met with his inspired sayings. A temple dedicated to him has been founded at Tyana by an emperor at his own cost, for emperors have not grudged such honors to him as they have themselves received. [Roman Numerals indicate Books; Arabic, Chapters.] Aba: a city of Phocis, having an oracle Abaris: a philosopher who was said to Abdera: a city of Thrace, home of De- Abinna: Libyan promontory, V, 1. Achæa: V, 18, 26; VI, 35; VII, 10; Acharnæ: a town of Attica, IV, 21. Adonis: Hall of Adonis, in imperial pal- Adrastea: (Nemesis), I, 25; governs Adriatic sea, IV, 24; V, 11; VIII, 15. Eacus: judge in Hades, VII, 31. Ægospotami: city in Chersonese, I, 2. cret friend of A, VII, 16-20, 22, 28, 32, olus: god of the winds, III, 14; VII, Æschines: son of Lysanias, Socratic phi- Æschylus: improvements in tragedy, VI, Esculapius: son of Apollo, receives and temple at Ægæ, I, 17; and at Crete, IV, Etna: Mt., V, 14, 16. Africa: deserts a refuge for philosophers Agraulus: temple at Athens, IV, 21. Ajax: III, 19; his tomb, IV, 13; painted Alcestis revived by Hercules, IV, 45. Alcinous king of Phæacians, IV, 20. Amymone: a daughter of Danaus, I, 25. Antioch city in Syria, I, 16, 17, 18, 31; Antisthenes follower of Socrates, IV, 25. Ants: dig gold in Ethiopia and guard it, an accuser of Socrates, VII, Apes: III, 50; gather pepper for In- Aphrodite see Venus. Apis Egyptian deity, III, 3. Apollonius of Tyana: his birth, family, and youth, I, 4 et seq.; doings at Aspen- VII, 21-30, 36-42; interview with Conversations: with Elianus at Rome |