<p rend="Plain Text">Character of Prusias II</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">This excerpt from de uirt. et uit. belongs to the same res Asiae as 14. 1–5, i.e. Ol. 157, 3 = 150/49 (see p. 46), and was clearly included in connection with Prusias' death in 149 (following P.'s common practice).</p>
Specifics
36.15.1 - 36.15.1
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Προυσίας ὁ βασιλεύς</w>:</emph>
for Prusias II of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Bithynia&groupId=402&placeId=748">Bithynia</a>, who succeeded in 182, see xxv. 2. 3 n. It should be noted that in the index to Bttner-Wobst (vol. 5, p.
<emph rend="superscript">*</emph>
184) the first 19 lines of the entry undes Prusias II should stand under Prusias I.
</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἥμισυς ἀνήρ</w>:</emph>
'only half a man in appearance'; P. refers to his stature; cf. v. 42. 5 n., where Theodotus' nickname Hemiolius may have arisen from similar considerations.
</p>
36.15.3 - 36.15.3
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">μάλιστα δὲ τὸ τῶν Βιθυνῶν γένος</w>:</emph>
they were a hardy, warlike people, little touched by Greek culture (cf. Brandis, RE, '<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Bithynia&groupId=402&placeId=748">Bithynia</a>', col. 514), and unwelcoming to strangers. According to Nicolaus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Damascus&groupId=121&placeId=358">Damascus</a> (FGH, 90 F 113), the Thynians (who seem closely related to if not identical with the Bithynians) treated with kindness strangers who came unintentionally, but were very severe to those who came deliberately. Welles, pp. 123–4, commenting on Ziaelas' letter to Cos promising protection to Coan traders, but without mentioning the right to trade (Welles, no. 25 = Syll. 456), sees in this inscription a continuation of a policy of excluding traders, indicated in the remarks of Nicolaus, and still cherished, though Ziaelas himself wished to open up the country more; Jacoby, commenting on FGH, 90 F 113, doubts the relevance of Ziaelas' letter to
<milestone unit="page" n="674">[674]</milestone>
Nicolaus' remarks. For Bithynian cruelty towards shipwrecked sailors at an earlier date see Xen. Anab. vi. 4. 2.
</p>
36.15.5 - 36.15.5
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παιδείας . . . καὶ φιλοσοφίας</w>:</emph>
'education and philosophy', both essential to the civilized man; cf. xii. 25. 6, Timaeus is <w lang="el-GR">ἀφιλόσοφος</w>.
</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τῶν ἐν τούτοις θεωρημάτων</w>:</emph>
Paton, 'and all such studies', is inaccurate: the <w lang="el-GR">θεωρήματα</w> are something contained in education and philosophy, not something else similar (cf. Schweighaeuser, 'et doctrinae omnis, quae in his rebus uersatur'; Shuckburgh, 'or any of the knowledge which they embrace'). What the <w lang="el-GR">θεωρήματα</w> are, is less clear. In ix. 14. 5 the word seems to indicate something like 'scientific' or 'systematic'; for the scientific aspect of signalling depends on <w lang="el-GR">μάθησις καὶ θεωρήματα</w>, 'theoretical knowledge'. Similarly in x. 47. 12 it is the equivalent of <w lang="el-GR">ἐμπειρίαι καὶ τέχναι</w> in ix. 2. 5 (see notes ad locc.). Friedlnder, AJP, 1945, 345, links the phrase with what follows <w lang="el-GR">(τοῦ καλοῦ τί ποτ᾿ ἔστιν οὐδ᾿ ἔννοιαν εἶχε)</w>, and translates 'intuitions', which is the meaning of <w lang="el-GR">θεωρήματα</w> in Chrysippus (SVF, iii. 72 no. 295). But P. nowhere uses it in that sense. Translate: 'and the systematic learning derived from these studies'.
</p>
36.15.6 - 36.15.6
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Σαρδαναπάλλου δὲ βάρβαρον βίον ἔζη</w>:</emph>
for the tradition of his effeminate luxury see viii. 10. 3 n.
</p>
36.15.7 - 36.15.7
<p rend="Plain Text">
<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἀλλότρια φρονεῖν τοῦ βασιλέως</w>:</emph>
'to defect from the king'; cf. OGIS, 90 l. 19 (the Rosetta stone), <w lang="el-GR">τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀλλό?τρια φρονησάντων ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ταραχὴν καιροῖς</w>.
</p>
Walbank Commentary