Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-07-20
CLEARFIELD, PA.
Damon and Pythias--True Friend
ship Illustrated.

About 400 years before Christ, lived
Damon and Pytbias, PythagoreSn
philosophers, who had gone from
Athens to Sicily, on pressing invi'
tation of Dionysius, called "thc ty-
rant of Syracuse, in order to teach
the rude inhabitants of that fertile IS
land the arts and sciences. railing
under the displeasure of the tyrant,
Damon was condemned to death, and
the time for his execution appointed.
Anxious to zee his wife and children
once more before his execution, he
asked the King for permission to visit
them. The King answered, "What
assurance do you give that you will
return ?" ~ will give you my friend
Pythias," said Damon, "for security"
The King asked Pythias if he were
willing TO become the bondsman of
Damon, and TO die is his place, pro
vided he did not return "Yes,"
said Pythias. 81 will stand for him,
and if he is not here on the day ap-
pointed, l will suffer death in his
place !" "Well," says the King, this
is strange, but Damon you are at lib
crty TO 90 and visit your family, and
if you do not return, as ] suppose you
will not, justice will not loss her vic
tim"
Damon hurried homo to embrace
his family, and to communicate to
them the sad intelligence, that in
few days he must return to Syracuse,
to suffer death. When his wife learn
ed the state of things, that he had
violated no law, that he was condemn.
ed by nero whim of Dionysius, and
that his friend Pythias had become
his bondsman, she insisted upon his
not returning. She reasoned with him,
and besought him, by the affection he
bore To her and her children, not to
return. But all her entreaties were
vain. @Would you have me violate
my sacred pledge of honor to my
friend Pythias Z" said be. "No, no,
would dispise myself in that case
but / shall return and relieve our
friend and maintain my honor, even
al the expense Of my Oton l9eP Da-
mon remained at home, as we may
imagine, as long be could. Atlength,
amidst the sobs and tears of his wife
and children, he tore himself away
from those be loved. The execution
was to take place at noon, and as his
progress was impeded by bad roads
and high wsters, on the day appoint
ed he was still twenty miles from
Syracuse but as be rose early in the
morning, and as the sun was approach
ing the meridian, the spires OF the city
were in view. Fastening on, he
found large multitude gathered in
front of the prison. The tyrant was
there, seated on platform, to wit
ness tho novelty of one man dying for
another The hour for the execution
had nearly expired. "Ah," says the
tyrant, "where is your friend Damon ?
Did not tell you that he would not
return 2" "But," says Pythias, "he
will return, if he is alive. / know he
will not disappoint me. / know him,
and l know he would rather die
than break his word. The tyrant
then looked at the sun.dial, and it
was just noon. "Now," said he TO
the executioner, "proceed." Pythias
laid his head on the block, the axe
was raised, and the sharp edge glim-
mered in the sunlight, when 10 there
is q movement in the crowd. "Stop,
says the tyrant, "till we see what this
means" There stood Damon, pant
ing covered with dust. He had come
in time. The tyrant was so much
struck with this proof of friendship
that he pardoned them both, and re-
quested permission to join their fra.
ternity.
1t is well known that a popular
and widely extended society, the
"Knights of Pythias," is founded on