The herald., 1897-02-25
HISTORIANS MAKE FALSE HISTORY
Some Inaccuracies Into Which Eminent
Writer'S HcYe Fallen

The same year that Alexander died at
Babylon, Diogenes died at Corinth, 323
B. c.; but not. We may be sure, In tub,
because he never made such a fool OF
himself as TO live in one. The story that
he did so had no better origin than .
comment by his biographer, Seneca, who
was not born till more than 300 years
after the cynic's death: "A man so crab
bed ought 10 have lived in tub like Q
dog"
In PIC p. c., Hannibal, with about 50,-
600 men, nearly annihilated the Roman
army of about 10000 at Cannae, in
Apulia, Italy, but it is all a fable to say
that he sent three bushels of gold rings
plucked from the hands of dead Roman
knights back to Carthage IS evidence OF
the victory. The messenger who car
ried the news back to the Carthaginian
senate on concluding his report, opened
his robe and threw out number of gold
rings gathered on the field of battle"
-Four years later the Romans under
MarceliuS attacked and captured Syra-
cuse, belonging to Greece, because of its
alliance with Hannibal against Rome. AZ
the invading ships approached Archi-
medes is said to have set some of them on
fire with immense burning glasses-how-
ever, modern science has well waterea
this story and Il only remains to add that
even at this day the feat would be impos.
sible.
Thirty years Il. c. Cleopatra killed her.
self to avoid being exhibited at Rome in
the triumph of Octavinus, who had made
war upon her and Antony because the
latter had divorced his (Octavius) sis
ter on the queens account. But did she
die from a snakes bite? 1t is better to
| think not. IF her death had been
caused by any serpent, the small viper
would rather have been chosen than the
/ large asp, but the story is dispr0ved by
| her having decked herself in the royal
/ ornaments and being found dead with
| out any marks or suspicion of poison on
! her body"
Death from a serpent's bite could not
have been mistaken, and her vanity
would rot have allowed her to choose
! one which would have disfigured her in
so frightful a manner.
! Other poisons were we'll understood
and easy of access, and no boy would
have ventured to carry an asp in bas-
6et of figs, some of which he even Of
fered to the guards as he passed, and
even Plutarch shows that the story Of
the asp was doubted. Nor Is the statue
carried in Augustus triumph, which had
an asp upon it, any proof OF his belief
in it, since the snake was the emblem of
! Egyptian royalty; the statue Cor the
CROWN of Cleopatra could not have been
without one, and this was probably the
| origin of the whole story.
Here one may naturally ask: Who has
not heard of Cleopatra's wonderful
pearls, one of which, at banquet given
in Antony's honor, she dissolved In vine
gar? Either this story also is fictitious.
or vinegar was evidently different in
those days from the present-day kind,
which will not melt pearls.
1t was nearly 100 years later that the
Emperor Nero also killed himself, 6S
A. D. Stabbing was the choice this
time, though and of this we make no
question. What we. wish to say about
him is that he was not so bad monster
as usually imagined. His mother,
Agrippina, was not put to death by his
order. nor did he play upon-his harp and
sing THE Burning of Troy" while Rome
was on fire.
Our knowledge of him is mostly gained
from Tacitus, who hated him, and from
Petronius Arbiter, who was put to death
for conspiracy against him. Even II
Rome itself the common people strewec
flowers on the grave Of Nero. Pear
sons Weekly. 80.