Friends Til the End: Damon & Pythias, Val. Max. 4.7.ext.1

Damon and Pythias, The Ultimate Friends

Name: Valerius Maximus Date:  1st century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:  Memorable Deeds and Sayings 4.7.ext.1

Although my mind keeps dwelling on domestic examples, the splendor of Rome encourages me to mention some excellent examples from abroad, too. The Pythagorean followers Damon and Pythias were so tightly joined in friendship that when the Tyrant of Syracuse Dionysius wanted to kill Pythias, and when Pythias was given some time to go home to arrange his affairs before he was killed, Damon did not hesitate to surrender himself as a hostage to guarantee his friend’s return. Pythias, whose neck was under the proverbial sword, was suddenly free from the danger of death, while Damon, who was free to live, laid down his own life for him. Everyone, including Dionysius, was anxiously awaiting the outcome of the drama. Then, once the appointed day had come and gone and Pythias still hadn’t returned, the tyrant mocked Damon for his foolishness and rashness, but Damon declared that he wasn’t afraid for his own life, and trusted his friend’s loyalty. At the very moment that  Dionysius had appointed for the execution, Pythias arrived. The tyrant Dionysius marveled at the friends’ courage. He let them go, and asked them if they would welcome him as a friend, and be their third wheel, with mutual kindness and affection.

And so you see the power of friendship. It can bring about a contempt of death, lay low the sweet [selfishness] of life, mitigate cruelty, convert hatred into love, and outweigh inconvenience with benefits. It ought to be as honored as the sacred rites of the gods. Friendship encompasses the public good, on which private good relies on.  The homes of these men are like sacred temples; the hearts of faithful men, just like temples filled with sacred spirit.

Damon and Pythias, The Ultimate Friends

Haeret animus in domesticis, sed aliena quoque bene facta referre Romanae urbis candor hortatur. Damon et Phintias Pythagoricae prudentiae sacris initiati tam fidelem inter se amicitiam iunxerant, ut, cum alterum ex his Dionysius Syracusanus interficere vellet, atque is tempus ab eo, quo prius quam periret domum profectus res suas ordinaret, impetravisset, alter vadem se pro reditu eius tyranno dare non dubitaret. Solutus erat periculo mortis qui modo gladio cervices subiectas habuerat: eidem caput suum subiecerat cui securo vivere licebat. Igitur omnes et in primis Dionysius novae atque ancipitis rei exitum speculabantur. Adpropinquante deinde finita die nec illo redeunte unus quisque stultitiae tam temerarium sponsorem damnabat. At is nihil se de amici constantia metuere praedicabat. Eodem autem momento et hora a Dionysio constituta et eam qui acceperat supervenit.

Admiratus amborum animum tyrannus supplicium fidei remisit insuperque eos rogavit ut se in societatem amicitiae tertium sodalicii gradum mutua culturum benivolentia reciperent. Hascine vires amicitiae? Mortis contemptum ingenerare, vitae dulcedinem extinguere, crudelitatem mansuefacere, odium in amorem convertere, poenam beneficio pensare potuerunt. Quibus paene tantum venerationis quantum deorum immortalium caerimoniis debetur: illis enim publica salus, his privata continetur, atque ut illarum aedes sacra domicilia, harum fida hominum pectora quasi quaedam sancto spiritu referta templa sunt.

 Valerius Maximus [1st century CE] Little is known about the life of Valerius Maximus except that he wrote during the reign of the emperor Tiberius. His work, Memorable Deeds and Sayings, is a collection of examples from Roman and world history categorized by theme for the purpose of rhetorical exercises.