Grice e Rufo

 To the list of wise men recognised by the Greeks the

Romans were proud to add other names from their

Wise Romans.

own history, thereby associating their philosophic

principles with patriotic pride. From their mythology Aeneas was selected, the man who crushes his desires that he may loyally cooperate with the destiny of his people; from the times of the republic Scipio Africanus minor and his gentle companion

Laelius; whilst in Publius Rutilius Rufus a Roman could be found who, like Socrates, would not when on his trial consent to any other defence than a plain statement of the facts, in which he neither exaggerated his own merits nor made any plea for

mercy 172.

172 'nam cum esset ille vir [P. Rutilius Rufus] exemplum, ut scitis, innocentiae, cumque illo nemo neque integrior esset in civitate neque sanctior, non modo supplex iudicibus esse noluit, sed ne ornatius quidem aut liberius causam dici suam, quam simplex ratio veritatis ferebat' Cic. de Or. i 53, 229; cf. Sen. Dial. i 3, 4 and 7; and

see further, § 430.