Κλεωναίῳ δὲ Τιμάνθει παγκρατίου λαβόντι ἐν ἀνδράσι στέφανον καὶ Τροιζηνίῳ Βαύκιδι παλαιστὰς καταβαλόντι
ἄνδρας, τῷ
μὲν τοῦ Ἀθηναίου Μύρωνος , Βαύκιδι δὲ Ναυκύδους ἐστὶν ὁ ἀνδριὰς ἔργον. τῷ δὲ Τιμάνθει τὸ τέλος
τοῦ βίου συμβῆναί
φασιν ἐπὶ αἰτίᾳ τοιᾷδε. πεπαῦσθαι
μὲν ἀθλοῦντα, ἀποπειρᾶσθαι δὲ ὅμως
αὐτὸν ἔτι τῆς ἰσχύος, τόξον μέγα ἐπὶ ἑκάστης τείνοντα τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀποδημῆσαί τε δὴ
αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ τόξῳ τηνικαῦτα ἐκλειφθῆναί οἱ τὴν μελέτην·
ὡς δὲ ἐπανήκων οὐχ οἷός τε ἔτι τεῖναι τὸ τόξον ἐγίνετο, πῦρ ἀνακαύσας ἀφίησι ζῶντα ἐς τὴν πυρὰν αὑτόν. ὁπόσα δὲ ἤδη τοιαῦτα ἐγένετο ἐν
ἀνθρώποις ἢ καὶ ὕστερόν ποτε ἔσται, μανία μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνδρία νομίζοιτο ἂν κατά γε ἐμὴν γνώμην.
Βαύκις
Κλεωναί
Μύρων
Ναυκύδης
Τιμάνθης
Τροιζήν
Ἀθηναῖος
To Timanthes of Cleonae, who gained a crown in the men's pancratium, and to Baucis of Troezen, who defeated opponents in wrestling also among the men, statues were erected—Timanthes' made by the Athenian Myron, and Baucis' a work of Naucydes. Regarding Timanthes, they say his life's end came about from the following circumstance: having ceased from athletic competitions, he still tested his strength daily by drawing a large bow. When he went away from home, he neglected this exercise during his travels; upon returning, he found he could no longer bend the bow, whereupon he lit a fire and cast himself alive onto the pyre. In my judgment, all such deeds, whether they have already occurred among mankind or will happen at some future time, should more rightly be considered madness than bravery.