Whilst Heracleon was musing, and studying how to
answer this, Cleombrotus went on, saying: It is not only
Empedocles who affirms there are bad Daemons, but even
Plato, Xenocrates, and Chrysippus; yea, and Democritus,
[p. 23]
when he prayed he might meet with good spirits, which
shows that he thought there were bad as well as good
Daemons. And as to their mortality, I have heard it reported from a person that was neither fool nor knave,
being Epitherses, the father of Aemilianus the orator,
whom some of you have heard declaim. This Epitherses
was my townsman and a school-master, who told me that,
designing a voyage to Italy, he embarked himself on a
vessel well laden both with goods and passengers. About
the evening the vessel was becalmed about the Isles Echinades, whereupon their ship drove with the tide till it was
carried near the Isles of Paxi; when immediately a voice
was heard by most of the passengers (who were then
awake, and taking a cup after supper) calling unto one
Thamus, and that with so loud a voice as made all the
company amazed; which Thamus was a mariner of Egypt,
whose name was scarcely known in the ship. He returned
no answer to the first calls; but at the third he replied,
Here ! here! I am the man. Then the voice said aloud to
him, When you are arrived at Palodes, take care to make
it known that the great God Pan is dead. Epitherses told
us, this voice did much astonish all that heard it, and
caused much arguing whether this voice was to be obeyed
or slighted. Thamus, for his part, was resolved, if the
wind permitted, to sail by the place without saying a word;
but if the wind ceased and there ensued a calm, to speak
and cry out as loud as he was able what he was enjoined.
Being come to Palodes, there was no wind stirring, and the
sea was as smooth as glass. Whereupon Thamus standing
on the deck, with his face towards the land, uttered with a
loud voice his message, saying, The great Pan is dead. He
had no sooner said this, but they heard a dreadful noise,
not only of one, but of several, who, to their thinking,
groaned and lamented with a kind of astonishment. And
there being many persons in the ship, an account of this
[p. 24]
was soon spread over Rome, which made Tiberius the Emperor send for Thamus; and he seemed to give such heed
to what he told him, that he earnestly enquired who this
Pan was; and the learned men about him gave in their
judgments, that it was the son of Mercury by Penelope.
There were some then in the company who declared they
had heard old Aemilianus say as much.
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