[28,0] The Twenty-eighth Discourse: Melancomas (II). 
1 After coming up from the harbour, we strolled over at once to have a look at the 
athletes, just as if the sole purpose of our trip had been to view the contests. When we 
got near the gymnasium we saw a number running on the track outside of it, and 
there was a roar as the crowd cheered them on; and we also saw the athletes who 
were exercising in other ways. To those, however, we thought it hardly worth while to 
pay attention; but wherever we saw the biggest crowd, there we would stroll. 2 So we 
noticed a great number of people standing near the Arcade of Heracles and a stream 
of others coming up, and some also going away because they could not see. At first we 
tried to see by looking over other people's shoulders, and with difficulty managed to 
catch a glimpse of the head of a man who was exercising with his hands up. Then we 
gradually got in closer. He was a very tall and beautiful young man; and besides, the 
exercises he was taking made his body seem, quite naturally, still taller and more 
beautiful. He was giving a most brilliant performance, and in so spirited a way that he 
seemed more like a man in an actual contest. 3 Then, when he stopped exercising and 
the crowd began to draw away, we studied him more (p363) closely. He was just like one 
of the most carefully wrought statues, and also he had a colour like well blended bronze. 
4 After he had gone, we asked one of the bystanders, an old man, who he was; and the 
man said with a frown: 
"Why that is Iatrocles, the opponent of Melancomas, the only man who would not 
give in to him, at least, that is, if he could help it. Still he could not get the better of 
him, for he was always defeated, sometimes after competing for a whole day. 
However, Iatrocles had already given up trying, so that in the last contest here in 
Naples, Melancomas defeated no opponent more quickly than he did Iatrocles. But 
you see how confident he is now, and how large a crowd he has about him as he takes 
his exercise. For my part, I really believe that he feels a malicious joy at the other 
man's misfortune; and naturally enough, for he knows that not only the next crown 
but all others are now his own." 
5 "What!" I exclaimed, "Is Melancomas dead?" — for even we knew his name at least, 
although we had never seen the man himself. 
"Yes," he replied, "he died not long ago. I believe this is the second day since he was 
buried." 
"And in what respect," I asked, "was he superior to this man and to the others also? 
Was it in size, or in courage?" 
"That man, sir," he replied, "was more courageous and bigger than any other man in 
the world, not merely than any of his opponents; and furthermore, he was the most 
beautiful. And if he had remained an amateur and had not gone in for boxing at all, 
I believe that he would have become widely known (p365) simply on account of his 
beauty; for even as it was, he attracted everybody's attention whenever he went 
anywhere, even that of people who did not know who he was. 6 And yet he did not 
dress up in fine clothes or in any other way try to attract notice rather than to remain 
inconspicuous; but when he was stripped, nobody would look at anyone else, 
although many boys and many men were training. And although beauty is wont to 
lead to softness, even with those who are only moderately endowed with it, beautiful 
as he was, he was even more remarkable for his self-control and moderation; and 
though despising his beauty, he none the less preserved it in spite of his rough 
profession. 7 At any rate, although boxing was his specialty, he remained as free from 
marks as any of the runners; and he had trained so rigorously and went so far beyond 
others in toilsome exercising that he was able to remain for two whole days in 
succession with his hands up, and nobody could catch him letting them down or 
taking a rest, as athletes usually do. Then he used to force his opponents to give up, 
not only before he himself had received a blow but even before he had landed one on 
them. For he did not consider it courage to strike his opponent or to receive an injury 
himself, but thought this indicated lack of stamina and a desire to have done with the 
contest. 8 But to last out the full time without either being done up by the weight of 
his arms, or becoming out of breath, or being distressed by the heat — that, he 
thought, was a splendid achievement." 
(p367) "He had the right idea though," said I, breaking in. "For in war the worst soldiers 
throw away their shields though they know well enough that when unprotected they 
are more apt to be wounded. Thus, we see, they are overcome more by their 
exhaustion than by their wounds."  
9 "That is just the reason," he rejoined, "why, from the time Melancomas began to 
compete in the Pythian games, he was the first man to our knowledge who remained 
undefeated, after winning the most and the greatest crowns and facing antagonists 
who were neither negligible nor few in number.  And his own father — a very famous 
man, the well-known Melancomas who came from Caria and among his other 
victories also won at Olympia — he had surpassed before he came to manhhod; for 
his father did not remain undefeated. However, splendid as this young athlete was, 

[28,10]  he came to a wretched end, after enduring the laborious work of athletics to the 
uttermost without experiencing any of the joys of life. And he was by nature so 
exceedingly ambitious that even on his deathbed he inquired of Athenodorus, the 
pancratiast,  who had been his friend from boyhood, just how many days of the 
athletic meet were left." And as he said this, the old man burst into tears. 
11 "Ah!" said I, "it is pardonable in you to grieve so excessively; he must certainly be 
related to you in some way." 
"In heaven's name no," he answered, "no relation of mine. For he was neither a blood 
kinsman of mine, nor was he trained by me; no, I trained one of the boys among the 
pancratiasts. As for him, he was (p369) such a splendid fellow that all who know him felt 
grief at his death." 
12 "Then," said I,"you have no reason for calling him wretched. On the contrary, he 
must be most blessed and fortunate if he was the sort of man report makes him. It 
was his good fortune to come of an illustrious family, to possess beauty, and, in 
addition, courage, physical strength, and self-control — things that are certainly the 
greatest blessings. But what was indeed the most surprising thing about a man is, to 
have remained undefeated not only by his opponents but also by toil and heat and 
gluttony and sensuality; for the man who is going to prove inferior to none of his 
opponents must first be undefeated by these things. 13 And as for pleasures, who ever 
enjoyed greater than he, who, being very ambitious, always won, and being admired, 
knew that he was admired? And it seems to me that the gods loved him exceedingly 
and honoured him especially in his death, in order that he might experience none of 
life's great sorrows.  For if his life had been spared, he would inevitably have become 
more ugly after being most beautiful, weaker after being strongest,  and perhaps 
have been defeated too. But the man who passes away in the midst of the greatest 
blessings after the finest achievements, that man has the happiest death; and you will 
find that in ancient times too, those whom the gods loved had a short span of life." 
(p371) "Whom do you mean?" he asked. 
14 "Achilles," I replied, "and Patroclus and Hector and Memnon and Sarpedon," and 
as I was going on to name still others, he exclaimed: 
"What you have said is well suited to comfort those who are in mourning, and I wish 
that I could listen to you longer; but really it is high time for me to be at the training 
of the boy, and I am off."