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Clearly; and his character is further illustrated by his sons.

Note that they were heroes in the days of old and practised the

medicines of which I am speaking at the siege of Troy: You will

remember how, when Pandarus wounded Menelaus, they

'Sucked the blood out of the wound, and sprinkled soothing

remedies,'

but they never prescribed what the patient was afterwards to eat

or drink in the case of Menelaus, any more than in the case of

Eurypylus; the remedies, as they conceived, were enough to heal

any man who before he was wounded was healthy and regular in his

habits; and even though he did happen to drink a posset of

Pramnian wine, he might get well all the same. But they would

have nothing to do with unhealthy and intemperate subjects, whose

lives were of no use either to themselves or others; the art of

medicine was not designed for their good, and though they were as

rich as Midas, the sons of Asclepius would have declined to

attend them.