Tears are thought to be the ink of poets…. to write the legendary stories of friends and lovers… It is amusing to learn that men of reason also do not escape from shedding tears… however, the contexts may be very different from those of poets……….……….Bias of Priene, a small town of Cori was an acute politician and philosopher who lived during the reign of Halyattes King of Lydia……..
Bias was one day obliged to judge in the case of a friend who was found deserving of capital punishment. Before the sentence was pronounced….. he began to weep before the whole senate…..
“Why do you weep, “ said one to him, “since you alone have the power of condemning or acquitting the criminal?”……..
“I weep,” answered Bias, “because nature obliges me to compassionate the unfortunate, and law commands me not to regard the emotions of nature”……………..
…..Bias used to say that he liked much to be an arbitrary between two of his enemies than between two of his friends, because one never failed to fall out with friend who had been found in the wrong; whereas, in case of enemies, a man might make him in whose favor the decision has been pronounced his firend…………….
Story is taken from "Lives of ancient Philosophers" by Francois desalignac.......
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