Furthermore, she enjoined it upon me to tell you
this. “I hear many say (whether it is true or not,
you men knowWomen did not attend the Olympic games.
) that even at the Olympic games
the victors are not allowed to set up statues greater
than life-size, but the Hellanodicae take care that
not one of them shall exceed the truth, and the
scrutiny of the statues is more strict than the examination of the athletes. So be on your guard for
fear we incur the imputation of falsifying in the
matter of height, and then the Hellanodicae overturn our statue.”
That is what she said; and now it is for you,
Lycinus, to see how you can refurbish the book
and do away with everything of that sort; do not
offend against Heaven! Really, she took it very
ill, shuddered as it was read, and besought the
goddesses to be merciful to her. It is excusable,
too, that she should feel as a woman naturally
would. Indeed, if the truth must out, I myself
had somewhat the same opinion. To be sure, when
I heard it first I did not see a single fault in what
you had written, but now that she has pointed them
out, I myself begin to think as she does about it.
My experience in this matter has been just about
like that of us all when we look at things. If we
see. them too close, under our very eyes, we can
distinguish nothing accurately, but if we stand off
and look at them from the right distance, all the
points come out clearly, those that are good and
also those that are not.