of what we should call a gentleman's family, and belonged by
inheritance to the democratic party. But he early resolved to stand
aloof from politics, and took an effectual means of carrying out his
purpose by taking up his residence at Athens. With characteristic
prudence he transferred the greater part of his property to investments
in Greece. At Athens he became exceedingly popular. He lent money at
easy rates to the municipality, and made liberal distributions of corn,
giving as much as a bushel and a half to every needy citizen. He spoke
Greek and Latin with equal ease and eloquence; and had, we are told, an
unsurpassed gift for reciting poetry. Sulla, who, for all his savagery,
had a cultivated taste, was charmed with the young man, and would have
taken him in his train. "I beseech you," replied Atticus, "don't take me
to fight against those in whose company, but that I left Italy, I might
be fighting against you." After a residence of twenty-three years he
returned to Rome, in the very year of Cicero's consulship. At Rome he
stood as much aloof from the turmoil of civil strife as he had stood at
Athens. Office of every kind he steadily refused; he was under no
obligations to any man, and therefore was not thought ungrateful by any.
The partisans of Caesar and of Pompey were content to receive help from
his purse, and to see him resolutely neutral. He refused to join in a
project of presenting what we should call a testimonial to the murderers
of Caesar on behalf of the order of the knights; but he did not hesitate
to relieve the necessities of the most conspicuous of them with a
present of between three and four thousand pounds. When Antony was
outlawed he protected his family; and Antony in return secured his life
and property amidst the horrors of the second Proscription.

His biographer, Cornelius Nepos, has much to say of his moderation and
temperate habits of life. He had no sumptuous country-house in the
suburbs or at the sea-coast, but two farm-houses. He possessed, however,
what seems to have been a very fine house (perhaps we should call it
"castle," for Cicero speaks of it as a place capable of defense) in
Epirus. It contained among other things a gallery of statues. A love of
letters was one of his chief characteristics. His guests were not
entertained with the performances of hired singers, but with readings
from authors of repute. He had collected, indeed, a very large library.
All his slaves, down to