This, however, I do say; the conditions that
govern us in these laudatory writings are such that
the eulogist must employ comparisons and similes,
and really the most important part of it is to make
successful comparisons. And success would be most
likely to be held attained, not if a man compares
like to like, or if he makes his comparison with
something that is inferior, but if he approximates, in
so far as he may, what he is praising to something
that surpasses it. 
For example, if in praising a dog someone were
to say that it was larger than a fox or a cat, does
it seem to you that he knows how to praise? You
will not say so! But even if he should say it was as
large as a wolf, he has not praised it generously.
Well, at what point will the special end of praise
be achieved? When the dog is said to resemble
a lion in size and in strength. So the poet who
praised Orion’s dog Pindar, frag. 74a (Schroeder). called him “lion-daunting.”’
That, of course, in the case of a dog is perfect
praise. 
Again, if someone who wished to praise Milo of
Croton or Glaucus of Carystus or Polydamas Famous boxers; see the Index. should
say of any one of them that he was stronger than
a woman, do not you suppose that he would be
laughed at for the senselessness of his praise?



 

Indeed, if it had been said that he was better than
any single man, that would not have sufficed for
praise. Come, how did a famous poet? praise Glaucus
when he said: “Not even mighty Polydeuces” could
have held up his hands against that man, “nor yet
the iron-hard son of Alemene!” You see what gods
he likened him to—nay, actually avouched him
better than those gods themselves! And it cannot
be said either that Glaucus became indignant when
he was praised in opposition to the gods who are
the overseers of athletes, or that they punished
either Glaucus or the poet as guilty of sacrilege
in the matter of that praise. On the contrary, both
enjoyed good fame and were honoured by the
Greeks, Glaucus for his strength and the poet
especially for this very song!
 
Do not wonder then, that I myself, desiring to
make comparisons, as one who sought to praise
was bound to do, used an exalted counterfoil, since
my theme demanded it.