something belonging to the relation of son. See Son.

The divines usually distinguish between a servile and a filial fear. The most abandoned may have a servile fear of God, such as that of a slave to his master; but not a filial fear, i.e. a fear resulting from love and respect. See Fear.

FILIAL Piety, the affectionate attachment of children to their parents; including in it love, reverence, obedience, and relief. These are duties prompted equally by nature and by gratitude, independent of the injunctions of religion. For where shall we find the person who hath received from any one benefits so great or so many, as children from their parents? And it may be truly said, that if persons are undutiful to their parents, they seldom prove good to any other relation. Profane history furnishes many fine examples of this amiable virtue; a few of which we shall select, according to the plan observed in other similar articles.

1. The Roman dictator T. Manlius having exercised great cruelty over the citizens, was cited at the expiration of his office to answer for his conduct. Among other things that were laid to his charge, he was accused of treating with barbarity one of his sons. Manlius, according to Livy, had no other cause of complaint against this son than his having an impediment in his speech. For this reason he was banished far from the city, from his home, and the company of those of his own age and fortune, and condemned to servile works. All were highly exasperated against such inhuman conduct, except the son himself, who, under the greatest concern that he should furnish matter of accusation against his father, resolved upon a most extraordinary method to relieve him. One morning, without apprising any body, he came to the city armed with a dagger, and went directly to the house of the tribune Pomponius, who had accused his father. Pomponius was yet in bed. Young Manlius sent up his name, and was immediately admitted by the tribune, who did not doubt but he was come to discover to him some new instances of his father's severity. But Manlius, as soon as he was left alone with the tribune, drew out his dagger, and presented it to his breast; declaring he would stab him that moment if he did not swear in the form he should dictate, "Never to hold the assembly of the people for accusing his father." Pomponius, who saw the dagger glittering at his breast, himself alone without arms, and attacked by a robust young man, full of a bold confidence in his own strength, took the oath demanded of him; and afterwards confessed with a kind of complacency in the thing, and a sincerity which sufficiently cidently argued he was not sorry for what he had done, that it was that violence which obliged him to desist from his design.

2. Among the multitude of persons who were proscribed under the second triumvirate of Rome, were the celebrated orator Cicero and his brother Quintus. The fate of the former, in endeavouring to make his escape, is related under the article Cicero. The latter found means to conceal himself so effectually at home, that the soldiers could not find him. Enraged at their disappointment, they put his son to the torture, in order to make him discover the place of his father's concealment; but filial affection was proof against the most exquisite torments. An involuntary sigh, and sometimes a deep groan, was all that could be extorted from the youth. His agonies were increased; but with amazing fortitude he still persisted in his resolution of not betraying his father. Quintus was not far off; and it may be imagined better than can be expressed, how his heart must have been affected with the sights and groans of a son expiring in tortures to save his life. He could bear no longer; but quitting the place of his concealment, he presented himself to the assassins, begging of them to put him to death, and dismiss the innocent youth, whose generous behaviour the triumvirs themselves, if informed of the fact, would judge worthy of the highest approbation. But the inhuman monsters, without being the least affected with the tears either of the father or the son, answered, that they both must die; the father because he was proscribed, and the son because he had concealed his father. Then a new contest of tenderest affections arose who should die first; but this the assassins soon decided, by beheading them both at the same time.—This anecdote is related by Appian, Dio, Plutarch, Valerius Maximus, and other historians.

3. Cinna, who scrupled no attempt, how atrocious soever, which could serve his purpose, undertook to get Pompeius Strabo murdered in his tent; but his son saved his life, which was the first remarkable action of Pompey the Great. The treacherous Cinna, by many alluring promises, had gained over one Terentius, a confidant of Pompey's, and prevailed on him to affiance the general, and seduce his troops. Young Pompey being informed of this design a few hours before it was to be put in execution, placed a faithful guard round the praetorium; so that none of the conspirators could come near it. He then watched all the motions of the camp, and endeavoured to appease the fury of the soldiers, who hated the general his father, by such acts of prudence as were worthy of the oldest commanders. However, some of the mutineers having forced open one of the gates of the camp, in order to desert to Cinna, the general's son threw himself flat on his back in their way, crying out, that they should not break their oath and desert their commander, without treading his body to death. By this means he put a stop to their desertion, and afterwards wrought so effectually upon them by his affecting speeches and engaging carriage, that he reconciled them to his father.

4. Olympias, Alexander's own mother, was of such an unhappy disposition, that he would never allow her to have any concern in the affairs of the government. She used frequently to make very severe complaints on that account; but he always submitted to her ill humour with great mildness and patience. Antipater, one of his friends, having one day written a long letter against her to the king then absent, the latter, after reading it, replied, "Antipater does not know that one single tear shed by a mother will obliterate ten thousand such letters as this." A behaviour like this, and such an answer, show at one and the same time, that Alexander was both an affectionate son and an able politician.

5. Epaminondas is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest generals and one of the best men which Greece ever produced. Before him the city of Thebes was not distinguished by any memorable action, and after him it was not famous for its virtues, but its misfortunes, till it sunk into its original obscurity; so that it saw its glory take birth and expire with this great man. The victory he obtained at Leuctra had drawn the eyes and admiration of all the neighbouring people upon Epaminondas, who looked upon him as the support of Thebes, as the triumphant conqueror of Sparta, as the deliverer of Greece: in a word, as the greatest man, and the most excellent captain, that ever was in the world. In the midst of this universal applause, so capable of making the general of an army forget the man for the victor, Epaminondas, little sensible to so affecting and so deserved a glory, "My joy (said he) arises from my sense of that which the news of my victory will give my father and my mother."

6. Among an incredible number of illustrious persons who were falsely accused and put to death by Nero, was one Bareas Soranus; a man, as Tacitus informs us, of singular vigilance and justice in the discharge of his duty. During his confinement, his daughter Servilia was apprehended and brought into the senate, and there arraigned. The crime laid to her charge was, that she had turned into money all her ornaments and jewels, and the most valuable part of her dress, to defray the expense of consulting magicians. To this the young Servilia, with tears, replied, That she had indeed consulted magicians, but the whole of her inquiry was to know whether the emperor and senate would afford protection and safety to her dear and indulgent parent against his accusers. "With this view (aid she) I presented the diviners, men till now utterly unknown to me, with my jewels, apparel, and the other ornaments peculiar to my quality, as I would have prevented my blood and my life, could my blood and life have procured my father's liberty. But whatever this my proceeding was, my unfortunate father was an utter stranger to it; and if it is a crime, I alone am the delinquent." She was, however, together with her father, condemned to die; but in what manner, history is silent. [Vid. Tacit. Annales, lib. vi. cap. 22.]

7. Valerius Maximus likewise relates a very singular fact upon this subject. A woman of illustrious birth had been condemned to be strangled. The Roman praetor delivered her up to the triumvir, who caused her to be carried to prison, in order to her being put to death. The gaoler, who was ordered to execute her, was struck with compassion, and could not resolve to kill her. He chose therefore to let her die of hunger. Besides which, he suffered her daughter Filial to see her in prison; taking care, however, that she brought her nothing to eat. As this continued many days, he was surprised that the prisoner lived so long without eating; and suspecting the daughter, upon watching her, he discovered that she nourished her mother with her own milk. Amazed at so pious, and at the same time so ingenious an invention, he told the fact to the triumvir, and the triumvir to the praetor, who believed the thing merited relating in the assembly of the people. The criminal was pardoned, and a decree was passed that the mother and daughter should be subsisted for the rest of their lives at the expense of the public.

The same author gives a similar instance of filial piety in a young woman named Xantippe to her aged father Cimonus, who was likewise confined in prison, and which is universally known by the name of the Roman Charity. Both these instances appeared to very extraordinary and uncommon to that people, that they could only account for them, by supposing that the love of children to their parents was the first law of nature. Putaret aliquis (says our author) hoc contra naturam faciunt esse, nisi prima naturae lex effet diligere parentes.

In addition to the foregoing examples, we may refer to the article AETNA, where a very noble instance of filial piety is taken notice of. See also the article PIETAS.