the comparison of philopoemen with flamininus-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COMPARISON　OF　PHILOPOEMEN　WITH　FLAMININUS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　FIRST　them；　as　for　the　greatness　of　the　benefits　which　Titus
conferred　on　Greece；　neither　Philopoemen；　nor　many　braver　men　than　he；
can　make　good　the　parallel。　They　were　Greeks　fighting　against
Greeks；　but　Titus；　a　stranger　to　Greece；　fought　for　her。　And　at　the
very　time　when　Philopoemen　went　over　into　Crete；　destitute　of　means　to
succour　his　besieged　countrymen；　Titus；　by　a　defeat　given　to　Philip　in
the　heart　of　Greece；　set　them　and　their　cities　free。　Again；　if　we
examine　the　battles　they　fought；　Philopoemen；　whilst　he　was　the
Achaeans'　general；　slew　more　Greeks　than　Titus；　in　aiding　the
Greeks；　slew　Macedonians。　As　to　their　failings；　ambition　was　Titus's
weak　side；　and　obstinacy　Philopoemen's　in　the　former；　anger　was　easily
kindled；　in　the　latter；　it　was　as　hardly　quenched。　Titus　reserved　to
Philip　the　royal　dignity；　he　pardoned　the　Aetolians；　and　stood　their
friend；　but　Philopoemen；　exasperated　against　his　country；　deprived
it　of　its　supremacy　over　the　adjacent　villages。　Titus　was　ever
constant　to　those　he　had　once　befriended；　the　other；　upon　any　offence；
as　prone　to　cancel　kindnesses。　He　who　had　once　been　a　benefactor　to
the　Lacedaemonians；　afterwards　laid　their　walls　level　with　the　ground；
wasted　their　country；　and　in　the　end　changed　and　destroyed　the　whole
frame　of　their　government。　He　seems；　in　truth；　to　have　prodigalled
away　his　own　life；　through　passion　and　perverseness；　for　he　fell
upon　the　Messenians；　not　with　that　conduct　and　caution　that
characterized　the　movements　of　Titus；　but　with　unnecessary　and
unreasonable　haste。
　　The　many　battles　he　fought；　and　the　many　trophies　he　won；　may　make
us　ascribe　to　Philopoemen　the　more　thorough　knowledge　of　war。　Titus
decided　the　matter　betwixt　Philip　and　himself　in　two　engagements；
but　Philopoemen　came　off　victorious　in　ten　thousand　encounters；　to　all
which　fortune　had　scarcely　any　pretence；　so　much　were　they　owing　to
his　skill。　Besides；　Titus　got　his　renown；　assisted　by　the　power　of　a
flourishing　Rome；　the　other　flourished　under　a　declined　Greece；　so
that　his　successes　may　be　accounted　his　own；　in　Titus's　glory　Rome
claims　a　share。　The　one　had　brave　men　under　him；　the　other　made　his
brave；　by　being　over　them。　And　though　Philopoemen　was　unfortunate；
certainly；　in　always　being　opposed　to　his　countrymen；　yet　this
misfortune　is　at　the　same　time　a　proof　of　his　merit。　Where　the
circumstances　are　the　same；　superior　success　can　only　be　ascribed　to
superior　merit。　And　he　had；　indeed；　to　do　with　the　two　most　warlike
nations　of　all　Greece；　the　Cretans　on　the　one　hand；　and　the
Lacedaemonians　on　the　other；　and　he　mastered　the　craftiest　of　them
by　art　and　the　bravest　of　them　by　valour。　It　may　also　be　said　that
Titus；　having　his　men　armed　and　disciplined　to　his　hand；　had　in　a
manner　his　victories　made　for　him；　whereas　Philopoemen　was　forced　to
introduce　a　discipline　and　tactics　of　his　own；　and　to　new…mould　and
model　his　soldiers；　so　that　what　is　of　greatest　import　towards
insuring　a　victory　was　in　his　case　his　own　creation；　while　the　other
had　it　ready　provided　for　his　benefit。　Philopoemen　effected　many
gallant　things　with　his　own　hand；　but　Titus　none；　so　much　so　that
one　Archedemus；　an　Aetolian；　made　it　a　jest　against　him　that　while　he；
the　Aetolian；　was　running　with　his　drawn　sword；　where　he　saw　the
Macedonians　drawn　up　closest　and　fighting　hardest；　Titus　was
standing　still；　and　with　hands　stretched　out　to　heaven；　praying　to　the
gods　for　aid。
　　It　is　true　Titus　acquitted　himself　admirably；　both　as　a　governor　and
as　an　ambassador；　but　Philopoemen　was　no　less　serviceable　and　useful
to　the　Achaeans　in　the　capacity　of　a　private　man　than　in　that　of　a
commander。　He　was　a　private　citizen　when　he　restored　the　Messenians　to
their　liberty；　and　delivered　their　city　from　Nabis；　he　was　also　a
private　citizen　when　he　rescued　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　shut　the　gates
of　Sparta　against　the　general　Diophanes　and　Titus。　He　had　a　nature
so　truly　formed　for　command　that　he　could　govern　even　the　laws
themselves　for　the　public　good；　he　did　not　need　to　wait　for　the
formality　of　being　elected　into　command　by　the　governed；　but
employed　their　service；　if　occasion　required；　at　his　own　discretion；
judging　that　he　who　understood　their　real　interests　was　more　truly
their　supreme　magistrate；　than　he　whom　they　had　elected　to　the　office。
The　equity；　clemency；　and　humanity　of　Titus　towards　the　Greeks　display
a　great　and　generous　nature；　but　the　actions　of　Philopoemen；　full　of
courage；　and　forward　to　assert　his　country's　liberty　against　the
Romans；　have　something　yet　greater　and　nobler　in　them。　For　it　is　not
as　hard　a　task　to　gratify　the　indigent　and　distressed；　as　to　bear　up
against　and　to　dare　to　incur　the　anger　of　the　powerful。　To　conclude；
since　it　does　not　appear　to　be　easy；　by　any　review　or　discussion；　to
establish　the　true　difference　of　their　merits　and　decide　to　which　a
preference　is　due；　will　it　be　an　unfair　award　in　the　case；　if　we　let
the　Greek　bear　away　the　crown　for　military　conduct　and　warlike
skill；　and　the　Roman　for　justice　and　clemency？





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END