THE　COMPARISON　OF　POMPEY　WITH　AGESILAUS
  by　Plutarch
  translated　by　John　Dryden
  THUS　having　drawn　out　the　history　of　the　lives　of　Agesilaus　and
  Pompey；　the　next　thing　is　to　compare　them；　and　in　order　to　this；　to
  take　a　cursory　view；　and　bring　together　the　points　in　which　they
  chiefly　disagree；　which　are　these。　In　the　first　place；　Pompey
  attained　to　all　his　greatness　and　glory　by　the　fairest　and　justest
  means；　owing　his　advancement　to　his　own　efforts；　and　to　the　frequent
  and　important　aid　which　he　rendered　Sylla；　in　delivering　Italy　from
  its　tyrants。　But　Agesilaus　appears　to　have　obtained　his　kingdom；　not
  without　offence　both　towards　gods　and　towards　men；　towards　these；　by
  procuring　judgment　of　bastardy　against　Leotychides；　whom　his　brother
  had　declared　his　lawful　son；　and　towards　those；　by　putting　a　false
  gloss　upon　the　oracle；　and　eluding　its　sentence　against　his
  lameness。　Secondly；　Pompey　never　ceased　to　display　his　respect　for
  Sylla　during　his　lifetime；　and　expressed　it　also　after　his　death；　by
  enforcing　the　honourable　interment　of　his　corpse；　in　despite　of
  Lepidus；　and　by　giving　his　daughter　in　marriage　to　his　son　Faustus。
  But　Agesilaus；　upon　a　slight　pretence；　cast　off　Lysander　with
  reproach　and　dishonour。　Yet　Sylla　in　fact　had　owed　to　Pompey　services
  as　much　as　Pompey　ever　received　from　him；　whereas　Lysander　made
  Agesilaus　King　of　Sparta　and　general　of　all　Greece。　Thirdly；　Pompey's
  transgressions　of　right　and　justice　in　his　political　life　were
  occasioned　chiefly　by　his　relations　with　other　people；　and　most　of
  his　errors　had　some　affinity；　as　well　as　himself　to　Caesar　and
  Scipio；　his　fathers…in…law。　But　Agesilaus；　to　gratify　the　fondness　of
  his　son；　saved　the　life　of　Sphodrias　by　a　sort　of　violence；　when　he
  deserved　death　for　the　wrong　he　had　done　to　the　Athenians；　and　when
  Phoebidas　treacherously　broke　the　peace　with　Thebes；　zealously
  abetted　him　for　the　sake；　it　was　clear；　of　the　unjust　act　itself。　In
  short；　what　mischief　soever　Pompey　might　be　said　to　have　brought　on
  Rome　through　compliance　with　the　wishes　of　his　friends　or　through
  inadvertency；　Agesilaus　may　be　said　to　have　brought　on　Sparta　out　of
  obstinacy　and　malice；　by　kindling　the　Boeotian　war。　And　if；　moreover；
  we　are　to　attribute　any　part　of　these　disasters　to　some　personal
  ill…fortune；　attaching　to　the　men　themselves；　in　the　case　of　Pompey；
  certainly　the　Romans　had　no　reason　to　anticipate　it。　Whereas
  Agesilaus　would　not　suffer　the　Lacedaemonians　to　avoid　what　they
  foresaw　and　were　forewarned　must　attend　the　〃lame　sovereignty。〃　For
  had　Leotychides　been　chargeable　ten　thousand　times　as　foreign　and
  spurious；　yet　the　race　of　the　Eurypontidae　was　still　in　being；　and
  could　easily　have　furnished　Sparta　with　a　lawful　king　that　was　sound
  in　his　limbs；　had　not　Lysander　darkened　and　disguised　the　true　sense
  of　the　oracle　in　favour　of　Agesilaus。
  Such　a　politic　piece　of　sophistry　as　was　devised　by　Agesilaus；　in
  that　great　perplexity　of　the　people　as　to　the　treatment　to　be　given
  to　those　who　had　played　the　coward　at　the　battle　of　Leuctra；　when
  after　that　unhappy　defeat　he　decreed　that　the　laws　should　sleep　for
  that　day；　it　would　be　hard　to　find　any　parallel　to；　neither　have　we
  the　fellow　of　it　in　all　Pompey's　story。　But　on　the　contrary；　Pompey
  for　a　friend　thought　it　no　sin　to　break　those　very　laws　which　he
  himself　had　made；　as　if　to　show　at　once　the　force　of　his　friendship；
  and　the　greatness　of　his　power；　whereas　Agesilaus；　under　the
  necessity；　as　it　seemed；　of　either　rescinding　the　laws；　or　not　saving
  the　citizens；　contrived　an　expedient　by　the　help　of　which　the　laws
  should　not　touch　these　citizens；　and　yet　should　not；　to　avoid　it；　be
  overthrown。　Then　I　must　commend　it　as　an　incomparable　act　of　civil
  virtue　and　obedience　in　Agesilaus；　that　immediately　upon　the　receipt
  of　the　scytala；　he　left　the　wars　in　Asia　and　returned　into　his
  country。　For　he　did　not；　like　Pompey；　merely　advance　his　country's
  interest　by　acts　that　contributed　at　the　same　time　to　promote　his
  own　greatness；　but　looking　to　his　country's　good；　for　its　sake　laid
  aside　as　great　authority　and　honour　as　ever　any　man　had　before　or
  since；　except　Alexander　the　Great。
  But　now　to　take　another　point　of　view；　if　we　sum　up　Pompey's
  military　expeditions　and　exploits　of　war；　the　number　of　his
  trophies；　and　the　greatness　of　the　powers　which　he　subdued；　and　the
  multitude　of　battles　in　which　he　triumphed；　I　am　persuaded　even
  Xenophon　himself　would　not　put　the　victories　of　Agesilaus　in　balance
  with　his；　though　Xenophon　has　this　privilege　allowed　him；　as　a　sort
  of　special　reward　for　his　other　excellences；　that　he　may　write　and
  speak；　in　favour　of　his　hero；　whatever　he　pleases。　Methinks；　too；
  there　is　　a　great　deal　of　difference　betwixt　these　men　in　their
  clemency　and　moderation　towards　their　enemies。　For　Agesilaus；　while
  attempting　to　enslave　Thebes　and　exterminate　Messene；　the　latter；　his
  country's　ancient　associate；　and　Thebes；　the　mother…city　of　his　own
  royal　house；　almost　lost　Sparta　itself；　and　did　really　lose　the
  government　of　Greece；　whereas　Pompey　gave　cities　to　those　of　the
  pirates　who　were　willing　to　change　their　manner　of　life；　and　when　it
  was　in　his　power　to　lead　Tigranes；　King　of　Armenia；　in　triumph；　he
  chose　rather　to　make　him　a　confederate　of　the　Romans；　saying；　that　a
  single　day　was　worth　less　than　all　future　time。　But　if　the
  pre…eminence　in　that　which　relates　to　the　office　and　virtues　of　a
  general　should　be　determined　by　the　greatest　and　most　important　acts
  and　counsels　of　war；　the　Lacedaemonian　would　not　a　little　exceed　the
  Roman。　For　Agesilaus　never　deserted　his　city；　though　it　was　besieged
  by　an　army　of　seventy　thousand　men；　when　there　were　very　few　soldiers
  within　to　defend　it；　and　those　had　been　defeated　too；　but　a　little
  before；　at　the　battle　of　Leuctra。　But　Pompey；　when　Caesar；　with　a
  body　only　of　fifty…three　hundred　men；　had　taken　but　one　town　in
  Italy；　departed　in　a　panic　out　of　Rome；　either　through　cowardice；
  when　there　were　so　few；　or　at　least　through　a　false　and　mistaken
  belief　that　there　were　more；　and　having　conveyed　away　his　wife　and
  children；　he　left　all　the　rest　of　the　citizens　defenceless；　and　fled；
  whereas　he　ought　either　to　have　conquered　in　fight　for　the　defence　of
  his　country；　or　yielded　upon　terms　to　the　conqueror；　who　was；
  moreover；　his　fellow…citizen　and　allied　to　him；　but　now　to　the　same
  man　to　whom　he　refused　a　prolongation　of　the　terms　of　his　government；
  and　thought　it　intolerable　to　grant　another　consulship；　to　him　he
  gave　the　power；　by　letting　him　take　the　city；　to　tell　Metellus；
  together　with　all　the　rest；　that　they　were　his　prisoners。
  That　which　is　chiefly　the　office　of　a　general；　to　force　the　enemy
  into　fighting　when　he　finds　himself　the　stronger；　and　to　avoid　being
  driven　into　it　himself　when　he　is　the　weaker；　this　excellence
  Agesilaus　always　displayed；　and　by　it　kept　himself　invincible；
  whereas　in　contending　with　Pompey；　Caesar；　who　was　the　weaker；
  successfully　declined　the　danger；　and　his　own　strength　being　in　his
  land…forces；　drove　him　into　putting　the　conflict　to　issue　with　these；
  and　thus　made　himself　master　of　the　treasure；　stores；　and　the　sea
  too；　which　were　all　in　his　enemy's　hands；　and　by　the　help　of　which
  the　victory　could　have　been　secured　without　fighting。　And　what　is
  alleged　as　an　apology　in　vindication　of　Pompey；　is　to　a　general　of
  his　age　and　standing　the　greatest　of　disgraces。　For；　granting　that　a
  young　commander　might　by　clamour　and　outcry　be　deprived　of　his
  fortitude　and　strength　of　mind；　and　weakly　forsake　his　better
  judgment；　and　the　thing　be　neither　strange　nor　altogether
  unpardonable；　yet　for　Pompey　the　Great；　whose　camp　the　Romans　called
  their　country；　and　his　tent　the　senate；　styling　the　consuls；
  praetors；　and　all　other　magistrates　who　were　conducting　the
  government　at　Rome　by　no　better　title　than　that　of　rebels　and
  traitors；　for　him；　whom　they　well　knew　never　to　have　been　under　the
  command　of　any　but　himself；　having　served　all　his　campaigns　under
  himself　as　sole　general；　for　him　upon　so　small　a　provocation　as　the
  scoffs　of　Favonius　and　Domitius；　and　lest　he　should　bear　the　nickname
  of　Agamemnon；　to　be　wrought　upon；　and　even　forced　to　hazard　the　whole
  empire　and　liberty　of　Rome　upon　the　cast　of　a　die；　was　surely　indeed
  intolerable。　Who；　if　he　had　so　much　regarded　a　present　infamy；　should
  have　guarded　the　city　at　first　with　his　arms；　and　fought　the　battle
  in　defence　of　Rome；　not　have　left　it　as　he　did：　nor　while　declaring
  his　flight　from　Italy　an　artifice　in　the　manner　of　Themistocles；
  nevertheless　be　ashamed　in　Thessaly　of　a　prudent　delay　before
  engaging。　Heaven　had　not　appointed　the　Pharsalian　fields　to　be　the
  stage　and　theatre　upon　which　they　should　contend　for　the　empire　of
  Rome；　neither　was　he　summoned　thither　by　any　herald　upon　challenge；
  with　intimation　that　he　must　either　undergo　the　combat　or　surrender
  the　prize　to　another。　There　were　many　other　fields；　thousands　of
  cities；　and　even　the　whole　earth　placed　at　his　command；　by　the
  advantage　of　his　fleet　and　his　superiority　at　sea；　if　he　would　but
  have　followed　the　examples　of