the comparison of tiberius and caius gracchus-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COMPARISON　OF　TIBERIUS　AND　CAIUS　GRACCHUS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WITH　AGIS　AND　CLEOMENES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　HAVING　given　an　account　severally　of　these　persons；　it　remains
only　that　we　should　take　a　view　of　them　in　comparison　with　one
another。
　　As　for　the　Gracchi；　the　greatest　detractors　and　their　worst
enemies　could　not　but　allow　that　they　had　a　genius　to　virtue　beyond
all　other　Romans；　which　was　improved　also　by　a　generous　education。
Agis　and　Cleomenes　may　be　supposed　to　have　had　stronger　natural　gifts；
since；　though　they　wanted　all　the　advantages　of　good　education；　and
were　bred　up　in　those　very　customs；　manners；　and　habits　of　living
which　had　for　a　long　time　corrupted　others；　yet　they　were　public
examples　of　temperance　and　frugality。　Besides；　the　Gracchi；
happening　to　live　when　Rome　had　her　greatest　repute　for　honour　and
virtuous　actions；　might　justly　have　been　ashamed；　if　they　had　not　also
left　to　the　next　generation　the　noble　inheritance　of　the　virtues　of
their　ancestors。　Whereas　the　other　two　had　parents　of　different
morals；　and　though　they　found　their　country　in　a　sinking　condition；
and　debauched；　yet　that　did　not　quench　their　forward　zeal　to　what
was　just　and　honourable。
　　The　integrity　of　the　two　Romans；　and　their　superiority　to　money；　was
chiefly　remarkable　in　this：　that　in　office　and　the　administration　of
public　affairs；　they　kept　themselves　from　the　imputation　of　unjust
gain；　whereas　Agis　might　justly　be　offended　if　he　had　only　that　mean
commendation　given　him；　that　he　took　nothing　wrongfully　from　any
man；　seeing　he　distributed　his　own　fortunes　which；　in　ready　money
only；　amounted　to　the　value　of　six　hundred　talents；　amongst　his
fellow…citizens。　Extortion　would　have　appeared　a　crime　of　a　strange
nature　to　him；　who　esteemed　it　a　piece　of　covetousness　to　possess；
though　never　so　justly　gotten；　greater　riches　than　his　neighbours。
　　Their　political　actions；　also；　and　the　state　revolutions　they
attempted；　were　very　different　in　magnitude。　The　chief　things　in
general　that　the　two　Romans　commonly　aimed　at；　were　the　settlement
of　cities　and　mending　of　highways；　and；　in　particular；　the　boldest
design　which　Tiberius　is　famed　for；　was　the　recovery　of　the　public
lands；　and　Caius　gained　his　greatest　reputation　by　the　addition；　for
the　exercise　of　judiciary　powers；　of　three　hundred　of　the　order　of
knights　to　the　same　number　of　senators。　Whereas　the　alteration　which
Agis　and　Cleomenes　made　was　in　a　quite　different　kind。　They　did　not
set　about　removing　partial　evils　and　curing　petty　incidents　of
disease；　which　would　have　been　（as　Plato　says）　like　cutting　off　one　of
the　Hydra's　heads；　the　very　means　to　increase　the　number；　but　they
instituted　a　thorough　reformation；　such　as　would　free　the　country　from
all　its　grievances；　or　rather；　to　speak　more　truly；　they　reversed　that
former　change　which　had　been　the　cause　of　all　their　calamities；　and　so
restored　their　city　to　its　ancient　state。
　　However；　this　must　be　confessed　in　the　behalf　of　the　Gracchi；　that
their　undertakings　were　always　opposed　by　men　of　the　greatest
influence。　On　the　other　side；　those　things　which　were　first
attempted　by　Agis；　and　afterwards　consummated　by　Cleomenes；　were
supported　by　the　great　and　glorious　precedent　of　those　ancient　laws
concerning　frugality　and　levelling　which　they　had　themselves
received　upon　the　authority　of　Lycurgus；　and　he　had　instituted　on　that
of　Apollo。　It　is　also　further　observable；　that　from　the　actions　of　the
Gracchi；　Rome　received　no　additions　to　her　former　greatness；
whereas；　under　the　conduct　of　Cleomenes；　Greece　presently　saw　Sparta
exert　her　sovereign　power　over　all　Peloponnesus；　and　contest　the
supreme　command　with　the　most　powerful　princes　of　the　time；　success　in
which　would　have　freed　Greece　from　Illyrian　and　Gaulish　violence；
and　placed　her　once　again　under　the　orderly　rule　of　the　sons　of
Hercules。
　　From　the　circumstances　of　their　deaths；　also；　we　may　infer　some
difference　in　the　quality　of　their　courage。　The　Gracchi；　fighting　with
their　fellow…citizens；　were　both　slain　as　they　endeavoured　to　make；
their　escape；　Agis　willingly　submitted　to　his　fate；　rather　than　any
citizen　should　be　in　danger　of　his　life。　Cleomenes；　being　shamefully
and　unjustly　treated；　made　an　effort　toward　revenge；　but　failing　of
that；　generously　fell　by　his　own　hand。
　　On　the　other　side　it　must　be　said；　that　Agis　never　did　a　great
action　worthy　a　commander；　being　prevented　by　an　untimely　death。　And
as　for　those　heroic　actions　of　Cleomenes；　we　may　justly　compare　with
them　that　of　Tiberius；　when　he　was　the　first　who　attempted　to　scale
the　walls　of　Carthage；　which　was　no　mean　exploit。　We　may　add　the　peace
which　he　concluded　with　the　Numantines；　by　which　he　saved　the　lives　of
twenty　thousand　Romans；　who　otherwise　had　certainly　been　cut　off。
And　Caius；　not　only　at　home；　but　in　war　in　Sardinia；　displayed
distinguished　courage。　So　that　their　early　actions　were　no　small
argument　that　afterwards　they　might　have　rivalled　the　best　of　the
Roman　commanders；　if　they　had　not　died　so　young。
　　In　civil　life；　Agis　showed　a　lack　of　determination；　he　let　himself
be　baffled　by　the　craft　of　Agesilaus；　disappointed　the　expectations　of
the　citizens　as　to　the　division　of　the　lands；　and　generally　left　all
the　designs；　which　he　had　deliberately　formed　and　publicly
announced；　unperformed　and　unfulfilled　through　a　young　man's　want　of
resolution。　Cleomenes；　on　the　other　hand；　proceeded　to　effect　the
revolution　with　only　too　much　boldness　and　violence；　and　unjustly　slew
the　Ephors　whom　he　might；　by　superiority　in　arms；　have　gained　over
to　his　party；　or　else　might　easily　have　banished；　as　he　did　several
others　of　the　city。　For　to　use　the　knife；　unless　in　the　extremest
necessity；　is　neither　good　surgery　nor　wise　policy；　but　in　both
cases　mere　unskillfulness；　and　in　the　latter；　unjust　as　well　as
unfeeling。　Of　the　Gracchi；　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　was　the　first
to　shed　the　blood　of　his　fellow…citizens；　and　Caius　is　reported　to
have　avoided　all　manner　of　resistance；　even　when　his　life　was　aimed
at；　showing　himself　always　valiant　against　a　foreign　enemy；　but　wholly
inactive　in　a　sedition。　This　was　the　reason　that　he　went　from　his
own　house　unarmed；　and　withdrew　when　the　battle　began；　and　in　all
respects　showed　himself　anxious　rather　not　to　do　any　harm　to　others；
than　not　to　suffer　any　himself。　Even　the　very　flight　of　the　Gracchi
must　not　be　looked　upon　as　an　argument　of　their　mean　spirit；　but　an
honourable　retreat　from　endangering　of　others。　For　if　they　had　stayed；
they　must　either　have　yielded　to　those　who　assailed　them；　or　else　have
fought　them　in　their　own　defence。
　　The　greatest　crime　that　can　be　laid　to　Tiberius's　charge　was　the
deposing　of　his　fellow　tribune；　and　seeking　afterwards　a　second
tribuneship　for　himself。　As　for　the　death　of　Antyllius；　it　is
falsely　and　unjustly　attributed　to　Caius；　for　he　was　slain　unknown
to　him；　and　much　to　his　grief。　On　the　contrary；　Cleomenes　（not　to
mention　the　murder　of　the　Ephors）　set　all　the　slaves　at　liberty；　and
governed　by　himself　alone　in　reality；　having　a　partner　only　for
show；　having　made　choice　of　his　brother　Euclidas；　who　was　one　of　the
same　family。　He　prevailed　upon　Archidamus；　who　was　the　right　heir　to
the　kingdom　of　the　other　line；　to　venture　to　return　home　from　Messene；
but　after　his　being　slain；　by　not　doing　anything　to　revenge　his　death；
confirmed　the　suspicion　that　he　was　privy　to　it　himself。　Lycurgus；
whose　example　he　professed　to　imitate；　after　he　had　voluntarily
settled　his　kingdom　upon　Charillus；　his　brother's　son；　fearing　lest；
if　the　youth　should　chance　to　die　by　accident；　he　might　be　suspected
for　it；　travelled　a　long　time；　and　would　not　return　again　to　Sparta
until　Charillus　had　a　son；　and　an　heir　to　his　kingdom。　But　we　have
indeed　no　other　Grecian　who　is　worthy　to　be　compared　with　Lycurgus；
and　it　is　clear　enough　that　in　the　public　measures　of　Cleomenes
various　acts　of　considerable　audacity　and　lawlessness　may　be　found。
　　Those；　therefore；　who　incline　to　blame　their　characters　may　observe；
that　the　two　Grecians　were　disturbers　even　from　their　youth；　lovers　of
contest；　and　aspirants　to　despotic　power；　that　Tiberius　and　Caius　by
nature　had　an　excessive　desire　after　glory　and　honours。　Beyond　this；
their　enemies　could　find　nothing　to　bring　against　them；　but　as　soon　as
the　contention　began　with　their　adversaries；　their　heat　and　passions
would　so　far　prevail　beyond　their　natural　temper；　that　by　them；　as
by　ill　winds；　they　were　driven　afterwards　to　all　their　rash
undertakings。　What　could　be　more　just　and　honourable　than　their
first　design；　had　not　the　power　and　the　faction　of　the　rich；　by
endeavouring　to　abrogate　that　law；　engaged　them　both　in　those　fatal
quarrels；　the　one；　for　his　own　preservation；　the　other；　to　revenge　his
brother's　death；　who　was　murdered　without　any　law　or　justice？
　　From　the　account；　therefore；　which　has　been　given；　you　yourself
may　perceive　the　difference；　which　if　it　were　to　be　pronounced　of
every　one　singly；　I　should　affirm　Tiberius　to　have　excelled　them　all
in　virtue；　that　young　Agis　had　been　guilty　of　the　fewest　misdeeds；　and
that　in　action　and　boldness　Caius　came　far　short　of　Cleomenes。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END