the comparison of lysander with sylla-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COMPARISON　OF　LYSANDER　WITH　SYLLA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　HAVING　completed　this　Life　also；　come　we　now　to　the　comparison。　That
which　was　common　to　them　both　was　that　they　were　founders　of　their　own
greatness；　with　this　difference；　that　Lysander　had　the　consent　of
his　fellow…citizens；　in　times　of　sober　judgment；　for　the　honours　he
received；　nor　did　he　force　anything　from　them　against　their　good…will；
nor　hold　any　power　contrary　to　the　laws。

　　　　　　　　　〃In　civil　strife　e'en　villains　rise　to　fame。〃

And　so　then　at　Rome；　when　the　people　were　distempered；　and　the
government　out　of　order；　one　or　other　was　still　raised　to　despotic
power；　no　wonder；　then；　if　Sylla　reigned；　when　the　Glauciae　and
Saturnini　drove　out　the　Metelli；　when　sons　of　consuls　were　slain　in
the　assemblies；　when　silver　and　gold　purchased　men　and　arms；　and
fire　and　sword　enacted　new　laws　and　put　down　lawful　opposition。　Nor　do
I　blame　any　one；　in　such　circumstances；　for　working　himself　into
supreme　power；　only　I　would　not　have　it　thought　a　sign　of　great
goodness　to　be　head　of　a　state　so　wretchedly　discomposed。　Lysander；
being　employed　in　the　greatest　commands　and　affairs　of　state；　by　a
sober　and　well…governed　city；　may　be　said　to　have　had　repute　as　the
best　and　most　virtuous　man；　in　the　best　and　most　virtuous
commonwealth。　And　thus；　often　returning　the　government　into　the
hands　of　the　citizens；　he　received　it　again　as　often；　the
superiority　of　his　merit　still　awarding　him　the　first　place。　Sylla；　on
the　other　hand；　when　he　had　once　made　himself　general　of　an　army；　kept
his　command　for　ten　years　together；　creating　himself　sometimes　consul；
sometimes　proconsul；　and　sometimes　dictator；　but　always　remaining　a
tyrant。
　　It　is　true　Lysander；　as　was　said；　designed　to　introduce　a　new　form
of　government；　by　milder　methods；　however；　and　more　agreeable　to　law
than　Sylla；　not　by　force　of　arms；　but　persuasion；　nor　by　subverting
the　whole　state　at　once；　but　simply　by　amending　the　succession　of
the　kings；　in　a　way；　moreover；　which　seemed　the　naturally　just　one；
that　the　most　deserving　should　rule；　especially　in　a　city　which　itself
exercised　command　in　Greece；　upon　account　of　virtue；　not　nobility。　For
as　the　hunter　considers　the　whelp　itself；　not　the　bitch；　and　the
horsedealer　the　foal；　not　the　mare　（for　what　if　the　foal　should
prove　a　mule？）；　so　likewise　were　that　politician　extremely　out；　who；
in　the　choice　of　a　chief　magistrate；　should　inquire；　not　what　the
man　is；　but　how　descended。　The　very　Spartans　themselves　have　deposed
several　of　their　kings　for　want　of　kingly　virtues；　as　degenerated
and　good　for　nothing。　As　a　vicious　nature；　though　of　an　ancient　stock；
is　dishonourable；　it　must　be　virtue　itself；　and　not　birth；　that
makes　virtue　honourable。　Furthermore；　the　one　committed　his　acts　of
injustice　for　the　sake　of　his　friends；　the　other　extended　his　to　his
friends　themselves。　It　is　confessed　on　all　hands；　that　Lysander
offended　most　commonly　for　the　sake　of　his　companions；　committing
several　slaughters　to　uphold　their　power　and　dominion；　but　as　for
Sylla；　he；　out　of　envy；　reduced　Pompey's　command　by　land　and
Dolabella's　by　sea；　although　he　himself　had　given　them　those　places；
and　ordered　Lucretius　Ofella；　who　sued　for　the　consulship　as　the
reward　of　many　great　services；　to　be　slain　before　his　eyes；　exciting
horror　and　alarm　in　the　minds　of　all　men；　by　his　cruelty　to　his
dearest　friends。
　　As　regards　the　pursuit　of　riches　and　pleasures；　we　yet　further
discover　in　one　a　princely；　in　the　other　a　tyrannical；　disposition。
Lysander　did　nothing　that　was　intemperate　or　licentious；　in　that
full　command　of　means　and　opportunity；　but　kept　clear；　as　much　as　ever
man　did；　of　that　trite　saying…

　　　　　　　　　〃Lions　at　home；　but　foxes　out　of　doors；〃

and　ever　maintained　a　sober；　truly　Spartan；　and　well…disciplined
course　of　conduct。　Whereas　Sylla　could　never　moderate　his　unruly
affections；　either　by　poverty　when　young；　or　by　years　when　grown
old；　but　would　be　still　prescribing　laws　to　the　citizens　concerning
chastity　and　sobriety；　himself　living　all　that　time；　as　Sallust
affirms；　in　lewdness　and　adultery。　By　these　ways　he　so　improverished
and　drained　the　city　of　her　treasures；　as　to　be　forced　to　sell
privileges　and　immunities　to　allied　and　friendly　cities　for　money；
although　he　daily　gave　up　the　wealthiest　and　the　greatest　families
to　public　sale　and　confiscation。　There　was　no　end　of　his　favours
vainly　spent　and　thrown　away　on　flatterers；　for　what　hope　could
there　be；　or　what　likelihood　of　forethought　or　economy；　in　his　more
private　moments　over　wine；　when；　in　the　open　face　of　the　people；
upon　the　auction　of　a　large　estate；　which　he　would　have　passed　over　to
one　of　his　friends　at　a　small　price；　because　another　bid　higher；　and
the　officer　announced　the　advance；　he　broke　out　into　a　passion；
saying：　〃What　a　strange　and　unjust　thing　is　this；　O　citizens；　that　I
cannot　dispose　of　my　own　booty　as　I　please！〃　But　Lysander；　on　the
contrary；　with　the　rest　of　the　spoil；　sent　home　for　public　use　even
the　presents　which　were　made　him。　Nor　do　I　comment　him　for　it；　for　he；
perhaps；　by　excessive　liberality；　did　Sparta　more　harm　than　ever　the
other　did　Rome　by　rapine；　I　only　use　it　as　an　argument　of　his
indifference　to　riches。　They　exercised　a　strange　influence　on　their
respective　cities。　Sylla；　a　profuse　debauchee；　endeavoured　to
restore　sober　living　amongst　the　citizens；　Lysander；　temperate
himself；　filled　Sparta　with　the　luxury　he　disregarded。　So　that　both
were　blameworthy；　the　one　for　raising　himself　above　his　own　laws；
the　other　for　causing　his　fellow…citizens　to　fall　beneath　his　own
example。　He　taught　Sparta　to　want　the　very　things　which　he　himself　had
learned　to　do　without。　And　thus　much　of　their　civil　administration。
　　As　for　feats　of　arms；　wise　conduct　in　war；　innumerable　victories；
perilous　adventures；　Sylla　was　beyond　compare。　Lysander；　indeed；
came　off　twice　victorious　in　two　battles　by　sea；　I　shall　add　to　that
the　siege　of　Athens；　a　work　of　greater　fame　than　difficulty。　What
occurred　in　Boeotia；　and　at　Haliartus；　was　the　result；　perhaps；　of　ill
fortune；　yet　it　certainly　looks　like　ill　counsel；　not　to　wait　for
the　king's　forces；　which　had　all　but　arrived　from　Plataea；　but　out
of　ambition　and　eagerness　to　fight；　to　approach　the　walls　at
disadvantage；　and　so　to　be　cut　off　by　a　sally　of　inconsiderable　men。
He　received　his　death…wound；　not　as　Cleombrotus；　at　Leuctra；　resisting
manfully　the　assault　of　an　enemy　in　the　field；　not　as　Cyrus　or
Epaminondas；　sustaining　the　declining　battle；　or　making　sure　the
victory；　all　these　died　the　death　of　kings　and　generals；　but　he；　as　it
had　been　some　common　skirmisher　or　scout；　cast　away　his　life
ingloriously；　giving　testimony　to　the　wisdom　of　the　ancient　Spartan
maxim；　to　avoid　attacks　on　walled　cities；　in　which　the　stoutest
warrior　may　chance　to　fall　by　the　hand；　not　only　of　a　man　utterly
his　inferior；　but　by　that　of　a　boy　or　woman；　as　Achilles；　they　say；
was　slain　by　Paris　in　the　gates。　As　for　Sylla；　it　were　hard　to
reckon　up　how　many　set　battles　he　won；　or　how　many　thousand　he　slew；
he　took　Rome　itself　twice；　as　also　the　Athenian　Piraeus；　not　by
famine；　as　Lysander　did；　but　by　a　series　of　great　battles；　driving
Archelaus　into　the　sea。　And　what　is　most　important；　there　was　a　vast
difference　between　the　commanders　they　had　to　deal　with。　For　I　look
upon　it　as　an　easy　task；　or　rather　sport；　to　beat　Antiochus；
Alcibiades's　pilot；　or　to　circumvent　Philocles；　the　Athenian
demagogue…

　　　　　　　　　〃Sharp　only　at　the　inglorious　point　of　tongue；〃

whom　Mithridates　would　have　scorned　to　compare　with　his　groom；　or
Marius　with　his　lictor。　But　of　the　potentates；　consuls；　commanders；
and　demagogues；　to　pass　by　all　the　rest　who　opposed　themselves　to
Sylla；　who　amongst　the　Romans　so　formidable　as　Marius；　what　king
more　powerful　than　Mithridates？　who　of　the　Italians　more　warlike
than　Lamponius　and　Telesinus？　yet　of　these；　one　he　drove　into
banishment；　one　he　quelled；　and　the　others　he　slew。
　　And　what　is　more　important；　in　my　judgment；　than　anything　yet
adduced；　is　that　Lysander　had　the　assistance　of　the　state　in　all　his
achievements；　whereas　Sylla；　besides　that　he　was　a　banished　person；
and　overpowered　by　a　faction；　at　a　time　when　his　wife　was　driven
from　home；　his　houses　demolished；　adherents　slain；　himself　then　in
Boeotia；　stood　embattled　against　countless　numbers　of　the　public
enemy；　and；　endangering　himself　for　the　sake　of　his　country；　raised
a　trophy　of　victory；　and　not　even　when　Mithridates　came　with　proposals
of　alliance　and　aid　against　his　enemies　would　he　show　any　sort　of
compliance；　or　even　clemency；　did　not　so　much　as　address　him；　or
vouchsafe　him　his　hand；　until　he　had　it　from　the　king's　own　mouth　that
he　was　willing　to　quit　Asia；　surrender　the　navy；　and　restore
Bithynia　and　Cappadocia　to　the　two　kings。　Than　which　action　Sylla
never　performed　a　braver；　or　with　a　nobler　spirit；　when　preferring　the
public　good　to　the　private；　and　like　good　hounds；　where　he　had　once
fixed；　never　letting　go　his　hold；　till　the　enemy　yielded；　then；　and
not　until　then；　he　set　himself　to　revenge　his　own　private　quarrels。　We
may　perhaps　let　ourselves　be　influenced；　moreover；　in　our　comparison
of　their　characters；　by　considering　their　treatment　of　Athens。
Sylla；　when　he　had　made　himself　master　of　the　city；　which　then
upheld　the　dominion　and　power　of　Mithridates　in　opposition　to　him；
restored　her　to　liberty　and　the　free　exercise　of　her　own　laws；
Lysander；　on　the　contrary；　when　she　had　fallen　from　a　vast　height　of
dignity　and　rule；　showed　her　no　compassion；　but　abolishing　her
democratic　government；　imposed　on　her　the　most　cruel　and　lawless
tyrants。　We　are　now　qualified　to　consider　whether　we　should　go　far
from　the　truth　or　no　in　pronouncing　that　Sylla　performed　the　more
glorious　deeds；　but　Lysander　committed　the　fewer　faults；　as；　likewise；
by　giving　to　one　the　pre…eminence　for　moderation　and　self…control；
to　the　other　for　conduct　and　valour。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END