Plutarch, Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes, 2

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[1] τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν στρατηγίαν ἐφάμιλλα καὶ παράλληλα· τῷ δὲ ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ φιλοπόλεμος μὲν ὁ Εὐμενὴς καὶ φιλόνεικος, ἡσυχίας δὲ καὶ πρᾳότητος οἰκεῖος ὁ Σερτώριος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ, ἀσφαλῶς καὶ μετὰ τιμῆς βιοῦν ἐξὸν ἐκποδὼν γενομένῳ τοῖς πρώτοις, μαχόμενος καὶ κινδυνεύων διετέλεσε, τῷ δὲ οὐδὲν δεομένῳ πραγμάτων ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀσφαλείας πρὸς οὐκ ἐῶντας εἰρήνην ἄγειν ἦν ὁ πόλεμος.

[2] Εὐμενεῖ μὲν γὰρ Ἀντίγονος ἐκστάντι τῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πρωτεύειν ἀγώνων ἡδέως ἂν ἐχρῆτο τὴν μετʼ αὐτὸν ἀγαπῶντι τάξιν, Σερτωρίῳ δὲ οἱ περὶ Πομπήϊον οὐδὲ ζῆν ἀπραγμόνως ἐπέτρεπον. διὸ τῷ μὲν ἑκοντὶ συνέβαινε πολεμεῖν ἐπʼ ἀρχῇ, τῷ δὲ ἀκουσίως ἄρχειν διὰ τὸ πολεμεῖσθαι.

[3] φιλοπόλεμος μὲν οὖν ὁ τῆς ἀσφαλείας τὴν πλεονεξίαν προτιμῶν, πολεμικὸς δὲ ὁ τῷ πολέμῳ κτώμενος τὴν ἀσφάλειαν.
καὶ μὴν θανεῖν γε συνέβη τῷ μὲν οὐ προαισθομένῳ, τῷ δὲ καὶ προσδεχομένῳ τὴν τελευτήν, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἐπιεικείας, φίλοις γὰρ ἐδόκει πιστεύειν, τὸ δὲ ἀσθενείας, βουλόμενος γὰρ φυγεῖν συνελήφθη.

[4] καὶ τοῦ μὲν οὐ κατῄσχυνε τὸν βίον ὁ θάνατος, πάσχοντος ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων ἃ τῶν πολεμίων αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ἐποίησεν ὁ δὲ φεύγειν μὲν πρὸ αἰχμαλωσίας μὴ δυνηθείς, ζῆν δὲ μετʼ αἰχμαλωσίαν βουληθείς, οὔτε ἐφυλάξατο καλῶς τὴν τελευτὴν οὔθʼ ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ προσλιπαρῶν καὶ δεόμενος τοῦ σώματος μόνου κρατεῖν δοκοῦντα τὸν πολέμιον καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὑτοῦ κύριον ἐποίησεν.

Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes. Plutarch. Cambridge, MA. 1919.

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Σύγκρισις Σερτωρίου καὶ Εὐμένους (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VIII. Perrin, Bernadotte, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1919.)

Translations (1)

Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VIII. Perrin, Bernadotte, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1919.) — 2 focus

[1] In their capacities as commanders, then, they were very much alike; but in their general dispositions Eumenes was fond of war and fond of strife, while Sertorius was a lover of peace and tranquillity. For the one, though it was in his power to live in safety and with honour if he kept out of the way of the leading Macedonians, was continually fighting them at the risk of his life; whereas the other, though he craved no participation in affairs, had to wage war for his very life against those who would not suffer him to be at peace.

[2] For if Eumenes had stood aside from the struggles for the primacy and been satisfied with the second place, Antigonus would gladly have given him that; whereas Sertorius could not get permission from Pompey to live, even though in retirement. Therefore the one was ever waging war of his own accord for the sake of power; while the other held power against his wishes because war was waged upon him.

[3] Now, that man is fond of war who sets greed above safety; but that man is warlike who by war wins safety.
And further, the one met his death when he had no anticipation of it, the other when he was expecting the end. In the one case, death resulted from the man’s goodness of heart, since he appeared to trust his friends; in the other, from weakness, since he wished to fly, but was arrested.

[4] Moreover, death brought no stain upon the life of Sertorius, since he suffered at the hands of confederates what none of his enemies could inflict upon him; Eumenes, however, who was unable to fly before being taken prisoner, but was willing to live after being taken prisoner, neither took good precautions against death, nor faced it well, but by supplicating and entreating the foe who was known to have power over his body only, he made him lord and master of his spirit also.

Plutarch Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes 2

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