Plutarch, Praecepta gerendae reipublicae, Harold North Fowler (Translator), 11

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[11] But the safe and leisurely way has been chosen by many famous men - Aristeides, Phocion, Pammenes the Theban, Lucullus at Rome, Cato, the Lacedaemonian Agesilaüs. For just as ivy rises by twining itself about a strong tree, so each of these men, by attaching himself while still young to an older man and while still obscure to a man of reputation, being gradually raised up under the shelter of his power and growing great with him, fixed himself firmly and rooted himself in the affairs of State. For Aristeides was made great by Cleisthenes, Phocion by Chabrias, Lucullus by Sulla, Cato by Maximus, Epameinondas aided Pammenes, and Lysander Agesilaüs. But Agesilaüs through untimely ambition and jealousy of Lysander’s reputation insulted and quickly cast aside the guide of his actions; but the others in noble and statesmanlike fashion cherished their teachers until the end and joined in honouring them, enhancing in turn with their own radiance, and illuminating, like the heavenly bodies that face the sun, that which caused themselves to shine. Certainly Scipio’s detractors said that he was the actor, but his friend Laelius the real author of his deeds; Laelius, however, was not puffed up by any of those sayings but continued always eagerly to exalt Scipio’s virtue and renown. And Pompey’s friend Afranius, even though he was of humble station, nevertheless expected to be elected consul, but when Pompey favoured other candidates, he relinquished his ambition, saying that gaining the consulship would be to him not so much glorious as painful and troublesome, if it were against Pompey’s will and without his co-operation; and so after waiting only one year he both gained the office and retained the friendship.¹ Those who are thus led to renown by the hand of others gain favour with many, and at the same time, if anything unpleasant happens, are less disliked; and that is why Philip advised Alexander to gain friends as long as he could while another man was king by having pleasant intercourse with others and maintaining friendly relations with them.

Praecepta gerendae reipublicae. Plutarch. Harold North Fowler (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

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Current edition Perseus

Precepts of Statecraft (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. X. Fowler, Harold North, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. V. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.) — 11 focus

[11] τὴν δʼ ἀσφαλῆ καὶ σχολαίαν εἵλοντο πολλοὶ 20 τῶν ἐνδόξων, Ἀριστείδης, Φωκίων, Παμμένης ὁ Θηβαῖος, Λεύκολλος ἐν Ῥώμῃ, Κάτων, Ἀγησίλαος ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος· τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστος, ὥσπερ οἱ κιττοὶ τοῖς ἰσχύουσι τῶν δένδρων περιπλεκόμενοι 805f συνεξανίστανται, προσδραμὼν ἀνδρὶ πρεσβυτέρῳ 25 νέος ἔτι¹ καὶ ἄδοξος ἐνδόξῳ, κατὰ μικρὸν αἰρόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς περὶ ἐκεῖνον δυνάμεως καὶ συναυξανόμενος ἤρεισε καὶ κατερρίζωσεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν πολιτείαν. Ἀριστείδην μὲν γὰρ ηὔξησε Κλεισθένης καὶ Φωκίωνα Χαβρίας, Λεύκολλον² δὲ Σύλλας Κάτωνα δὲ Μάξιμος, Ἐπαμεινώνδας δὲ Παμμένη³ καὶ Λύσανδρος Ἀγησίλαον ἀλλʼ οὗτος μὲν ὑπὸ⁴ φιλοτιμίας 5 ἀκαίρου καὶ ζηλοτυπίας διὰ δόξαν⁵ ὑβρίσας ἀπέρριψε ταχὺ τὸν καθηγεμόνα τῶν πρακτέων⁶· οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι καλῶς καὶ πολιτικῶς καὶ ἄχρι τέλους ἑθεράπευσαν 806a καὶ συνεπεκόσμησαν ὥσπερ τὰ πρὸς ἣλιον ὑφιστάμενα σώματα τὸ λαμπρῦνον αὑτοὺς πάλιν ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν 10 αὔξοντις καὶ συνεκφωτίζοντες. οἱ γοῦν Σκιπίωνι βασκαίνοντες ὑποκριτὴν αὐτὸν ἀπεφαίνοντο τῶν πράξεων ποιητὴν δὲ Λαίλιον τὸν ἑταῖρον, ὁ δὲ Λαίλιος ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς ἐπήρθη τούτων ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ διετέλεσε τῇ Σκιπίωνος ἀρετῇ καὶ δόξῃ συμφιλοτιμούμενος. Ἀφράνιος δὲ Πομπηίου φίλος, εἰ καὶ 15 πάνυ ταπεινὸς ἦν, ὅμως ἐπίδοξος ὢν ὕπατος αἱρεθήσεσθαι, 806b Πομπηίου σπουδάζοντος ἑτέροις, ἀπέστη τῆς φιλοτιμίας εἰπὼν οὐκ ἂν οὕτω λαμπρὸν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τὸ τυχεῖν ὑπατείας, ὡς ἀνιαρὸν ἅμα καὶ 20 δυσχερές, εἰ Πομπηίου μὴ θέλοντος μηδὲ συμπράττοντος· ἐνιαυτὸν οὖν ἀνασχόμενος μόνον οὔτε τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπέτυχε καὶ τὴν φιλίαν διετήρησε. τοῖς δʼ οὕτω χειραγωγουμένοις ὑφʼ ἑτέρων ἐπὶ δόξαν ἅμα συμβαίνει χαρίζεσθαί τε πολλοῖς, κἄν τι συμβαίνῃ 25 δύσκολον, ἧττον ἀπεχθάνεσθαι διὸ καὶ Φίλιππος Ἀλεξάνδρῳ παρῄνει κτᾶσθαι φίλους, ἕως ἔξεστι, βασιλεύοντος ἑτέρου πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλοῦντα καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον.

Translations (1)

Political Precepts Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; White, Samuel, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 11 focus

[11] But many gallant men have chosen the safe and slow method, as Aristides. Phocion, Pammenes the Theban, Lucullus in Rome, Cato, and Agesilaus the Lacedaemonian. For as ivy, twining about the strongest trees, rises up together with them; so every one of these, applying himself, whilst he was yet young and inglorious, to some elder and illustrious personage, and growing up and increasing by little and little under his authority, grounded and rooted himself in the commonweal. For Clisthenes advanced Aristides, Chabrias preferred Phocion, Sylla promoted Lucullus, Maximus raised Cato, Pammenes forwarded Epaminondas, and Lysander assisted Agesilaus. But this last, injuring his own reputation through an unseasonable ambition and jealousy, soon threw off the director of his actions; but the rest honestly, politically, and to the end, venerated and magnified the authors of their advancement,—like bodies which are opposed to the sun,—by reflecting back the light that shone upon them, augmented and rendered more illustrious. Certainly those who looked asquint upon Scipio called him the player, and his companion Laelius the poet or author of his actions; yet was not Laelius puffed up by any of these things, but continued to promote the virtue and glory of Scipio. And Afranius, the friend of Pompey, though he was very meanly descended, yet being at the very point to be chosen consul, when he understood that Pompey favored others, gave over his suit, saying that his obtaining the consulship would not be so honorable as grievous and troublesome to him, if it were against the good-will and without the assistance of Pompey. Having therefore delayed but one year, he enjoyed the dignity and preserved his friendship. Now those who are thus by others led, as it were, by the hand to glory do, in gratifying one, at the same time also gratify the multitude, and incur less odium, if any inconvenience befalls them. Wherefore also Philip (king of Macedon) exhorted his son Alexander, whilst he had leisure during the reign of another, to get himself friends, winning their love by kind and affable behavior.

Notes on the current edition

Precepts of Statecraft

1. Cf . Life of Pompey, chap. xliv., where another story concerning the friendship of Pompey for Afranius is told.

Plutarch Praecepta gerendae reipublicae 11

Harold North Fowler (Translator)

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