Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
[Footnote 392: The death of Pompeius is mentioned by Cicero (_Ad
Atticum_, xi. 6). As to his age, Drumann observes, "He was born B.C.
106, and was consequently 58 years old when he was killed, on the 29th
of September, or on the day before his birthday, about the time of the
autumnal equinox according to the unreformed calendar." (Lucanus, viii
467.)]
[Footnote 393: He is called Cordus by Lucanus (viii. 715), and had
formerly been a quæstor of Pompeius.]
COMPARISON OF AGESILAUS AND POMPEIUS.
I. As both these men's lives are now before us, let us briefly
recapitulate them, observing as we do so the points in which they
differ from one another. These are as follows:--First, Pompeius
obtained his power and renown by the most strictly legitimate means,
chiefly by his own exertions when assisting Sulla in the liberation of
Italy; while Agesilaus obtained the throne in defiance of both human
and divine laws, for he declared Leotychides to be a bastard, although
his brother had publicly recognised him as his own son, and he also by
a quibble evaded the oracle about a lame reign.
Secondly, Pompeius both respected Sulla while he lived, gave his body
an honourable burial, in spite of Lepidus, when he died, and married
Sulla's daughter to his own son Faustus; while Agesilaus, on a
trifling pretext, disgraced and ruined Lysander. Yet Sulla gave
Pompeius nothing more than he possessed himself, whereas Lysander made
Agesilaus king of Sparta, and leader of the united armies of Greece.
Thirdly, the political wrong-doings of Pompeius were chiefly committed
to serve his relatives, Cæsar and Scipio; while Agesilaus saved
Sphodrias from the death which he deserved for his outrage upon the
Athenians merely to please his son, and vigorously supported Phœbidas
when he committed a similar breach of the peace against the Thebans.
And generally, we may say that while Pompeius only injured the Romans
through inability to refuse the demands of friends, or through
ignorance, Agesilaus ruined the Lacedæmonians by plunging them into
war with Thebes, to gratify his own angry and quarrelsome temper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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