The third volume of Plutarch's lives. Translated from the Greek, by several hands

The Comparison of Lysander with Sylla.

HAving in like manner run through this Life, come we now to the Com∣parison. 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 the Citi∣zens, in Times of right understanding, for the Honours he received; nor forc'd he any thing against their good will, or sought to raise himself above the Laws; whereas, In Civil Broils the Slave himself gets Honour; as then at Rome, when the People were distempered, and the Government out of order, one or other was still a getting up∣permost; no wonder then if Sylla reign'd, when the Glauciae and Saturnini drove out the Metelli, when Sons of Consuls were slain in the Assemblies, when others for Silver and Gold bought Men and Arms, and with Fire and Sword set up new Laws, in spite of all Lawful opposition; nor do I blame any one in such Circumstances, for working himself into Supream Power; on∣ly I would not have it thought a sign of Sovereign Goodness, to be Head of a State so wretchedly discomposed. But Lysander being employed in the greatest Commands

and Affairs of State, by a sober and well∣disciplin'd City, was ever esteemed the best and most Vertuous Man, in the best and most vertuous Commonwealth. Where∣fore Lysander often returning the Govern∣ment into the hands of the Citizens, re∣ceived it again as often; for the Excellen∣cies of his Vertues ever held the first place. Sylla on the other hand, when he had once made himself of the Army, kept up his Command for ten years together, creating himself sometimes Consul, sometimes Pro∣consul, and sometimes Dictator, but was al∣ways a Tyrant. It's true, Lysander (as was said) designed to introduce a new Form of Government, after a milder fashion however, and more agreeable to Justice, than Sylla; not by force of Arms, but Perswasion; nor by subverting the whole State at once, but by more orderly direct∣ing the Succession of Kings. And by Na∣ture it seems just, that the most deserving should rule, especially in a City which it self got the leading hand of Greece, upon the account of Vertue not Nobility. For as the Hunter considers the Whelp it self, not the Bitch; and the Horse-courser the Foal, not the Mare, (for what if the Foal should prove a Mule?) so likewise were that Poli∣tician extreamly out, who in the Choice of a Chief Magistrate should enquire, not

what the Man is, but how descended. The very Spartans themselves have deposed seve∣ral of their Kings, for want of Kingly Ver∣tues, as degenerated and good for nothing▪ A depraved Nature, though of an ancient Stock, is dishonourable; whereas Vertue without Birth is honourable. Moreover, the one was injurious to many, upon the score of his Friends; the other to his very Friends. It's confessed on all hands, that Lysander offended most commonly for the sake of his Companions, committing seve∣ral Slaughters to uphold their Power and Dominion; but as for Sylla, he out of En∣vy would have discarded Pompey from Commanding by Land, and Dolabella by Sea, although himself had given them those Places; he ordered Lucretius Offella, who sued for the Consulship, upon divers meritorious accounts, to be slain before his Eyes, raising thereby strange Apprehensi∣ons and Jealousies in the Minds of all Men, for his Cruelty to his Dearest Friends.

The Business of Riches and Pleasure do's further yet demonstrate in one a Princely, in the other a Tyrannical Disposition. Ly∣sander did nothing that was intemperate or extravagant, in that full range of Power and Licence, but kept aloof as much as ever Man did, from that trite

Saying, Lion within, but Fox without, he ever maintained such a sober, Laconick, well tempered Conversation; whereas Sylla could never break his unruly Affections, either by Poverty, when young, or by a long run of Years, when grown old; but would be still prescribing of Laws to the Citizens, concerning Chastity and Sobrie∣ty, himself living all that time (as Salust affirms) in open Lewdness and Debauche∣ry. By these ways he had so impoverished and drained the City of her Treasures, as to be forced to sell her Liberties and Im∣munities to the associated and well-affected Cities for Silver, although he had daily exposed the wealthiest and greatest Fami∣lies to publick Sale and Out-cry. There was no end of his Favours vainly spent and thrown away on Flatterers; for what mean, what likelihood of Parsimony in his more intimate Conversation, and En∣dearments over Wine, when in the open face of the People, upon Auction of a large Estate, which he would have passed over to one of his Friends at a small Price, because another bidding higher, the Offi∣cer had made Proclamation of the Ad∣vance, he broke out into a Passion, saying, What a strange unjust thing is this, O Citi∣zens, that I cannot dispose of my own Booty as I please? But Lysander, on the contra∣ry,

with the rest of the Spoil, sent even the Presents which were made him to the Citizens. Nor do I commend him for it, (for he perhaps by excessive Liberality did Sparta more harm, than ever the other did Rome by Rapine) only I make it an Ar∣gument of his Contempt of Riches. They had a strange peculiar influence each Man on his own City. Sylla, a profuse Debau∣chee, brought in Sobriety however a∣mongst the Citizens: Lysander agen, tem∣perate as he was, filled the Town with Lux∣ury: So as they both were blame-worthy, the one for raising himself above his own Laws; the other for causing his Citizens to fall beneath his own Example, in that he taught Sparta to want those things, which himself had learnt not to want. And thus much of their Civil Administra∣tion.

As for Feats of Arms, wise Conduct, in∣numerable Victories, perillous Adventures, Sylla was beyond compare. Lysander in∣deed came off twice victorious at two Sea∣fights; I shall add to that the Siege of Athens, a Work of greater Fame than Dif∣ficulty. For all this, the Business of Aliar∣tus in Baeotia, altho perhaps it came about by ill Fortune, bears yet the semblance of ill Advice, when out of Ambition and Ea∣gerness to fight, without further attending

the Kings Forces, which were then almost at hand from Plataeae, he unseasonbly ap∣proached the Walls, and was miserably de∣feated by a Sally of inconsiderable Men; he received his Death-wound, not as Cleom∣brotas at Leuctra, resisting manfully the impression of a just Enemy; not as Cyrus or Epaminondas, pressing hard on the de∣clining Battel, and making sure the Vi∣ctory; who all of them died the Death of Kings and Generals: But he, like some Common Soldier, or one of the Forlorn Hope, cast away his Life ingloriously, gi∣ving testimony to the ancient Spartans, that they did well to avoid storming of Walls, in which the stoutest Man may chance to fall by the Hand not only of an abject Fellow, but by that of a Boy or Woman, as they say, Achilles was slain by Paris in the Gates. As for Sylla, it was somewhat hard to reckon up how ma∣ny set Battels he won, or how many thou∣sands he slew: He took Rome it self twice, and forc'd the Pyraean Haven, not by Fa∣mine, as Lysander did, but by several sharp Encounters, driving out Archelaus from Land to Sea. And what most importeth, there was a vast difference between the Commanders they they had to deal with; for I look upon it as an easie Task, or rather Sport, that same Overthrow of

Antiochus, Alcibiades his Pilot, as likewise the Circumventing of Philocles the Atheni∣nian Orator, Sharp only at inglorious point of Tongue: both whom Mithridates would have scorned to compare with the Master of his Horse, or Marius with his Lictor. But of all the Grandees, Consuls, Commanders, and Daemagogues, to pass by others who op∣posed themselves to Sylla; who amongst the Romans so formidable as Marius? What King more powerfull than Mithridates? Who of the Italians sturdier than Lamponius and Telesinus? Yet of these, one he drove into Banishment, one he quelled, and the o∣thers he slew. Now the greatest of all, which has been as yet related, in my judgment, was, That Lysander had the As∣sistance of the State in all his Archieve∣ments; whereas Sylla, besides that he was a Banish'd Person, and sorely overcharged by a Faction, at what time his Wife was driven from home, his Houses demolished, and Adherents slain, himself▪ then in Baeotia stood Embattelled against infinite Num∣bers of the Enemy, and adventuring all for the sake of his Country, erected a Tro∣phie: Nor, when Mithridates came with Proposals of Alliance and Aid against his Enemies, would he shew any the least Compliance, or so much as Civil Respect, either by greeting or vouchsafing him his

Hand, till such time that he had it from the Kings own Mouth, that he was wil∣ling 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 Courage, when preferring the Publick Good to the Private, and, like a generous Dog, where he had once fix'd, never let∣ting go his hold, till he had conquered the Enemy, he then set himself to revenge his own private Quarrels. We may perhaps make a better estimate of their Manners, by weighing both their Athenian Actions in the Ballance. Sylla, when he had made himself Master of that City, which had upheld the Dominion and Power of Mithridates, in opposition to him restored her to Li∣berty. and the free Exercise of her own Laws. Lysander, on the contrary, when she had fell from such a vast height of Dignity and Rule, unmercifully took a∣way the Democracy, imposing on her the most Cruel and Lawless Tyrants. It's now time to consider, whether we should swerve from the Truth or no, by declaring, that Sylla performed the more Glorious Deeds, but Lysander committed the fewer Faults; as likewise by giving to one the Pre∣heminence for Moderation and Abstinence, to the other for Conduct and Valour.