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Lives, Translated From the Greek, With Notes Critical and Historical, and a New Life of Plutarch
Lives Translated From the Greek With Notes Critical and Historical and a New Life of Plutarch Author:Plutarch General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1808 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: 219 FLAMINIUS AND PHILOPOEMEN COMPARED. IF we confider the extenfive benefits which Greece received from Flaminius, we fhall find that neither Philopcemen, nor other (Grecians more illuftrious than Philopoemen, will ftand the comparifon with him: For the Greeks always fought againft Greeks ; but Flaminius, who was not of Greece, fought for that country. And at a time when Philopoemen, unable to defend his fellow-citizens, who were engaged in a dangerous war, paffed over into Crete, Flaminius having vanquifhed Philip in the heart of Greece, fet cities and whole nations free. If we examine into their battles, it will appear that Philopoemen, while he commanded the Achaeart forces, killed more Greeks than Flaminius, in aflerting the Grecian caufe, killed Macedonians. As to their failings, ambition was the fault of Flaminius, and obftinacy that of Philopoemen. The former was paffionate, and the latter implacable. Flaminius left Philip in his royal dignity, and pardoned the TEto- lians; whereas Philopoemen, in his refentment againft his country, robbed her of feveral of her dependencies. Befides, Flaminius was always a firm friend to thofe whom he had once ferved ; but Philopoemen was ever ready to deftroy the merit of his former kindnefies, only to indulge his anger: For he had been a great benefactor to the Lacedaemonians; yet afterwards he de- molifhed their walls, and ravaged their country; and, in the end, entirely changed and overturned their con- ftitution. Nay, he feems to have facrificed his life to his paffion and perverfenefs, by too haftily and unfea- fonably invading Mefleni inftead of ta...« less