the comparison of pelopidas with marcellus-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COMPARISON　OF　PELOPIDAS　WITH　MARCELLUS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　THESE　are　the　memorable　things　I　have　found　in　historians　concerning
Marcellus　and　Pelopidas。　Betwixt　which　two　great　men；　though　in
natural　character　and　manners　they　nearly　resemble　each　other；　because
both　were　valiant　and　diligent；　daring　and　high…spirited；　there　was
yet　some　diversity　in　the　one　point；　that　Marcellus　in　many　cities
which　he　reduced　under　his　power　committed　great　slaughter；　but
Epaminondas　and　Pelopidas　never　after　any　victory　put　men　to　death；　or
reduced　citizens　to　slavery。　And　we　are　told；　too；　that　the　Thebans
would　not；　had　these　been　present；　have　taken　the　measures　they　did
against　the　Orchomenians。　Marcellus's　exploits　against　the　Gauls　are
admirable　and　ample；　when；　accompanied　by　a　few　horse；　he　defeated　and
put　to　flight　a　vast　number　of　horse　and　foot　together　（an　action
you　cannot　easily　in　historians　find　to　have　been　done　by　any　other
captain）；　and　took　their　king　prisoner。　To　which　honour　Pelopidas
aspired；　but　did　not　attain；　he　was　killed　by　the　tyrant　in　the
attempt。　But　to　these　you　may　perhaps　oppose　those　two　most　glorious
battles　at　Leuctra　and　Tegyrae；　and　we　have　no　statement　of　any
achievement　of　Marcellus；　by　stealth　or　ambuscade；　such　as　were
those　of　Pelopidas；　when　he　returned　from　exile；　and　killed　the
tyrants　at　Thebes；　which；　indeed；　may　claim　to　be　called　the　first
in　rank　of　all　achievements　ever　performed　by　secrecy　and　cunning。
Hannibal　was；　indeed；　a　most　formidable　enemy　for　the　Romans；　but　so
for　that　matter　were　the　Lacedaemonians　for　the　Thebans。　And　that
these　were；　in　the　fights　of　Leuctra　and　Tegyrae；　beaten　and　put　to
flight　by　Pelopidas　is　confessed；　whereas　Polybius　writes　that
Hannibal　was　never　so　much　as　once　vanquished　by　Marcellus；　but
remained　invincible　in　all　encounters　till　Scipio　came。　I　myself；
indeed；　have　followed　rather　Livy；　Caesar；　Cornelius　Nepos　and　among
the　Greeks；　King　Juba；　in　stating　that　the　troops　of　Hannibal　were
in　some　encounters　routed　and　put　to　flight　by　Marcellus；　but
certainly　these　defeats　conducted　little　to　the　sum　of　the　war。　It
would　seem　as　if　they　had　been　merely　feints　of　some　sort　on　the
part　of　the　Carthaginians。　What　was　indeed　truly　and　really
admirable　was；　that　the　Romans；　after　the　defeat　of　so　many　armies；
the　slaughter　of　so　many　captains；　and；　in　fine；　the　confusion　of
almost　the　whole　Roman　empire；　still　showed　a　courage　equal　to　their
losses；　and　were　as　willing　as　their　enemies　to　engage　in　new　battles。
And　Marcellus　was　the　one　man　who　overcame　the　great　and　inveterate
fear　and　dread；　and　revived；　raised；　and　confirmed　the　spirits　of
the　soldiers　to　that　degree　of　emulation　and　bravery　that　would　not
let　them　easily　yield　the　victory；　but　made　them　contend　for　it　to　the
last。　For　the　same　men；　whom　continual　defeats　had　accustomed　to　think
themselves　happy；　if　they　could　but　save　themselves　by　running　from
Hannibal；　were　by　him　taught　to　esteem　it　base　and　ignominious　to
return　safe　but　unsuccessful；　to　be　ashamed　to　confess　that　they　had
yielded　one　step　in　the　terrors　of　the　fight　and　to　grieve　to
extremity　if　they　were　not　victorious。
　　In　short；　as　Pelopidas　was　never　overcome　in　any　battle；　where
himself　was　present　and　commanded　in　chief；　and　as　Marcellus　gained
more　victories　than　any　of　his　contemporaries；　truly　he　that　could　not
be　easily　overcome；　considering　his　many　successes；　may　fairly　be
compared　with　him　who　was　undefeated。　Marcellus　took　Syracuse；　whereas
Pelopidas　was　frustrated　of　his　hope　of　capturing　Sparta。　But　in　my
judgment　it　was　more　difficult　to　advance　his　standard　even　to　the
walls　of　Sparta；　and　to　be　the　first　of　mortals　that　ever　passed　the
river　Eurotas　in　arms；　than　it　was　to　reduce　Sicily；　unless；　indeed；
we　say　that　that　adventure　is　with　more　of　right　to　be　attributed　to
Epaminondas；　as　was　also　the　Leuctrian　battle；　whereas　Marcellus's
renown；　and　the　glory　of　his　brave　actions；　came　entire　and
undiminished　to　him　alone。　For　he　alone　took　Syracuse；　and　without　his
colleague's　help　defeated　the　Gauls；　and；　when　all　others　declined；
alone；　without　one　companion；　ventured　to　engage　with　Hannibal；　and
changing　the　aspect　of　the　war　first　showed　the　example　of　daring　to
attack　him。
　　I　cannot　commend　the　death　of　either　of　these　great　men；　the
suddenness　and　strangeness　of　their　ends　gives　me　a　feeling　rather
of　pain　and　distress。　Hannibal　has　my　admiration　who；　in　so　many
severe　conflicts；　more　than　can　be　reckoned　in　one　day；　never　received
so　much　as　one　wound。　I　honour　Chrysantes　also　（in　Xenophon's
Cyropaedia）；　who；　having　raised　his　sword　in　the　act　of　striking　his
enemy；　so　soon　as　a　retreat　was　sounded；　left　him；　and　retired
sedately　and　modestly。　Yet　the　anger　which　provoked　Pelopidas　to
pursue　revenge　in　the　heat　of　fight　may　excuse　him。

　　　　　　　　　〃The　first　thing　for　a　captain　is　to　gain
　　　　　　　　　　Safe　victory；　the　next　to　be　with　honour　slain；〃

as　Euripides　says。　For　then　he　cannot　be　said　to　suffer　death；　it　is
rather　to　be　called　an　action。　The　very　object；　too；　of　Pelopidas's
victory；　which　consisted　in　the　slaughter　of　the　tyrant；　presenting
itself　to　his　eyes；　did　not　wholly　carry　him　away　unadvisedly：　he
could　not　easily　expect　again　to　have　another　equally　glorious
occasion　for　the　exercise　of　his　courage　in　a　noble　and　honourable
cause。　But　Marcellus；　when　it　made　little　to　his　advantage；　and　when
no　such　violent　ardour　as　present　danger　naturally　calls　out
transported　him　to　passion；　throwing　himself　into　danger；　fell　to　an
unexplored　ambush；　he；　namely；　who　had　borne　five　consulates；　led
three　triumphs；　won　the　spoils　and　glories　of　kings　and　victories；
to　act　the　part　of　a　mere　scout；　or　sentinel；　and　to　expose　all　his
achievements　to　be　trod　under　foot　by　the　mercenary　Spaniards　and
Numidians；　who　sold　themselves　and　their　lives　to　the　Carthaginians；
so　that　even　they　themselves　felt　unworthy；　and　almost　grudged
themselves　the　unhoped…for　success　of　having　cut　off；　among　a　few
Fregellan　scouts；　the　most　valiant；　the　most　potent；　and　most　renowned
of　the　Romans。　Let　no　man　think　that　we　have　thus　spoken　out　of　a
design　to　accuse　these　noble　men；　it　is　merely　an　expression　of
frank　indignation　in　their　own　behalf；　at　seeing　them　thus　wasting　all
their　other　virtues　upon　that　of　bravery；　and　throwing　away　their
lives；　as　if　the　loss　would　be　only　felt　by　themselves；　and　not　by
their　country；　allies；　and　friends。
　　After　Pelopidas's　death；　his　friends；　for　whom　he　died；　made　a
funeral　for　him；　the　enemies；　by　whom　he　had　been　killed；　made　one　for
Marcellus。　A　noble　and　happy　lot　indeed　the　former；　yet　there　is
something　higher　and　greater　in　the　admiration　rendered　by　enemies
to　the　virtue　that　had　been　their　own　obstacle；　than　in　the　grateful
acknowledgments　of　friends。　Since；　in　the　one　case；　it　is　virtue　alone
that　challenges　itself　the　honour；　while；　in　the　other；　it　may　be
rather　men's　personal　profit　and　advantage　that　is　the　real　origin
of　what　they　do。