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Plutarch · Comparison of Pericles and Fabius Maximus §1.1-1.4

Comparison of the Military Achievements of Pericles and Fabius

Passage 1 of 3 · Greek

Summary

The author compares the military achievements of Pericles and Fabius, contrasting Pericles' leadership of a prosperous Athens with Fabius' support of Rome during a crisis of potential collapse, while analyzing the different challenges each faced in governing.

§1.1οἱ μὲν οὖν βίοι τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοιαύτην ἔχουσιν ἱστορίαν.
Such, then, is the history that the lives of these men possess.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ πολιτικῆς καὶ πολεμικῆς ἀρετῆς πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ παραδείγματα καταλελοίπασιν ἀμφότεροι, φέρε τῶν πολεμικῶν ἐκεῖνο πρῶτον λάβωμεν, ὅτι Περικλῆς μὲν ἄριστα πράττοντι τῷ δήμῳ καὶ μεγίστῳ καθʼ αὑτὸν ὄντι καὶ μάλιστα πρὸς δύναμιν ἀκμάζοντι χρώμενος ὑπὸ κοινῆς ἂν δόξειεν εὐτυχίας καὶ ῥώμης πραγμάτων ἀσφαλὴς διαγενέσθαι καὶ ἄπταιστος,
But since both have left behind many noble examples of both political and military virtue, come, let us first take that point from military affairs, namely, that Pericles, dealing with a populace that was faring excellently, was at its greatest in his time, and was at its highest peak of power, might seem to have passed through his life secure and without stumbling, thanks to the common good fortune and strength of affairs.
§1.2αἱ δὲ Φαβίου πράξεις ἐν αἰσχίστοις καὶ δυσποτμοτάτοις καιροῖς ἀναδεξαμένου τὴν πόλιν, οὐκ ἐπʼ ἀγαθοῖς ἀσφαλῆ διετήρησαν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ κακῶν εἰς βελτίω μετέστησαν.
On the other hand, the deeds of Fabius, who took over the city in the most shameful and disastrous times, did not preserve it secure in prosperous circumstances, but rather restored it from a bad state to a better one.
καὶ Περικλεῖ μὲν αἱ Κίμωνος εὐπραξίαι καὶ τὰ Μυρωνίδου καὶ τὰ Λεωκράτους τρόπαια καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα Τολμίδης κατορθῶν ἐνεορτάσαι μᾶλλον καὶ ἐμπανηγυρίσαι στρατηγοῦντι τὴν πόλιν ἢ κτήσασθαι πολέμῳ καὶ φυλάξαι παρέδωκαν·
And for Pericles, the successes of Cimon, the trophies of Myronides and Leocrates, and the many great achievements of Tolmides handed over the city for him, while serving as general, to celebrate with festivals and solemn assemblies, rather than to acquire by war and preserve.
§1.3Φάβιος δʼ ὁρῶν πολλὰς μὲν φυγὰς καὶ ἥττας, πολλοὺς δὲ θανάτους καὶ σφαγὰς αὐτοκρατόρων καὶ στρατηγῶν, λίμνας δὲ καὶ πεδία καὶ δρυμοὺς νεκρῶν στρατοπέδων πλήθοντας, αἵματι δὲ καὶ φόνῳ ποταμοὺς ἄχρι θαλάττης ῥέοντας, ἐν τῷ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ὁρμωμένῳ καὶ βεβηκότι τὴν πόλιν ἀντιλαμβανόμενος καὶ ὑπερείδων, οὐκ εἴασε τοῖς ἐκείνων ὑποφερομένην πταίσμασι τελέως ἐκχυθῆναι.
But Fabius, seeing many flights and defeats, many deaths and slaughters of commanders with absolute power, and lakes, plains, and forests filled with dead armies, and rivers flowing with blood and carnage to the sea, supporting and sustaining the city as he himself stood firm and took his stance, did not allow it, swept away by the failures of those men, to be utterly poured out.
§1.4καίτοι δόξειεν ἂν οὐχ οὕτω χαλεπὸν εἶναι πόλιν ἐν συμφοραῖς μεταχειρίσασθαι ταπεινὴν καὶ τοῦ φρονοῦντος ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης κατήκοον γενομένην, ὡς διʼ εὐτυχίαν ἐπηρμένῳ καὶ σπαργῶντι τῷ δήμῳ χαλινὸν ἐμβαλεῖν ὕβρεως καὶ θρασύτητος· ᾧ δὴ μάλιστα φαίνεται τρόπῳ Περικλῆς Ἀθηναίων περιγενόμενος.
And yet, it might seem not so difficult to manage a city humbled in misfortunes and made obedient to a man of sense by necessity, as it is to put a bridle of insolence and boldness upon a populace elated and swelling with good fortune—the very manner, indeed, in which Pericles most visibly appeared to master the Athenians.
ἀλλὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίοις συμπεσόντων τότε κακῶν τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἰσχυρόν τινα τὴν γνώμην καὶ μέγαν ἔδειξεν ἄνδρα τὸν μὴ συγχυθέντα μηδὲ προέμενον τοὺς αὑτοῦ λογισμούς.
Nevertheless, the magnitude and multitude of the disasters that befell the Romans at that time showed the man who was not confounded nor surrendered his own reason to be someone of strong mind and great.

Notes

  1. §1.1ἄριστα πράττοντι τῷ δήμῳ — A dative phrase functioning as the object of the verb χράομαι (represented by the participle χρώμενος). It means 'the populace faring excellently,' where πράττω combined with an adverb indicates a state of being.
  2. §1.2ἀναδεξαμένου τὴν πόλιν, — A genitive participle agreeing with the preceding genitive noun Φαβίου ('of Fabius'). Semantically, it qualifies or explains the circumstance or role of Fabius when he took over the state.
  3. §1.2παρέδωκαν — The subject of this verb is plural, consisting of Cimon's successes (εὐπραξίαι), the trophies (τρόπαια), and the clause with a nominative participle 'Tolmides achieving success' (𝝩ολμίδης κατορθῶν). It governs the object 'the city' (τὴν πόλιν) handed over to Pericles (Περικλεῖ). The subsequent infinitives (ἐνεορτάσαι...) express purpose or result.
  4. §1.3ἐν τῷ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ὁρμωμένῳ καὶ βεβηκότι — A substantivized phrase under the preposition ἐν (either neuter or masculine referring to Fabius himself). It points to his standing firm and taking his stance on his own footing, highlighting his self-reliance and the firm mental ground on which he supported the city.
  5. §1.4τὸν μὴ συγχυθέντα μηδὲ προέμενον τοὺς αὑτοῦ λογισμούς — An articular participle phrase acting as the direct object of the verb ἔδειξεν ('the man who was not confounded nor surrendered his own reason'). The preceding phrase ἰσχυρόν τινα τὴν γνώμην καὶ μέγαν ... ἄνδρα serves as its object complement in a double accusative construction.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Comparison of Pericles and Fabius Maximus §1.1-1.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg014.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.4

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