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Plutarch · Comparison of Agis and Cleomenes and the Gracchi Brothers §3.1-3.2

Comparison of Their Deaths and Military Achievements

Passage 3 of 5 · Greek

Summary

The author contrasts the deaths of the Gracchi with those of the Spartan kings, noting how Agis and Cleomenes died selflessly or bravely, while also comparing their military achievements, where Agis showed none but Cleomenes and the Gracchi proved themselves equal to the greatest Roman generals.

§3.1οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τὰς τελευτὰς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐμφαίνειν τινὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς διαφοράν.
And I think that the deaths of these men also reveal some difference in their virtue.
ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ μαχόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας, εἶτα φεύγοντες ἐτελεύτησαν· τούτων δὲ Ἆγις μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδένα κτεῖναι τῶν πολιτῶν ὀλίγου δεῖν ἑκὼν ἀπέθανε, Κλεομένης δὲ προπηλακισθεὶς καὶ ἀδικηθεὶς ὥρμησε μέν ἀμύνασθαι, τοῦ δὲ καιροῦ μὴ παρασχόντος αὑτὸν εὐτόλμως ἀνεῖλε.
For the former, fighting against their citizens and then fleeing, died; but of the latter, Agis, in order that he might kill none of the citizens, died almost voluntarily, and Cleomenes, having been insulted and wronged, set out indeed to defend himself, but since the opportunity did not present itself, he bravely made away with himself.
§3.2πάλιν δὲ τἀναντία σκοποῦσιν Ἆγις μὲν οὐδὲν ἀπεδείξατο στρατηγίας ἔργον, ἀλλὰ προανῃρέθη, ταῖς δὲ Κλεομένους νίκαις πολλαῖς καὶ καλαῖς γενομέναις παραβαλεῖν ἔστι Τιβερίου τὴν ἐν Καρχηδόνι τοῦ τείχους κατάληψιν, οὐ μικρὸν ἔργον, καὶ τὰς ἐν Νομαντίᾳ σπονδάς, αἷς δισμυρίους Ῥωμαίων στρατιώτας οὐκ ἔχοντας ἄλλην ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας περιεποίησε καὶ Γάιος δὲ πολλὴν μὲν αὐτόθι, πολλὴν δὲ ἐν Σαρδόνι στρατευόμενος ἀνδραγαθίαν ἔφηνεν, ὥστε τοῖς πρώτοις ἂν ἐναμίλλους Ῥωμαίων γενέσθαι στρατηγοῖς, εἰ μὴ προανῃρέθησαν.
But on the other hand, to those who consider the opposite, Agis indeed displayed no achievement of generalship, but was cut off prematurely, but with the victories of Cleomenes, which were many and fair, one may compare Tiberius' taking of the wall at Carthage—no small achievement—and his treaty at Numantia, by which he saved twenty thousand Roman soldiers who had no other hope of safety; and Gaius also showed much bravery, serving both there and in Sardinia, so that they would have become a match for the first of Roman generals, had they not been cut off prematurely.

Notes

  1. §3.1ὀλίγου δεῖν — An idiomatic expression with the infinitive δεῖν, literally meaning "to need little," used adverbially to mean "almost" or "all but." Here it modifies the adjective ἑκὼν ("willingly"), emphasizing that Agis submitted to his execution almost completely of his own free will to avoid killing citizens.
  2. §3.2σκοποῦσιν — Dative plural of the present participle. It functions as a dative of relation (or reference), meaning "to those who look at the matter from the opposite side."
  3. §3.2ἂν ... γενέσθαι — An infinitive with ἂν in a ὥστε clause expressing result. This represents a past contrary-to-fact apodosis (which would be ἂν + indicative past in a main clause) corresponding to the protasis εἰ μὴ προανῃρέθησαν (past indicative), here transformed into an infinitive construction after ὥστε.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Comparison of Agis and Cleomenes and the Gracchi Brothers §3.1-3.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg053.humanitext-grc2:3.1-3.2

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