the comparison of pompey with agesilaus-第2部分

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successfully　declined　the　danger；　and　his　own　strength　being　in　his
land…forces；　drove　him　into　putting　the　conflict　to　issue　with　these；
and　thus　made　himself　master　of　the　treasure；　stores；　and　the　sea
too；　which　were　all　in　his　enemy's　hands；　and　by　the　help　of　which
the　victory　could　have　been　secured　without　fighting。　And　what　is
alleged　as　an　apology　in　vindication　of　Pompey；　is　to　a　general　of
his　age　and　standing　the　greatest　of　disgraces。　For；　granting　that　a
young　commander　might　by　clamour　and　outcry　be　deprived　of　his
fortitude　and　strength　of　mind；　and　weakly　forsake　his　better
judgment；　and　the　thing　be　neither　strange　nor　altogether
unpardonable；　yet　for　Pompey　the　Great；　whose　camp　the　Romans　called
their　country；　and　his　tent　the　senate；　styling　the　consuls；
praetors；　and　all　other　magistrates　who　were　conducting　the
government　at　Rome　by　no　better　title　than　that　of　rebels　and
traitors；　for　him；　whom　they　well　knew　never　to　have　been　under　the
command　of　any　but　himself；　having　served　all　his　campaigns　under
himself　as　sole　general；　for　him　upon　so　small　a　provocation　as　the
scoffs　of　Favonius　and　Domitius；　and　lest　he　should　bear　the　nickname
of　Agamemnon；　to　be　wrought　upon；　and　even　forced　to　hazard　the　whole
empire　and　liberty　of　Rome　upon　the　cast　of　a　die；　was　surely　indeed
intolerable。　Who；　if　he　had　so　much　regarded　a　present　infamy；　should
have　guarded　the　city　at　first　with　his　arms；　and　fought　the　battle
in　defence　of　Rome；　not　have　left　it　as　he　did：　nor　while　declaring
his　flight　from　Italy　an　artifice　in　the　manner　of　Themistocles；
nevertheless　be　ashamed　in　Thessaly　of　a　prudent　delay　before
engaging。　Heaven　had　not　appointed　the　Pharsalian　fields　to　be　the
stage　and　theatre　upon　which　they　should　contend　for　the　empire　of
Rome；　neither　was　he　summoned　thither　by　any　herald　upon　challenge；
with　intimation　that　he　must　either　undergo　the　combat　or　surrender
the　prize　to　another。　There　were　many　other　fields；　thousands　of
cities；　and　even　the　whole　earth　placed　at　his　command；　by　the
advantage　of　his　fleet　and　his　superiority　at　sea；　if　he　would　but
have　followed　the　examples　of　Maximus；　Marius；　Lucullus；　and　even
Agesilaus　himself；　who　endured　no　less　tumults　within　the　city　of
Sparta；　when　the　Thebans　provoked　him　to　come　out　and　fight　in
defence　of　the　land；　and　sustained　in　Egypt　also　numerous　calumnies；
slanders；　and　suspicions　on　the　part　of　the　king；　whom　he　counselled
to　abstain　from　a　battle。　And　thus　following　always　what　he　had
determined　in　his　own　judgment　upon　mature　advice；　by　that　means　he
not　only　preserved　the　Egyptians　against　their　wills；　not　only　kept
Sparta；　in　those　desperate　convulsions；　by　his　sole　act；　safe　from
overthrow；　but　even　was　able　to　set　up　trophies　likewise　in　the　city
over　the　Thebans；　having　given　his　countrymen　an　occasion　of　being
victorious　afterwards　by　not　at　first　leading　them　out；　as　they
tried　to　force　him　to　do；　to　their　own　destruction。　The　consequence
was　that　in　the　end　Agesilaus　was　commended　by　the　very　men；　when
they　found　themselves　saved；　upon　whom　he　had　put　this　compulsion；
whereas　Pompey；　whose　error　had　been　occasioned　by　others；　found
those　his　accusers　whose　advice　had　misled　him。　Some　indeed　profess
that　he　was　deceived　by　his　father…in…law　Scipio；　who；　designing　to
conceal　and　keep　to　himself　the　greatest　part　of　that　treasure　which
he　had　brought　out　of　Asia；　pressed　Pompey　to　battle；　upon　the
pretence　that　there　would　be　a　want　of　money。　Yet　admitting　he　was
deceived；　one　in　his　place　ought　not　to　have　been　so；　nor　should　have
allowed　so　slight　an　artifice　to　cause　the　hazard　of　such　mighty
interests。　And　thus　we　have　taken　a　view　of　each；　by　comparing
together　their　conduct　and　actions　in　war。
　　As　to　their　voyages　into　Egypt；　one　steered　his　course　thither　out
of　necessity　in　flight；　the　other　neither　honourably；　nor　of
necessity；　but　as　a　mercenary　soldier；　having　enlisted　himself　into
the　service　of　a　barbarous　nation　for　pay；　that　he　might　be　able
afterwards　to　wage　war　upon　the　Greeks。　And　secondly；　what　we　charge
upon　the　Egyptians　in　the　name　of　Pompey；　the　Egyptians　lay　to　the
charge　of　Agesilaus。　Pompey　trusted　them　and　was　betrayed　and
murdered　by　them；　Agesilaus　accepted　their　confidence　and　deserted
them；　transferring　his　aid　to　the　very　enemies　who　were　now　attacking
those　whom　he　had　been　brought　over　to　assist。




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