Source edition
Plutarch. Perrin, Bernadotte, editor. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. IV. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1916.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a comparative study contrasting the lives and characters of the Spartan general Lysander and the Roman dictator Sulla. The author begins by identifying their common ground—how both rose from obscurity to achieve great power—before examining the critical differences in how they acquired and exercised that power. While Lysander sought to reform the state through persuasion, Sulla relied on military might and violence to establish a regime of terror. Their attitudes toward wealth and pleasure are also contrasted: Lysander lived a frugal private life but corrupted Sparta by introducing wealth, whereas Sulla indulged in luxury himself while imposing strict laws on the citizens. Finally, by analyzing their military achievements, the formidable nature of their enemies, and their actions in times of adversity, the text highlights the distinct virtues and flaws of both leaders.