Source edition
Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. V. Perrin, Bernadotte, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1917.
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 achievements of the Spartan king Agesilaus and the Roman general Pompey. The author analyzes the differences between the two figures through three main perspectives: the legitimacy of their rise to power, their gratitude toward past benefactors, and their motives for unjust political actions. While Agesilaus is evaluated as a loyal patriot who prioritized his homeland despite questionable actions regarding the throne, Pompey is criticized for his disregard of the law. Furthermore, in military terms, the author contrasts Agesilaus's strategic judgment, which kept him undefeated, with Pompey's lack of crisis management, noting how he yielded to external pressures and rushed into a disastrous defeat. Finally, the comparison examines their respective motives and fates during their journeys to Egypt, concluding the overall assessment of their characters.