Agesilaus Part 3

(6) See Plut. "Ages." ii. (Clough, iv. p. 2): "He is said to have been a little man of a contemptible presence."

(7) See Plut. "Ages." xi. (Clough, iv. p. 14); "Parall. Min." v; Ovid.

"Met." xi. 102 foll.

What construction some will put upon the story I am well aware, but for myself I am persuaded that many more people can master their enemeis than the foes we speak of. (8) Doubtless such incidents when known to but few may well be discredited by many, but here we are in the region of establis.h.i.+ng facts, seeing that the more ill.u.s.trious a man is the less can his every act escape notice. As to Agesilaus no eye-witness has ever reported any unworthy behaviour, nor, had he invented it, would his tale have found credence, since it was not the habit of the king, when abroad, to lodge apart in private houses. He always lay up in some sacred place, where behaviour of the sort was out of the question, or else in public, with the eyes of all men liable to be called as witnesses to his sobriety. For myself, if I make these statements falsely against the knowledge of h.e.l.las, this were not in any sense to praise my hero, but to dispraise myself.

(8) Or, "than the seductions in question."

VI

Nor, in my opinion, were those obscure proofs of courage and true manliness which he furnished by his readiness ever to wage war against the strongest enemies, whether of Sparta or of h.e.l.las, placing himself in the forefront of the contests decided on. If the enemy cared to join issue in fair field he would not chance upon a victory won by panic, but in stubborn battle, blow for blow, he mastered him; and set up trophies worthy of the name, seeing that he left behind him imperishable monuments of prowess, and bore away on his own body indelible marks of the fury with which he fought; (1) so that, apart from hearsay, by the evidence of men's eyes his valour stood approved.

(1) Or, "visible signs of the spirit," etc. See Plut. "Ages." x.x.xvi.

And amongst these we must not deem them trophies alone which he actually set up, but reckon the many campaigns which he undertook, since they were victories truly, even when the enemy refused to encounter him, victories devoid of danger, yet fraught with even more solid advantage to the state of Sparta and her fellow-combatants; just as in our games we crown as victor him who walks over the field (2) no less than him who conquers by dint of battle.

(2) Or, "without striking a blow." Lit. "without the dust of the arena, 'sine pulvere.'" See Thuc. iv. 73, {akoniti}.

And to speak next of his wisdom, (3) I suppose there is not one of all his doings but must ill.u.s.trate it;--this man whose bearing towards his fatherland was such that by dint of implicit obedience (he grew to so greate a height of power), (4) whose zeal in the service of his comrades won for him the unhesitating attachment of his friends, who infused into the hearts of his soldiers a spirit, not of discipline only, but of self-devotion to their chief. And yet surely that is the strongest of all battle-lines (5) in which obedience creates tactical efficiency, and alacrity in the field springs out of loyal affection for the general.

(3) Or, "his sagacity."

(4) The words {pleiston iskhue} are supplied from Plutarch ("Ages."

iv.), who quotes the pa.s.sage, "What Xenophon tells us of him, that by complying with, and, as it were, ruled by his country, he grew into such great power with them, that he could do what he pleased, is meant," etc. (Clough, iv. p. 4). The lacuna in the MS. was first noted, I believe, by Weiske. See Breitenbach's note ad loc.

(5) See "Cyrop." VII. i. 30; "Econ." xxi. 7.

Enemies he had to cope with, who had little excuse to disparage, however much they might be compelled to hate their opponent, seeing that he was for ever contriving to give his allies some advantage over them--by sheer deception, if occasion offered; now antic.i.p.ating them if speed were requisite; now skulking in corners if concealment served; in all points observing one rule of behaviour to his friends and another towards his foes. By turning night into day and day into night (6) he drew so close a veil of mystery over his movements that frequently there was no saying where he was, or whither he would go, or what he might do next. The fastnesses of the enemy he transformed into so many weaknesses, (7) pa.s.sing this one by, and scaling that, and stealing like a thief into a third.

(6) See "h.e.l.l." VI. i. 15; "Pol. Lac." v. 7; "Cyrop." I. v. 12.

(7) Or, "the strongholds of the enemy might to all intents and purposes have been open places."

When he was on the march, and was well aware that an enemy might, if he chose, deliver battle, his habit was to lead his troops in compact battle order ready to confront emergencies, with soft, slow step, advancing, as it were, with maidenly demureness, (8) for in such procedure, as he believed, lay the secret of true calm, engendering a dauntless self-a.s.surance, imperturbable, unerring, impervious to treacherous a.s.sault. Therefore by such behaviour he was a terror to the enemy, whilst he infused courage and strength in the hearts of his friends, so that throughout his life he continued to be a man whom his foes dared not despise, whom his fellow-citizens cared not to arraign, within the circle of his friends held blameless, the idol and admiration of the outer world. (9)

(8) See above, ii. 3; "Pol. Lac." iii. 5.

(9) Cf. Tacitus's phrase concerning t.i.tus, "deliciae humani generis."

VII

To describe his patriotism (1) point by point in detail were a tedious story, since, as I suppose, there is not one of his several achievements but must finally resolve itself into that. For, to put it briefly, we all know well that where Agesilaus expected in any way to benefit his country there was no toil he shrank from, no danger he avoided, no money he stinted, no excuse whether of age or body he admitted, but deemed it ever the true function of a good king (2) to shower blessings to the utmost on the subjects of his rule.

(1) Lit. "love for his own city."

(2) Or, "regarded it as the cardinal virtue of a real prince." See "Mem." III. ii. 3.

And for my part I hold it as chief among the magnificent benefits so conferred by him upon his country that, being the most powerful member of the state, he made no secret of his absolute submission to the laws, (3) since what lesser man, seeing the king's obedience, would take (4) on himself to disobey? Who, in discontentment at his own poor lot, would venture on revolution, knowing that the king himself could condescend to const.i.tutional control? And that, too, a king who bore himself towards political opponents with a paternal mildness. (5) If he rebuked them sharply for their misdemeanours, he none the less honoured their high endeavours, and proved himself a present help to them in time of trouble. (6) No citizen could be his personal foe; of that he was a.s.sured. His desire was to commend them one and all alike, counting the common salvation of all a gain, and reckoning it as a loss if even a mean man perished. For thus he reasoned, nor made a secret of the conclusion he had come to: so long as her citizens continued tranquilly adherent to the laws the happiness of Sparta was secure. (7) And for the rest Sparta would once again be strong on that day when the states of h.e.l.las should learn wisdom.

(3) Or, "he was at the same time the most obvious in his allegiance to the laws."

(4) Lit. "would have taken on himself... would have ventured on revolution."

(5) Lit. "as a father to his children."

(6) Or, "and was ready to stand by their side in time of trouble."

(7) Or, "For this was the clear tenor of his thought, that by tranquil continuance within the laws the citizens of Sparta might secure her happiness. And as to power, Sparta, etc." See "Mem." II. vi.

27.

And if, by admission, it is n.o.ble for every h.e.l.lene to be a lover of his fellow-h.e.l.lenes, yet we must fare far afield to find another instance of a general who, expecting to sack some city, would have refused to seize the prize; or who regarded victory in a war waged against fellow-h.e.l.lenes as a species of calamity. Yet this man when a message was brought him concerning the battle at Corinth, (8) in which but eight Lacedaemonians had fallen, but of their opponents ten thousand nearly, showed no sign of exultation, but sighed, saying, "Alas for h.e.l.las! since those who now lie in their graves, were able, had they lived, to conquer the hosts of Asia." (9) Again, when some Corinthian exiles informed him that their city was ripe for surrender, and showed him the engines by which they were confident they would take the walls, he refused to make the a.s.sault, saying that h.e.l.lene cities ought not to be reduced to slavery, but brought back to a better mind, (10) and added, "For if we lop off our offending members, haply we may deprive ourselves of the means to master the barbarians."

(8) B.C. 394. See "h.e.l.l." IV. ii. 9-23; Diod. xiv. 83; Grote, "H. G."

ix. 429.

(9) Lit. "all the barbarians."

(10) See "Econ." i. 23.

Again, if it is a sacred duty to hate the Persian, who of old set out on a campaign to enslave h.e.l.las; the Persian, who to-day makes alliance with these (no matter to him which the party, provided it will help him to work the greater mischief (11)); or gives presents to those (who will take them and do the greatest harm to his foes the h.e.l.lenes); or else concocts a peace that shall presently involve us in internecine war, as he antic.i.p.ates:--but why dwell on facts so patent?

--I ask, did ever h.e.l.lene before Agesilaus so enter heart and soul upon his duty; whether it were to help some tribe to throw off the Persian yoke, or to save from destruction a revolted district, or if nothing else, at any rate to saddle the Persian with such troubles of his own that he should cease to trouble h.e.l.las? An ardent hater of Persia surely was he, who, when his own country was at war with h.e.l.lenes, did not neglect the common good of h.e.l.las, but set sail to wreak what harm he might upon the barbarians. (12)

(11) Or, "the worse the mischief he can work, the better the side."

(12) See Isocr. "Ep." ix. "To Archidamus," S. 11-14.

VIII

To turn to another side, that grace of manner which was his, claims more than pa.s.sing recognition. Here was a man to whom honour was vouchsafed and power present, and who, to crown all else, held in his hands the sceptre of sovereignty--a kings.h.i.+p not plotted against, but respected and beloved. Yet there was no trace of arrogance to be seen in him, but of tender affection and courteous service to his friends proof in abundance without seeking. Witness the zest with which he shared in the round of lovers' talk; (1) the zeal with which he threw himself into the serious concerns (2) of friends. By dint of a hopeful and cheery disposition and unflagging gaiety of heart he attracted to his side a throng of visitors, who came, not simply for the transaction of some private interest, but rather to pa.s.s away the day in pleasant sort. Though little apt himself to use high-swelling words, it did not annoy him to hear others sounding their own praises, which he regarded as a harmless weakness, the pledge at least of high endeavour (3) in the future.

(1) See "h.e.l.l." V. iii. 20; "Cyrop." I. iv. 27; "Econ." ii. 7; Plut.

"Ages." ii.; xx.; Lyc. xx.

(2) Or, "he would discuss graver matters, according to the humour of his friends."

(3) Or, "of courageous conduct," "n.o.ble manhood."

But that he was capable of lofty sentiment and at the right season must not be overlooked. Thus when a letter reached him from the king (I speak of that which was brought by the Persian agent in company with Calleas (4) of Lacedaemon, proposing terms of hospitality and friends.h.i.+p with the Persian monarch), he disdained to accept it, telling the bearer to take back to the king this answer: "He need not be at pains to send him letters in private, but if he could prove himself a friend to Lacedaemon and the well-wisher of h.e.l.las he should have no cause to blame the ardour of his friends.h.i.+p," but added, "if your king be detected plotting, let him not think to find a friend in me. No, not if he sends me a thousand letters." For my part, then, I hold it praiseworthy that, by comparison with pleasing his fellow-h.e.l.lenes, Agesilaus scorned such friends.h.i.+p. And this, too, among his tenets I find admirable: the truer t.i.tle to self-congratulation belonged not to the millionaire, the master of many legions, but to him rather, who, being himself a better man, commanded the allegiance of better followers.