THE　COMPARISON　OF　FABIUS　WITH　PERICLES
  by　Plutarch
  translated　by　John　Dryden
  WE　have　here　had　two　lives　rich　in　examples；　both　of　civil　and
  military　excellence。　Let　us　first　compare　the　two　men　in　their　warlike
  capacity。　Pericles　presided　in　his　commonwealth　when　it　was　in　its
  most　flourishing　and　opulent　condition；　great　and　growing　in　power；　so
  that　it　may　be　thought　it　was　rather　the　common　success　and　fortune
  that　kept　him　from　any　fall　or　disaster。　But　the　task　of　Fabius；　who
  undertook　the　government　in　the　worst　and　most　difficult　times；　was
  not　to　preserve　and　maintain　the　well…established　felicity　of　a
  prosperous　state；　but　to　raise　and　uphold　a　sinking　and　ruinous
  commonwealth。　Besides；　the　victories　of　Cimon；　the　trophies　of
  Myronides　and　Leocrates；　with　the　many　famous　exploits　of　Tolmides；
  were　employed　by　Pericles　rather　to　fill　the　city　with　festive
  entertainments　and　solemnities　than　to　enlarge　and　secure　its
  empire。　Whereas；　Fabius；　when　he　took　upon　him　the　government；　had　the
  frightful　object　before　his　eyes　of　Roman　armies　destroyed；　of　their
  generals　and　consuls　slain；　of　lakes　and　plains　and　forests　strewed
  with　the　dead　bodies；　and　rivers　stained　with　the　blood　of　his
  fellow…citizens；　and　yet；　with　his　mature　and　solid　counsels；　with　the
  firmness　of　his　resolution；　he；　as　it　were；　put　his　shoulder　to　the
  falling　commonwealth；　and　kept　it　up　from　foundering　through　the
  failings　and　weaknesses　of　others。　Perhaps　it　may　be　more　easy　to
  govern　a　city　broken　and　tamed　with　calamities　and　adversity；　and
  compelled　by　danger　and　necessity　to　listen　to　wisdom；　than　to　set　a
  bridle　on　wantonness　and　temerity；　and　rule　a　people　pampered　and
  restive　with　long　prosperity　as　were　the　Athenians　when　Pericles
  held　the　reins　of　government。　But　then　again；　not　to　be　daunted　nor
  discomposed　with　the　vast　heap　of　calamities　under　which　the　people　of
  Rome　at　that　time　groaned　and　succumbed；　argues　a　courage　in　Fabius
  and　a　strength　of　purpose　more　than　ordinary。
  We　may　set　Tarentum　retaken　against　Samos　won　by　Pericles；　and　the
  conquest　of　Euboea　we　may　well　balance　with　the　towns　of　Campania；
  though　Capua　itself　was　reduced　by　the　consuls　Fulvius　and　Appius。　I
  do　not　find　that　Fabius　won　any　set　battle　but　that　against　the
  Ligurians；　for　which　he　had　his　triumph；　whereas　Pericles　erected　nine
  trophies　for　as　many　victories　obtained　by　land　and　by　sea。　But　no
  action　of　Pericles　can　be　compared　to　that　memorable　rescue　of
  Minucius；　when　Fabius　redeemed　both　him　and　his　army　from　utter
  destruction；　a　noble　act　combining　the　highest　valour；　wisdom；　and
  humanity。　On　the　other　side；　it　does　not　appear　that　Pericles　was　ever
  so　overreached　as　Fabius　was　by　Hannibal　with　his　flaming　oxen。　His
  enemy　there　had；　without　his　agency；　put　himself　accidentally　into　his
  power；　yet　Fabius　let　him　slip　in　the　night；　and；　when　day　came；　was
  worsted　by　him；　was　anticipated　in　the　moment　of　success；　and　mastered
  by　his　prisoner。　If　it　is　the　part　of　a　good　general；　not　only　to
  provide　for　the　present；　but　also　to　have　a　clear　foresight　of
  things　to　come；　in　this　point　Pericles　is　the　superior；　for　he
  admonished　the　Athenians；　and　told　them　beforehand　the　ruin　the　war
  would　bring　upon　them；　by　their　grasping　more　than　they　were　able　to
  manage。　But　Fabius　was　not　so　good　a　prophet；　when　he　denounced　to　the
  Romans　that　the　undertaking　of　Scipio　would　be　the　destruction　of
  the　commonwealth。　So　that　Pericles　was　a　good　prophet　of　bad
  success；　and　Fabius　was　a　bad　prophet　of　success　that　was　good。　And；
  indeed；　to　lose　an　advantage　through　diffidence　is　no　less　blamable　in
  a　general　than　to　fall　into　danger　for　want　of　foresight；　for　both
  these　faults；　though　of　a　contrary　nature；　spring　from　the　same
  root；　want　of　judgment　and　experience。
  As　for　their　civil　policy；　it　is　imputed　to　Pericles　that　he
  occasioned　the　war；　since　no　terms　of　peace；　offered　by　the
  Lacedaemonians；　would　content　him。　It　is　true；　I　presume；　that　Fabius；
  also；　was　not　for　yielding　any　point　to　the　Carthaginians；　but　was
  ready　to　hazard　all；　rather　than　lessen　the　empire　of　Rome。　The
  mildness　of　Fabius　towards　his　colleague　Minucius　does；　by　way　of
  comparison；　rebuke　and　condemn　the　exertions　of　Pericles　to　banish
  Cimon　and　Thucydides；　noble；　aristocratic　men；　who　by　his　means
  suffered　ostracism。　The　authority　of　Pericles　in　Athens　was　much
  greater　than　that　of　Fabius　in　Rome。　Hence　it　was　more　easy　for　him　to
  prevent　miscarriages　arising　from　the　mistakes　and　insufficiency　of
  other　officers；　only　Tolmides　broke　loose　from　him；　and；　contrary　to
  his　persuasions；　unadvisedly　fought　with　the　Boeotians；　and　was　slain。
  The　greatness　of　his　influence　made　all　others　submit　and　conform
  themselves　to　his　judgment。　Whereas　Fabius；　sure　and　unerring　himself；
  for　want　of　that　general　power；　had　not　the　means　to　obviate　the
  miscarriages　of　others；　but　it　had　been　happy　for　the　Romans　if　his
  authority　had　been　greater；　for　so；　we　may　presume；　their　disasters
  had　been　fewer。
  As　to　liberality　and　public　spirit；　Pericles　was　eminent　in　never
  taking　any　gifts；　and　Fabius；　for　giving　his　own　money　to　ransom　his
  soldiers；　though　the　sum　did　not　exceed　six　talents。　Than　Pericles；
  meantime；　no　man　had　ever　greater　opportunities　to　enrich　himself；
  having　had　presents　offered　him　from　so　many　kings　and　princes　and
  allies；　yet　no　man　was　ever　more　free　from　corruption。　And　for　the
  beauty　and　magnificence　of　temples　and　public　edifices　with　which　he
  adorned　his　country；　it　must　be　confessed；　that　all　the　ornaments
  and　structures　of　Rome；　to　the　time　of　the　Caesars；　had　nothing　to
  compare；　either　in　greatness　of　design　or　of　expense；　with　the
  lustre　of　those　which　Pericles　only　erected　at　Athens。
  THE　END