which beside her grief for Philopomen, bemoaned her own calamity, as in him she thought she had lost the preeminence among the Achæans. His interment was suitable to his dignity, and the Messenian prisoners were stoned to death at his tomb. Many statues were set up39, and many honors decreed to him by the Grecian cities. But when Greece was involved in the misfortunes of Corinth, a certain Roman attempted to get them all pulled down40, accusing him in form (as if he had been alive) of implacable enmity to the Romans. When he had finished the impeachment, and Polybius had replied to his calumnies, neither Mummius nor his lieutenants would suffer the monuments of so illustrious a man to be defaced, though he had not a little opposed both Flaminius and Glabrio. For they made a proper distinction between virtue and interest, between honor and advantage; well concluding, that rewards and grateful acknowledgments are always due from persons obliged to their benefactors, and respect from men of merit to each other. So much concerning Philopomen.` 39 Pansanias in his Arcadics (viii. 52.) gives us the inscription, which the Tegeans put upon one of those statues; (L.) and, as Dacier pronounces it a composition of wonderful beauty,” the editor subjoins a translation of it: In arms and councils famed, Arcadia's son, Here Philopomen stands-no more to wield F. W 40 This happened B. C. 145. thirty-seven years after his death. THE LIFE OF TITUS QUINCTIUS FLAMINIUS. SUMMARY. His character, and first campaigns. He is chosen consul, and despatched against Philip, king of Macedon: sets off expeditiously, and arrives in Epirus. First skirmishes between Philip and the Romans. He is informed by some shepherds of a way between the mountains, and defeats Philip. Many Greek states, won by his mildness of character, come over to the Romans. He secures their attachment, by proposing to Philip to declare them free, which the latter refuses. He gains the Thebans to his party: is continued in the command; and offers battle to Philip, which takes place on the following day. Flaminius obtains the victory. Alcæus' epigram, and Philip's reply. Flaminius grants Philip peace: his prudence upon this occasion. He procures from the senate independence for Greece, which is proclaimed at the Isthmian games. Joy of the Greeks. Reflections upon the fate of Greece. Flaminius' care to insure the continuance of her freedom. He causes it to be proclaimed a second time at the Nemean games. His gifts to the temple of Delphi. His proclamation compared with the subsequent one of Nero. He makes peace with Nabis, tyrant of Sparta. The Achæans present to him all the Romans then prisoners in Greece. His triumph. He is sent again into Greece, to quell the troubles excited there by Antiochus. The service he does the Greeks, and the honors which they pay him in return. His repartees. He is elected censor. Origin of his quarrel with Cato. His brother expelled by Cuto from the senate. Flaminius' embassy to Prusias, to demand the surrender of Annibal. That general destroys himself. Dif ferent opinions with regard to Flaminius' conduct on the oc. casion. Reflections in his favor. THE person, whom we place in parallel with Philopomen, is Titus Quinctius Flaminius1. Those, who are desirous of being acquainted with his countenance and figure, need but look upon the statue in brass2, which is erected at Rome with a Greek inscription upon it opposite the Circus Maximus, near the large statue of Apollo that was brought from Carthage. As to his disposition, he was quick both to resent an injury, and to do a service. But his resentment was not in all respects like his affection, for he punished lightly and soon forgot the offence; whereas his services were lasting, and complete. For the persons, whom he had obliged, he ever retained a kind regard, as if instead of receiving they had conferred a favor; and, considering 6 1 It ought to be written Flamininus' (according to Polybius, Livy, &c.) and not Flaminius.' The Flaminii, indeed, were a very different family from the Flaminini. The latter were patricians the former plebeians. Caius Flaminius, who fell at the lake of Thrasymenus, was of the plebeian family. Besides, some MSS. have it Flamininus;' which would be sufficient authority for the correction. But, as Plutarch has elsewhere called him Flaminius (and in this he has been followed by several modern writers) it may be sufficient, once for all, to have made this remark upon the subject. 2 Either Plutarch must have made a very excessive estimate of the duration of this statue; or a very humble one of that of his own labors. For what satisfaction do his present readers reap from his reference? Or what indeed did the chief part of his compatriots and contemporaries; especially, if (as it has been usually believed) these Lives were written in Greece?* them as his greatest treasure, he was always ready to protect and to promote them3. Naturally covetous of honor and fame, and not choosing to let others have any share in his great and good actions, he took more pleasure in those whom he could assist, than in those who could give him assistance; looking upon the former as persons, who afforded room for the exertion of virtue, and the latter as his rivals in glory. From his boyhood, he was trained up to the profession of arms. For Rome having then many important wars upon her hands, her youth had early opportunities by service to qualify themselves for command. Flaminius served like the rest, and was first a legionary tribune under the consul Marcellus, in the war with Annibal. Marcellus fell into an ambuscade, and was slain; after which Flaminius was appointed governor of Tarentum, then newly taken, and of the surrounding country. In this commission he grew no less famous for his administration of justice, than for his military skill; for which reason he was appointed chief director of the two colonies, which were sent to the cities of Narnia and Cossa. This inspired him with such lofty thoughts that, overlooking the previous steps by which young men ordinarily ascend (I mean the offices of tribune, prætor, and ædile) he aimed directly at the consulship. Supported by those colonists, he presented himself as a can 3 Odisse quem læseris, is a trait of human character sketched by the hand of a great master, and may be referred to the natural fear of retribution. To protect those whom you have obliged' is, perhaps, connected with the pride of patronage. 4 Magis dandis, quam accipiendis beneficiis amicitias parabant, is the high character given by Sallust (Bell. Cat. vi.) to the primitive Romans. He derived the expression probably from one, to whom he owes many similar obligations. Ου γαρ πασχοντες ευ, άλλα δρώντες, κτωμεθα τις φίλους (Thucyd. ii. 40.)* 5 He was appointed a tribune at the age of twenty, B. C. 207. He was consequently born B. C. 227. A. U. C. 547. Livy informs us, that he was thirty-three years of age, when he proclaimed the liberty of Greece. (xxxiii. 33.) 6 Tribune, as a patrician, he could not be. But perhaps Plutarch here speaks in general of the 'steps in young ambition's ladder.”* didate. But the tribunes Fulvius and Manlius opposed him, insisting that it was an unheard of thing for a man so young, who was not yet initiated in the first rites and mysteries of government, to intrude in contempt of the laws into the highest office in the state. The senate referred the affair to the suffrages of the people; and the people elected him consul with Sextus Ælius, though he was then under thirty years of age. The lots being cast for the provinces, the war with Philip and the Macedonians fell to Flaminius: and this happened very fortunately for the Roman people; as that department required a general, who did not wish to do every thing by force and violence, but rather by gentleness and persuasion. For Macedon furnished Philip with a sufficient number of men for his wars, but Greece was his principal dependence for a war of any length. She it was, that supplied him with money and provisions, with strong holds and places of retreat, and (in a word) with all the materials of war. So that, unless she were disengaged from Philip, the war with him could not be decided by a single battle. Besides, the Greeks as yet bad but little acquaintance with the Romans; it was now first to be established by the intercourse of business: and therefore they would not so soon have embraced a foreign authority, instead of that to which they had been accustomed, if the Roman general had not been a man of great good nature, who was more ready to avail himself of treaty than of the sword, who had a persuasive manner where he applied, was affable when applied to, and had an invariable regard to justice. But this will better appear from his actions themselves. Titus finding that Sulpicius and Publius", his predecessors in command, had not entered Macedon till late in the season, and then had not prosecuted the war with vigor, but spent their time in skirmishing to gain some particular post or pass or to intercept some provisions, determined not to act in the same manner. They had wasted the year of their consulate in the enjoyment of their new honors, and in the administration of domestic 7 Publius Sulpicius Galba had been consul two years before, and Publius Villius Tappulus (whom Liv. xxxii. 1. calls Publius Villius) the intermediate year. |