I do not know, that history has any thing more great and accomplised than what it says of Timoleon. I speak not only of his military exploits, but the happy success of all his undertakings. Plutarch observes a characteristic in them, which distinguishes Timoleon from all the great men of his times, and makes use, upon that occasion, of a very remarkable comparison. There is, says he, in painting and poetry, pieces which are excellent in themselves, and which at the first view may be known to be the works of a master; but some of them denote their having cost abundance of pains and application; whereas in others an easy and native grace is seen, which adds exceedingly to their value, and amongst the latter, he places the poems of Homer. There is something of this sort occurs, when we com. pare the great actions of Epaminondas and Agesilaus with those of Timoleon. In the former, we find them executed with force and innumerable difficulties; but in the latter, there is an easiness and facility, which distinguish them as the work, not of fortune, but of virtue, which fortune seems to have taken pleasure in seconding. It is Plutarch who stills speaks. But not to mention his military actions; what I admire most in Timoleon, is his warm and disinterested passion for the public good, and his reserving only for himself the pleasure of seeing others happy by his services; his extreme remoteness from ambition and haughtiness; his honourable retirement into the coun. try; his modesty, moderation, and indifference for the honours paid him; and, what is still more uncommon, his aversion for all flattery, and even just praises. When somebody extolled in his presence, his wisdom, valor, and glory, in having expelled the tyrants, he made no answer, but that he thought himself obliged to express his gratitude to the gods, who, having decreed to restore peace and liberty to Sicily, had vouchsafed to make choice of him, in preference to all others, for so honourable a ministration; for he was fully persuaded, that all human events are guided and disposed by the secret decrees of divine'providence. What a treasure, what a happiness for a state, is such a minister! For the better understanding his value, we have only to compare the condition of Syracuse under Timoleon, with its state under the two Dionysiuses. It is the same city, inhabitants, and people; but how different is it under the different governments we speak of! The two tyrants had no thoughts but of making themselves feared, and of depressing their subjects, to render them more passive. They were terrible in effect, as they desired to be; but at the same time detested and abhorred, and had more to fear from their subjects, than their subjects from them. Timoleon, on the contrary, who looked upon himself as the father of the Syracusan people, and who had no thoughts but of making them happy, enjoyed the refined pleasure of being beloved and revered as a parent by his children; and he was remembered amongst them with blessings, because they could not reflect upon the peace and felicity they enjoyed, without calling to mind at the same time the wise legislator, to whom they were indebted for those inestimable blessings. BOOK TWELFTH. THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIANS AND GRECIANS. CHAPTER I. THIS book contains principally the history of two very illustrious generals of the Thebans, Epaminondas and Pelopidas; the deaths of Agesilaus, king of Sparta, and of Artaxerxes Mnemon, king of Persia. SECTION I. STATE OF GREECE FROM THE TREATY OF ANTALCIDES. THE peace of Antalcides, of which mention has been made in the third chapter of the ninth book, had given the Grecian states great matter of discontent and · A. M. 3617. Ant. J. C. 387. Xenoph. Hist. Græc. I. v. p. 550, 553. division. In effect of that treaty, the Thebans had been obliged to abandon the cities of Beotia, and let them enjoy their liberty; and the Corinthians to withdraw their garrison from Argos, which by that means became free and independent. The Lacedemonians, who were the authors and executors of this treaty, saw their power extremely augmented by it, and were industrious to make further additions to it. They compelled the Mantineans, against whom they pretended to have many causes of complaint in the last war, to demolish the walls of their city, and to inhabit four different places, as they had done before. The two kings of Sparta, Agesipolis and Agesilaus, were of quite different characters, and as opposite in their opinions upon the present state of affairs. The first, who was naturally inclined to peace, and a strict observer of justice, was for having Sparta, already much exclaimed against for the treaty of Antalcides, suffer the Grecian cities to enjoy their liberties, according to the tenor of that treaty, and not disturb their tranquillity through an unjust desire of extending their dominions. The other, on the contrary, restless, active, and full of great views of ambition and conquest, breathed nothing but war. At the same time, deputies arrived at Sparta from Acanthus and Apollonia, two very considerable cities of Macedonia, in respect to Olynthus, a city of Thrace, inhabited by Greeks, originally of Chalcis in Eubea. Athens, after the victories of Salamin and Marathon, had conquered many places on the side of Thrace, Diod. 1. xv. p. 341. |