THESE are the most remarkable passages that are come to our
knowledge concerning Eumenes and Sertorius. In comparing their
lives, we may observe that this was common to them both; that being
aliens, strangers, and banished men, they came to be commanders of
powerful forces, and had the leading of numerous and warlike armies,
made up of divers nations. This was peculiar to Sertorius, that the
chief command was, by his whole party, freely yielded to him, as to
the person of the greatest merit and renown, whereas Eumenes had
many who contested the office with him, and only by his actions
obtained the superiority. They followed the one honestly, out of
desire to be commanded by him; they submitted themselves to the
other for their own security, because they could not command
themselves. The one, being a Roman, was the general of the Spaniards
and Lusitanians, who for many years had been under the subjection of
Rome; and the other, a Chersonesian, who was chief commander of the
Macedonians, who were the great conquerors of mankind, and were at
that time subduing the world. Sertorius, being already in high
esteem for his former services in the wars and his abilities in the
senate, was advanced to the dignity of a general; whereas Eumenes
obtained this honour from the office of a writer, or secretary, in
which he had been despised. Nor did he only at first rise from
inferior opportunities, but afterwards, also, met with greater
impediments in the progress of his authority, and that not only from
those who publicly resisted him, but from many others that privately
conspired against him. It was much otherwise with Sertorius, not one
of whose party publicly opposed him, only late in life, and
secretly, a few of his acquaintance entered into a conspiracy
against him. Sertorius put an end to his dangers as often as he was
victorious in the field, whereas the victories of Eumenes were the
beginning of his perils, through the malice of those that envied
him.
Their deeds in war were equal and parallel, but their general
inclinations different. Eumenes naturally loved war and
contention, but Sertorius esteemed peace and tranquillity; when
Eumenes might have lived in safety, with honour, if he would have
quietly retired out of their way, he persisted in a dangerous
contest with the greatest of the Macedonian leaders; but
Sertorius, who was unwilling to trouble himself with any public
disturbances, was forced, for the safety of his person, to make
war against those who would not suffer him to live in peace. If
Eumenes could have contented himself with the second place,
Antigonus, freed from his competition for the first, would have
used him well, and shown him favour, whereas Pompey's friends would never permit
Sertorius so much as to live in quiet. The one made war of his
own accord, out of a desire for command; and the other was
constrained to accept of command to defend himself from war that
was made against him. Eumenes was certainly a true lover of war,
for he preferred his covetous ambition before his own security;
but Sertorius was truly warlike, who procured his own safety by
the success of his arms.
As to the manner of their deaths, it happened to one without the
least thought or surmise of it; but to the other when he suspected
it daily; which in the first argues an equitable temper, and a noble
mind, not to distrust his friends; but in the other it showed some
infirmity of spirit, for Eumenes intended to fly and was taken. The
death of Sertorius dishonoured not his life; he suffered that from his
companions which none of his enemies were ever able to perform. The
other, not being able to deliver himself before his imprisonment,
being willing also to live in captivity, did neither prevent nor
expect his fate with honour or bravery; for by meanly supplicating and
petitioning, he made his enemy, that pretended only to have power over
his body, to be lord and master of his body and mind.
