Full Show Notes - https://plutarch.life/titus-flamininus/

Greek Parallel - Philopoemen

Important People

Philip V - The second-to-last Macedonian king because the Romans play fair in this generation and allow Philip to remain on the throne even after soundly defeating him in battle twice. Philip also has to give up over-lordship of Greece which allows Titus to declare them free.

Antiochus III - Antiochus swoops in when he sees an opportunity and tries to market himself as a liberator for the Greeks. The way Plutarch paints it, no one buys what Antiochus is selling and the Romans defeat him too, though Titus Flamininus isn't involved in that victory.

Hannibal - The Romans expand into Asia Minor with their influence and power. In so doing, Hannibal, exiled from Carthage

Important Places

Battle of Aous -

Battle of Cynoscephalae -

Key Vices and Virtues

• Ambitious - φιλοτιμότατος δὲ καὶ φιλοδοξότατος - the first implies a love of honor while the second implies a love of glory. This brings with it the question: how does honor differ from glory? Is the latter longer-lasting and the former more present-focused. If I only care about what my peers think, am I obsessed then with honor. That may be one. Another could be that honor has physical aspects to it whereas glory is entirely intangible. I think this because τιμή is also the Greek word for price. Most of us can (and do) judge price by the look or feel of the thing, some of its tangible attributes.
• τήν ὄψιν φιλανθρώπῳ (cf. Section 5) - humane in look - Can one look like a philanthropist? Plutarch thinks so.
• φωνήν τε καὶ διάλεκτον Ἕλληνι - Greek in voice and language - This is a compliment. A Greek calls a Roman Greek!
• τιμῆς ἀληθοῦς ἐραστῇ - lover of true honor - Back to honor. Not only is there honor vs. glory, but not all honor is worthy of pursuit!

Section 17 -

• bitterness (πικρός)
• hastiness (ὀξὺς)
• levity (κοῦφος)

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Full Show Notes

Roman Parallel – Titus Flamininus

Important People
Epaminondas – A personal hero of Philopoemen’s; he can imitate him in nearly everything except his calmness (cf. Section 3). Epaminondas sets a high water mark for Theban military and political power which Philopoemen is not able to replicate with Megalopolis.

Nabis – Spartan tyrant

Machanidas – Spartan tyrant who dies in an epic one-v-one against Philopoemen.

Antigonus III Doson of Macedon (263-221 BC) – Second to last Macedonian King, winner of the battle of Sellasia, and the same guy whose death was reported towards the end of the Life of Cleomenes.

Philip V of Macedon (238-179 BC) – The last Roman king, whose defeat we will see in the Life of Aemilius Paulus

Antiochus III of Seleucid Empire (241 – 187 BC) –

Titus Flamininus – This pair of biographies marks the only time Plutarch chose to compare contemporaries. While the Roman certainly outshines the Greek, Plutarch wants to emphasize that it’s only because Titus out-Greeks (the virtues of human excellence, which the Greeks saw themselves originally as the sole source and only practicioners of) the Greeks while also out-Romaning them (i.e. larger, more disciplined, better supplied, better trained armies)

Important Places

Megalopolis – Philopoemen's hometown, and one that sees itself as the countebalance to Spartan hegemony in the Peloponnesus. Generally, the leaders of the Achaean League come from this city, the most famous of whom is, of course, Philopoemen.

Sparta – Cleomenes is king while Philopoemen is a young man, but soon Sparta will fall to greedy tyrants the last of whom will negotiate peace not with Philopoemen, but with the Romans.

Gythium – Philopoemen takes this key Spartan port through a marine maneuver that earns him much acclaim. This it he same Spartan port through which Cleomenes escaped to Egypt.

Messene – The next-door neighbor, and longtime subjugated polis, of Sparta. Philopoemen will free them, but their revolt towards the end of his life is the beginning of his undoing.

Key Vices and Virtues

Contentiousness (φιλονεικία) – A contentious word in the Greek, since it differs by only one letter from a love of victory (φιλονικία). Nevertheless, Philopoemen has a cantankerous outer shell that many find off-putting. Some come across that way, but we should be encourage by this life to look under the outer shell and see the character inside.

Anger (ὀργῆ) – It seems at time Philopoemen is motivated by anger more than justice. While Plutarch seems to overlook this flaw, it's an interesting one to note as Plutarch thought it has no place in the virtuous life.

Pausanias (Description of Greece) – Background of Philopoemen

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Full Show Notes for Plutarch's Life of Cleomenes

Roman Parallel - Tiberius Gracchus

Important People

Aratus - The same Aratus from the last life, but older and more experienced now. Between Aratus, Cleomenes, and Philopoemen, it becomes clear that the Greeks themselves are the architects of their own undoing. None of these three men cooperates with the other and this dissension makes easy target for Antigonus.

Megistonoüs - Cleomenes's father-in-law and right-hand man once he takes the throne.

Antigonus III "Doson"- The king of Macedon who eventually comes down to the Peloponnesus in person to settle the Spartan mischief. His death is reported right after winning his kingdom back from barbaric Illyrian invaders. He was the most powerful person standing in Cleomenes' way, but Cleomenes is unaware of his death until he has already landed in Egypt.

Ptolemy III - The successor of Alexander and ruler of wealthy Alexandria when Cleomenes arrives. He dies too soon to fulfill his promises to Cleomenes.

Ptolemy IV - Ptolemy III's son is not fit to rule, interested more in parties and pleasures. As such, he does little to help Cleomenes and eventually grows suspicious of Cleomenes's lack of interest in partying.

Sphaerus the Stoic (or Sphairus) - This student of the founder of Stoicism, Zeno of Cittium, teaches Cleomenes in his youth and helps him reform the Agōge to what it was. Plutarch has some criticisms for Stoicism in this Life that are worth considering.

Important Places

Argos - An important polis in north-western Peloponnesus, Cleomenes takes, but does not hold the city. While this is more than Pelopidas could do, it nonetheless marks the beginning of the end for him, and his father-in-law dies trying to take the city back.

Corinth - The actual gateway to the Peloponnesus, called by Philip of Macedon "the fetters of Greece." Cleomenes has to allow Antigonus to take this fortified position when he falls back to quell the revolt in Argos.

Sicyon - Aratus's hometown! Just north and east up the road from Corinth, on the opposite end of a bay facing that polis. Sicyon is not a populous or powerful polis, but their hometown hero's talents at forging unity in the Peloponnesus puts them on the map, until Cleomenes's dreams of Spartan hegemony threaten that unity.

Key Virtues

πειθαρχίας (obedience) - This touches on a Platonic concept of knowing how to lead and be led (also popular with Xenophon). (cf. 18.4)

ἐγκράτεια - self-control - A virtue that overlaps well with Lycurgan laws and Stoic ethics.

ἀφέλεια - simplicity - The ultimate Spartan virtue, particularly when compared to other Greek poleis like Athens or Corinth.

φιλότιμος - love of honor - This virtue could better be translated ambition, but so could the next one.

μεγαλόφρων - great-mindedness / ambition - The natures that seek the great things. This is ambition to a T. Not all of us want to be president, but those that do are this type.

εὐλαβὲς - piety - Another virtue Agis had but Cleomenes lacked. For a Spartan, there's a paucity of Cleomenes consulting the gods or being a religious leader in almost any form throughout this life.

Key Vices - Undermining Spartan Culture

ἀκολασία - intemperence (opposite of σωφροσύνη)

βωμολοχία - buffoonery

πανηγυρίσμος - display, ostentation

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