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 commend 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, 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 honor 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 honor, 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 favor, 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 dishonored 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
honor 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.