198

COMPARISON OF TIMOLEON WITH ^MLIUS PAULUS. Such being the story of these two great men's lives, without doubt in the comparison very little difference will be found between them. They made war with two power- ful enemies : the one against the Macedonians, and the other with the Carthaginians ; and the success was in both cases glorious. One conquered Macedon from the seventh succeeding heir of Antigonua ; the other freed Sicily from usin-ping tyrants, and restored the island to its former liberty. Unless, indeed, it be made a point on ^milius's side, that he engaged with Perseus when his forces were entire, and composed of men that had often successfully fought with the Romans ; whereas, Timoleon found Dio' nysius in a despairing condition, his affairs being reduced to the last extremity : or, on the contrary, it be urged in favor of Timoleon, that he vanquished several tyrants, and a powerful Carthaginian army, with an inconsiderable number of men gathered together from all parts, not with such an army as u:EmiHus had, of well disciplined soldiers, experienced in war, and accustomed to obey ; bu+ with such as through the hopes of gain resorted to him, unskilled in fighting and ungovernable. And when ac- tions are equally glorious, and the means to compass them unequal, the greatest esteem is certainly due tc that general who conquers with the smaller power.