Fabius vs. Marcellus (a comparison of Plutarch's Lives)

A detailed Summary of Fabius vs. Marcellus (a comparison of Plutarch's Lives)

Fabius vs. Marcellus: A Look into Roman Culture

Plutarch included many great Romans in his collection of biographies. While it seems that many of these men embodied similar, sometimes even identical, virtues, there are also many differences among the Lives and what Plutarch intended for us to learn from these profiles. I have chosen to compare and contrast the lives of Fabius and Marcellus, as told by Plutarch. These two men, although they lived at the same time and were often in the same positions of power, reflected very different qualities and can tell us much about the attitudes and doctrines of the Romans at that time.

The picture Plutarch paints of Fabius' childhood is that of a ridiculed, withdrawn boy. Known for his "long labor and pains in speaking" and "easy submission" to others, he became known to many as "insensible and stupid." (235) This is not exactly the auspicious beginning one would expect of a future five-time consul. However, Plutarch is also sure to make it known that he was a descendant of a long line of distinguished men. This fact is undoubtedly of very great importance to the people of Rome as it is often dwelled upon and reiterated not only throughout the story of Fabius' life, but the lives o

This suggests a couple of different things about the attitude of the Romans. First of all, because of the importance placed on ancestry and the stature of ones father and grandfathers, Plutarch seems to be saying that regardless of a boy's personality or personal virtue, if he is descended from great men, he will be a great man. It did not really matter if someone started out as pathetic as Fabius or as courageous and bold as Marcellus, if they had the right bloodline they would end up an intelligent and valiant leader and soldier. Conversely, a child born into the lower class, even if he was just as smart and brave, probably would not achieve greatness - so much importance was placed on the family tree.

Marcellus, on the other hand, generally took the opposite stance when it came to leading an army. For instance, as soon as he was created consul, he led his army, marching day and night to confront the Gauls and instigate a battle against them. This trend continued throughout the duration of Marcellus' rule. I do not want to misrepresent Marcellus as being a capricious leader. He only attacked when it was in Rome's best interest to do so, but I would definitely say that Marcellus was much more willing to attack than Fabius. With this philosophy, Marcellus seemed able to make quicker bounds towards a Roman victory over its adversaries.

Marcellus personally played upon this many times and is possibly why he achieved such great fame and respect. Starting early in his career as a leading man in Rome, when he used the money from a fine to make silver libations for sacrifice to the gods, Marcellus seemed to involve religion in every move he made. One particularly subtle, yet important, moment came when Marcellus was at a battle against the Gauls and his horsed wheeled around. Marcellus, seeing that this might be taken as a bad omen and discourage his soldiers, made it look as if he were making a devotion the Jupiter, thus revitalizing his men. Marcellus himself seemed to realize that this was nothing more that a fluke, but he also recognized the mindset of the Roman citizens and modeled his actions to fit.

Marcellus' biography begins in much the same way. We are not told as many specifics about his childhood as with Fabius, but we are made well aware of his ancestry. In fact, in the very first line of his story, we are told who his father is. (408) Marcellus is then described as skilled in war and with a "natural" tendency for battle. (408) He was also quite learned in Greek studies, but Plutarch especially emphasizes his warrior-like traits. With such significance placed on Marcellus' skill in fighting i

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Approximate Word count = 1782
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History