Plutarch's Lives: Life of Camillus

by Plutarch

Plutarch (46-120) - Greek biographer, historian, and philosopher,
sometimes known as the encyclopaedist of antiquity. He is most
renowned for his series of character studies, arranged mostly in
pairs, known as “Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Grecians and
Romans” or “Parallel Lives.”

Camillus (75 AD) - A study of the life of Camillus, the savior of Rome.

Genres: Biography, History

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

Plutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most memorable things about Camillus—and the first thing that Plutarch chooses to mention—is that although he was a successful general (with four triumphs), five times dictator, and also referred to as ‘the Second Founder of Rome”—he was never even once granted the position of consul. This is because he lived during the time of the Republic called the Conflict of the Orders, when the patricians and the plebes struggled for power, and the patricians, refusing to redefine the office of the consul, replaced it with the position of “military tribune” instead.

His most memorable exploit exploits was the expulsion of the Gauls from Rome. During a period when Camillus was banished from the city (the peevish Romans having been angered at the lack of plunder after his conquest of Falerii), the Gauls attacked and occupied Rome. Camillus returned from banishment with a small force, rallied the local exiles, and recaptured the city.

He continued to fight for Rome for forty-five years, and continued to be successful. He died at the age of eighty-one; it was pestilence that took him in the end.

We end with Camillus’s first attack against the Gauls, upon a division camped outside the town of Ardea, where Camillus lived in exile:

[He] began to rouse up himself, and consider not how to avoid or escape the enemy, but to find out an opportunity to be revenged upon them. And perceiving that the Ardeatians wanted not men, but rather enterprise, through the inexperience and timidity of their officers, he began to speak with the young men . . . that it was a brave thing even with danger to repel a foreign and barbarous invader, whose end in conquering was like fire, to lay waste and destroy, but if they would be courageous and resolute, he was ready to put an opportunity into their hands to gain a victory without hazard at all. When he found the young men embraced the thing, he went to the magistrates and council of the city, and, having persuaded them also, he mustered all that could bear arms, and drew them up within the walls, that they might not be perceived by the enemy, who was near; who, having scoured the country, and now returned heavy-laden with booty, lay encamped in the plains in a careless and negligent posture, so that, with the night ensuing upon debauch and drunkenness, silence prevailed through all the camp. When Camillus learned this from his scouts, he drew out the Ardeatians, and in the dead of the night, passing in silence over the ground that lay between, came up to their works, and, commanding his trumpets to sound and his men to shout and halloo, he struck terror into them from all quarters; while drunkenness impeded and sleep retarded their movements. A few, whom fear had sobered, getting into some order, for awhile resisted; and so died with their weapons in their hands. But the greatest part of them, buried in wine and sleep, were surprised without their arms, and dispatched; and as many of them as by the advantage of the night got out of the camp were the next day found scattered abroad and wandering in the fields, and were picked up by the horse that pursued them.

[Paul Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haughty and magnanimous dictator

Camillus was appointed dictator in the wake of the Gaulish capture of Rome (390 BC), an event so shattering that even the far-off Greeks, who had not hitherto given any thought to the existence of Rome, discussed it (Aristotle mentioning it two generations later).

It was during this invasion that Brennus, the Gaulish leader, coined the saying ‘Woe to the conquered!’.

Camillus himself was a mixture of haughtiness (at one point he got round in a chariot pulled by four white horses) and magnanimity (as the time when a Falerian schoolmaster sought to betray his city to the Romans, and Camillus had him whipped and sent back, saying ‘A great general should rely on his own virtue, not on other men’s vices.’)

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rome on the Brink
12 Feb 2018 – Siem Reap

When I first started reading this biography my immediate thoughts were 'who is this guy and what is so important about him'. I noticed that he was paired with Thermistocles, though unlike the others that I have read so far we don't have the usual comparison that Plutarch loves to put at the end of his pairings. Why he did do that here I don't really know, though my suspicion is that the comparison is actually lost. Anyway, after reading this biography I now understand why he was pared with Themistocles because both came to prominence at a time when their respective cities were on the brink of destruction.

Basically, Camillus was in Rome when it was attacked, and sacked, by the Gauls. This is actually a little known event in the history of Rome, at least by those who are not familiar with the history of the Republic, however, as I was reading it Plutarch suddenly starts talking about how the Gauls, who were overpopulated, pushed to the west and settled in what is now known as France. While there, they discovered the fruit of the vine that was grown in Tuscany (Etrusca, though for some reason Dryden uses the modern name, unless of course it has always been known as Tuscany). Well, considering Etruscan wine is pretty nice, I'm not surprised that the Gauls wanted a piece of the action, so they crossed the Alps and invaded.

So, Rome, seeing a potential threat, decide to go an intervene, which ended up being a really bad idea, because the Gauls decided that they would make a beeline to Rome and completely destroy the city, which they almost did. At this time the Roman army was pretty pathetic, so when they met them in battle they were annihilated. It was only the decision to reinforce the Capitoline hill that saved the day, and even then the Gauls, who had pillaged the rest of the city, decided to lay siege to the fort. This is where an interesting story comes in, because there was a hidden back path, which they discovered and decided to use, however when the got to the top there was a gaggle of half starved geese (wow, I got to use the word 'gaggle' in a sentence) at the top that started going off their nuts, which alerted the rest of the Roman to what was happening, and they managed to hold them off. Mind you, if you want a guard animal, you really can't go past geese – they are loud, and quite vicious when they want to be. In fact get rid of the doberman and simply have geese wandering around your compound.

One ironic thing about reading this biography is that I am also reading The History of the Kings of Britain, and this same event in mentioned in that book as well. However, Monmoth seems to think that the Gauls weren't actually Gauls, but Britons who, after conquering all of Britain, moved abroad and the decided to go conquer the continent, which eventually took them south to Rome. Okay, most historians (actually, I probably should say all historians) believe that Monmoth is basically gilding the lilly, a lot, and I'm inclined to agree. However, it is did give me an interesting perspective on the incident from looking at it from two different angles (though Monmoth's angle is hardly compelling), which is probably why I thought this biography was pretty cool.

Camillus saved the day in that he managed to raise an army, and just as the Romans where about to capitulate, he arrived and routed the Gauls. In fact he did this twice, because the Gauls decided to return for a second bite at the cherry, and he once again managed to hold them off. So, I can see why he has been paired with Themistocles, because where Themistocles saved Athens from the Persians, Camillus saved Rome from the Gauls. I have to admit that this was a pretty good read, and even though it came across that Camillus was pretty arrogant type of person, when the proverbial stuff hit the fan, he stood up and delivered.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This captivated my interest more than I expected! I found it fascinating to consider ancient mindsets and hear little historical facts come to life through this biography.