Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

Plutarch and the Greece of His Age
the command of Archelaus, the lieutenant of Mithridates.
Tt was two citizens of Chaeroneia who per
formed for the Roman general a service similar t<>
that rendered to Xerxes by Ephialtes. In order to
leave a memorial of his success he erected a trophy
on the summit of an adjacent hill. Another trophy,
dating from this time and of special significance tc
the Chaeroneans, was the statue of Lucius Lucullus.
a Roman commander, that stood in their market
place. They had become involved in a quarrel with
their old enemies, the Orchomenians, on the charge
of having caused the death of a Roman officer and
several of his attendants; but through the interposi
tion of Lucullus had obtained a verdict from the
home government in their favor.
But the peri is mightier than the sword. Posterity
is not greatly interested in wars and battles in which
no great principles are involved; besides, all
sanguin
ary conflicts are of more or less local significance.
Hence it is that Chaeroneia is chiefly known, not be
cause of the two hundred thousand men who lost
their lives or limbs near it. but as the birthplace and
lifelong residence of one of the best known characters
in the literary history of the world. About half a
score of years after the crucifixion, this august yet
kindly personage, first saw the light in what was, even
for
Greece, an obscure town, but which he never left
for any considerable time, until the day of
his death,
at a ripe old age. The visible remains of the first
great battle fought
here in historic times are the
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