Plutarch · a new plain-English translation from the original language
This is what we have gathered as worthy of memory concerning Eumenes and Sertorius. In the comparison, it is common to both that, being strangers and foreigners and exiles, they continued to lead peoples of every sort and warlike and great armies; but peculiar to Sertorius was that he held command given to him by all his allies on account of his reputation, while peculiar to Eumenes was that, though many contended with him over the leadership, he took the first place by his deeds; and men followed the one willingly, wishing to be ruled justly, while they obeyed the other, unable to rule themselves, out of regard for their own advantage.
For the one was a Roman ruling over Iberians and Lusitanians, the other a man of the Chersonese ruling over Macedonians, of whom some had long been enslaved to the Romans, while the others at that time were enslaving all mankind. And Sertorius advanced to command being admired for his senatorial rank and generalship, while Eumenes advanced to leadership though despised on account of his post as secretary. Eumenes, then, not only made use of lesser resources for gaining command, but also faced greater obstacles in increasing it.
For indeed he had many who opposed him openly and many who plotted against him secretly, not as with the other man, against whom openly no one at all, and secretly only a few of his allies, rose up later. Hence for the one the end of danger was victory over his enemies, while for the other danger arose out of victory itself, from those who envied him.
In their generalship, then, they were evenly matched and comparable; but in other respects Eumenes was fond of war and contentious, while Sertorius was inclined to quiet and gentleness. For the one, though it was possible for him to live safely and with honor by withdrawing from the foremost men, continued fighting and running risks, whereas for the other, who wanted no involvement in affairs beyond the mere safety of his person, the war came upon him from those who would not let him live in peace.
For Antigonus would gladly have made use of Eumenes had he withdrawn from the contests for supremacy, content with the rank next after himself; but Pompey's men did not even allow Sertorius to live free of trouble. Hence it came about that the one made war willingly for the sake of command, while the other ruled unwillingly because war was made upon him.
He is fond of war, then, who prefers gain to safety, but he is a man of war who by war acquires safety. And indeed it happened that the one died without foreseeing it, while the other even expected his end; of these, the one belongs to fair-mindedness, for he thought fit to trust his friends, the other to weakness, for wishing to flee he was caught.
And death did not disgrace the life of the one, suffering at the hands of allies what none of his enemies ever did to him; but the other, unable to flee before capture, yet wishing to live after capture, neither guarded his end well nor endured it, but by clinging and begging he made the enemy, who seemed to hold mastery only over his body, master of his soul as well.