PHILOPOEMEN, a celebrated general of the Achaean league, was born in Megalopolis, a city of Arcadia, in Peloponnesus, and from his very infancy discovered a strong inclination to the profession of arms. Having been nobly educated by Cassander of Mantinea, a man of great probity and uncommon abilities, he was no sooner able to bear arms than he entered amongst the troops which the city of Megalopolis sent to make incursions into Laconia, and in these inroads never failed to give some remarkable instance of his prudence and valour; but when there were no troops in the field, he used to employ bis leisure in hunting and other manly exercises. When Cleomenes, king of Sparta, attacked Megalopolis, Philopoemen displayed equal courage and greatness of soul. He also signalized himself some time afterwards in the battle of Sellasia, where Antigonus gained a complete victory over Cleomenes. Antigonus, who had been an eye-witness of his prudent and intrepid behaviour, endeavoured to gain him over to his interest; but the patriotic Greek rejected all his offers, having an utter aversion to a court life, which he compared to that of a slave, conceiving a courtier to be only a slave of a better condition. As he could not live idle and inactive, he proceeded to the island of Crete, which was then engaged in war, and served as a volunteer, until he acquired a complete knowledge of the military art; for the inhabitants of that island were in those days accounted excellent warriors, and were scarcely ever at peace amongst themselves. Philopoemen, having served some years with the troops of the island, returned home, and upon his arrival was appointed general of the horse; a command in which he behaved so well, that the Achaean cavalry, heretofore of no reputation, became in a short time famous all over Greece. He was soon afterwards appointed general of the Achaean forces, and applied himself to re-establish military discipline amongst the troops of the republic, which he found in a very low condition, and universally despised by their neighbours. Aratus, indeed, was the first who raised the Achaean state to that pitch of power and glory to which it attained; but the success of his enterprise was not so much owing to his courage and intrepidity as to his prudence and politics. As he depended on the friendship of foreign princes, and their powerful succours, he neglected military discipline at home; but the instant Philopoemen was appointed commandcr-in-chief, he roused the courage of his countrymen, and laboured to put them into a condition to defend themselves without the assistance of foreign allies. With this view he made great improvements in the Achaean discipline, changing the manner of their exercise, as well as their arms, which were both very defective. For the space of eight months he had exercised his troops every day, making them perform every movement and evolution, and accustoming them to manage with dexterity their arms, when news reached him that Machanidas was advancing, at the head of a numerous army, to invade Achaia. He was glad of this opportunity to try how the troops had profited by his discipline; and accordingly, taking the field, he met the enemy in the territories of Mantinea, where a decisive battle was fought, in which the Achaeans were completely victorious. On this occasion the Lacedaemonians lost above 8000 men, of whom 4000 were killed on the spot, and as many taken prisoners. The loss of the Achaeans was very inconsiderable, and those who fell were mostly mercenaries. This happened about the year before Christ 204.

But what most contributed to raise the fame and the reputation of Philopoemen, was his uniting the powerful city of Lacedaemon to the Achaean commonwealth, by which means the Achaeans were enabled to eclipse all the other states of Greece. In this transaction, which happened in the year 191, we cannot help noticing one circumstance, which, in our opinion, reflects greater lustre on Philopoemen than all his warlike exploits. The Lacedaemonians, overjoyed to find themselves delivered from the oppressions under which they had long groaned, ordered the palace and furniture of Nabis to be sold, and the sum thence accruing, to the amount of 120 talents, to be presented to Philopoemen, as a token of their gratitude; and deputies were appointed to carry the money, and desire Philopoemen, in the name of the senate, to accept of the present. But so great was the opinion which the Spartans entertained of his probity and disinterestedness, that no one could be found who would undertake to offer the present; and, struck with veneration and the fear of displeasing him, they all begged to be excused. At last, by a public decree, they obliged one Timolaus, who had formerly been his guest, to repair to Megalopolis, where Philopoemen then lived, and offer him this testimony of their regard. Timolaus, with great reluctance, set out for Megalopolis, where he was kindly received and entertained by Philopoemen. Here he had an opportunity of observing the strictness of his conduct, the greatness [7:17:425]of his mind, the frugality of his life, and the regularity of his manners; all which struck him with such awc, that he durst not once mention the present he had come to offer, and, alleging some other pretence for his journey, he returned home with the money. The Lacedaemonians sent him again; but still he could not prevail on himself to mention the true cause of his journey. At last, being sent a third time, he ventured, with reluctance, to apprise Philopoemen of the offer he had to make in the name of the Lacedaemonians. Philopoemen heard him with great calmness; but the instant he had finished, the general set out with him for Sparta, where, after acknowledging his obligation to the Spartans, he advised them to lay out their money in reforming or purchasing those miscreants who divided the citizens, and set them at variance by means of their seditious discourses, that, being paid for their silence, they might not occasion so many distractions in the government. “It is much more advisable,” said he, “to stop an enemy’s mouth than a friend’s; as for me, I shall always be your friend, and you shall reap the benefit of my friendship without expense.”

About two years afterwards, the city of Messene withdrew itself from the Achaean league. Philopoemen attacked them, but was wounded, taken prisoner, and poisoned by the magistrates; and thus died one of the greatest heroes whom Greece or any other country had ever produced. He was no way inferior in valour, military knowledge, and virtue, to any of the boasted heroes of Rome. Had Achaia been nearer to an equality with Rome, he would have preserved his country from the yoke which the Roman republic imposed upon it. Both the Greek and Roman writers place him on a level with Hannibal and Scipio, who were his contemporaries, and died the same year. They allow him to have been not only one of the greatest commanders, but also one of the greatest statesmen, of his age. To his valour and prudence Achaia owed her glory, which upon his death began to decline; for after him there was none in that republic capable of opposing her enemies with the same steadiness and prudence. Philopoemen was therefore called the last of the Greeks, as Brutus was afterwards styled the last of the Romans. See the article Army.