| Summary: | M. Claudius Marcellus won military renown during Rome's
wars with the Gauls and the Carthaginians in the latter half of
the third century B.C. As consul in 222 B.C. he earned the rare
honor of the spolia opima by slaying in single combat the
opposing Gallic chieftain. In the dark days following the
disaster at Cannae in 216 B.C., he showed himself to be the only
Roman commander capable of standing up to, if not actually
defeating, Hannibal in Italy; for this he gained the title of
'The Sword of Rome.'
Plutarch, writing at the turn of the second century A.D.,
came near the end of the development of the historical tradition
about this famous general. When he came to write this
biography, he had available to him a wide range of sources, both
favorable and hostile to Marcellus. The purpose of this study
is to provide a commentary on his account and to assess the
accuracy of the portrait offered.
Plutarch's text has been compared with all the evidence
that has survived. Its similarities to and divergences from
other versions have been examined, although the investigation is
hampered by the loss of much of the source material that had
been available to Plutarch. Through this analysis it is hoped
that a more accurate picture of Marcellus and of the events in
which he was involved have emerged. Plutarch set out to prove that Marcellus was not only a
brave and energetic warrior but also a humanitarian and an
admirer of Greek culture. This study concludes that he is only
partially convincing. Although there is no doubt about
Marcellus' military prowess, his humanitarianism and love of
Greek culture are open to serious questions. As the record
shows Marcellus adopted measures that were both harsh and cruel,
while the extent to which some of his actions appear humane is
due in large part to practical necessity. In addition, his
admiration of Greek culture seems to have been only superficial .
Plutarch in presenting this portrait appears motivated by his
notion of virtuous ideals rather than by historical reality.
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