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PHILOPOEMEN (253–184 B.C.)

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Originally appearing in Volume V21, Page 439 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PHILOPOEMEN (253–184 B.C.) , See also:Greek See also:general, was See also:born at See also:Megalopolis, and educated by the See also:academic philosophers Ecdemus and Demophanes or Megalophanes, who had distinguished themselves as champions of freedom. Avoiding the fashionable and luxurious gymnasia, he devoted himself to military studies, See also:hunting and border forays. In 233–2 Philopoemen skilfully evacuated Megalopolis before the attack of Cleomenes III., and distinguished himself at Sellasia (222). The next eleven years he spent as a See also:condottiere in See also:Crete. Elected See also:commander of the See also:League's See also:cavalry on his return, he reorganized that force and defeated the Aetolians on the Elean frontier (210). Appointed to the See also:chief command two years later, he introduced heavy See also:armour and See also:close formation for the See also:infantry, and with a well-trained See also:army See also:beat Machanidas of See also:Sparta, near Mantinea. The new " liberator " was now so famous that See also:Philip V. of Macedon attempted to See also:poison him. In 202–1 Philopoemen drove Nabis, the Spartan See also:tyrant, from See also:Messene and routed him off See also:Tegea. After another See also:long sojourn in Crete he again received the command against Nabis. Though unsuccessful at See also:sea, he almost annihilated Nabis's See also:land force near See also:Gythium, but was prevented by the See also:Roman See also:Flamininus from taking Sparta. In 190 Philopoemen protected Sparta, which meanwhile had joined the League and thereupon seceded, but punished a renewed defection so cruelly as to draw the censure of See also:Rome upon his See also:country. At Messene he likewise checked a revolt (189), but when that See also:city again rebelled, in 184, he was captured in a skirmish and promptly executed.

His See also:

body was recovered by the See also:Achaeans and buried with See also:great solemnity. Philopoemen's great merit lies in his having restored to his compatriots that military efficiency without which the Achaean League for all its skilful See also:diplomacy could never stand. Towards Rome he advocated a courteous but See also:independent attitude. In politics he was a democrat, and introduced reforms of a popular See also:character (see ACHAEAN LEAGUE). See also:Polybius' Histories (x.–See also:xxiii.) are our chief authority. These and a See also:special See also:treatise on Philopoemen (now lost) were used by See also:Plutarch (Philopoemen), See also:Pausanias (viii. 49-51), See also:Livy (xxxi.–xxxviii.), and indirectly by See also:Justin (See also:xxx.–xxxiv.).

End of Article: PHILOPOEMEN (253–184 B.C.)

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