hapter of the second book of the
Academica Priora has passed a high eulogium on him. He was fond of
wealth and luxury, but humane and of a mild temper. He was no match
for the cunning of Pompeius, or the daring temper of Caesar; and he was
not cruel enough to have acted with the decision which the troublesome
times required that he just lived to see. The loss of his History of
the Marsic War is much to be lamented. It is singular that Sulla's
Memoirs which he revised, and his own work, have not been preserved,
for we must suppose that copies of them were abundant; and they were
extant in Plutarch's time.

The history of the campaigns of Lucullus in Asia would have been
interesting. It is worth recording that we are indebted to him for the
cherry, which he brought from Cerasus (Plin. _Hist. Nat._ xv. 30) into
Europe; the name of the fruit still records the place from which it
was brought. As a collector of books, a lover of ornamental gardening
and parks stocked with animals, and a friend to all the arts and
sciences, Lucullus was of all the luxurious Romans the most
magnificent and the most refined. He left a son by Servilia, whose
name was probably Lucius. This son joined the party of Cato and M.
Brutus. After the battle of Philippi B.C. 42, he was overtaken in the
pursuit, and put to death at the command of M. Antonius. No children
of this son are mentioned.

Marcus, the brother of Plutarch's Lucius Licinius, was consul B.C. 73.
It is not known how long he survived his brother, but he died before
the commencement of the second Civil War (Vell. Paterc. ii. 49), that
which broke out between Caesar and Pompeius B.C. 50.]

COMPARISON OF KIMON AND LUCULLUS.

Lucullus may be accounted especially fortunate in having died when he
did, so that he did not witness the ruin of his country by the civil
wars, but departed this life while Rome, though corrupt, was yet a
free state. And in this he resembles Kimon more than in any other
point; for Kimon also died while the Greeks were at the height of
their prosperity, and before they had begun to fight against one
another. Indeed, Kimon died in his camp, while acting as
commander-in-chief of his country's forces, at the siege of Kitium in
Cyprus; not retired home, as if worn out with hard service, nor yet
indulging in feasting and wine-drinking, as though that were the end
and reward of his military achievements; like that life of eternal
drunkenness which Plato sneers a