Washington and Cincinnatus: Two Swords Shown – Two Swords Sheathed

A comparative analysis emphasizing the historical moment and moral clarity of two great men

During the height of the power of the Roman Empire, a rival tribe, the Aequi, began an attack against Rome. Previously, the Senate created a law which would provide one man with full dictatorship and control of Rome if a “military threat” was presented. As the Aequi attacked, Rome chose Lucius Cincinnatus to lead the empire through the threats posed by rival tribes. Cincinnatus was a humble farmer, who grew, picked, ate, and sold his own crops by himself. He was a man of honor, not only because of his life as a humble farmer, but also because he was one of the only leaders in history to abandon the power he was given.

​In the wake of revolutionary ideas in the 13 colonies, George Washington, a military General who served under the King, quickly rose to power. Once the revolutionary war began, he officially became the most high ranking military general in the colonies; and after the war, he became the first President of the United States of America. While Washington and Cincinnatus never interacted with each other, they both resembled leadership qualities like no other. They were both given the most dangerous weapon known to man: power; but neither leader accepted the role. These men’s legacies are not admired because of their time in power, but because of their ability to walk away from it.

​When Rome asked Cincinnatus to periodically take power to save the Roman army and extinguish external enemies, he was metaphorically presented a sword. Rulers like Caesar took this sword and kept it, threatening to cut the head from anyone who tried to take it. Cincinnatus, on the other hand, understood that he was given this sword for one job; once he finished the job, he humbly returned power. Cincinnatus knew that the only way Rome’s rule could be preserved was by dividing power. He understood what leaders thousands of years later failed to recognize; power is a plague, and it only spreads.

​When George Washington was first asked to take power in the new America, he was reluctant. He lived under and fought against one of the most powerful monarchies in history. Washington knew the horrors and tragedies that arise from too much power given to just one man. He understood the consequences of greed and lust for control. Instinctively, Washington’s political actions and ideas were sprouted from the belief that the preservation of the republic and the people with which it rules is the only thing a leader should pay attention to. When Washington accepted the Presidency, he claimed that this decision was purely based on the good of the republic. Like Cincinnatus, Washington was presented a sword, and instead of seizing it, he modified it to ensure that no man can wield it forever.

​When Cincinnatus was done with short-lived rule, he returned to the life of a humble farmer, working for his family and living like a common citizen. His life returned to normal, but just like power, normalcy was never permanent in the life of Cincinnatus. In 439 BC, Rome was posed with another crisis; this one, however, was internal. A wealthy grain merchant named Spurius Maelius began attempting to seize power by controlling the support of the common people by lowering the price of grain during a famine. The common people (plebs) adored him because if not for Maelius, some of them would be dead. However, the Senate was worried that Maelius was plotting to overthrow the Roman government and rule the empire as a king. The republic needed someone who was loved by all – they needed a man who would unite the republic from division. Roman Senators were looking for a leader to take power for a period of time until the republic was stabilized. They needed a hard hammer, but not one that would use the hammer for the wrong reasons. After a relatively easy decision, Rome decided to periodically rename Cincinnatus as the dictator. His goal was simple: re-stabilize. Cincinnatus knew how to get things done; he wasn’t afraid of what was morally right or wrong, he simply wanted what was best for Rome. So, without a trial, he found Maelius, murdered him, and once again, returned the power. Cincinnatus was presented with what every man on earth wanted. But he understood what no other men could. He understood the danger of authority; the disease of desire; the plague of power. Once again, Cincinnatus lived the remainder of his life on his farm with his family. His legacy was one of honor and respect. Cincinnatus legacy isn’t preserved because of what he did with his sword, but because he sheathed it.

​After Washington’s first term as president, he became aware of the fact that his public perception was too powerful. He knew that if he commanded the Americans to war, they would do it. Washington understood his power, but more importantly, he understood the danger of it. Throughout his second term, he would often be the voice of neutrality and compromise throughout the political system. Before the third election of 1800, Washington knew that if he kept power, the government would be no different than the previous monarchy. Washington decided that the only thing he could do to preserve a democratic republic was to leave it. In his Fairwell address, he outlined principles to live by for the future of the United States. These principles included compromise, neutrality, and warning against political divide in America. Washington craved a life in which he could sit under his own vines and fig trees; alone in the shade, in his final years on this earth, he got just that. In 1799, George Washington died, but his legacy would live on forever; not because of what he did in power, but because he gave it away.

​True leadership lies in service, not greed. Cincinnatus and George Washington are two of the greatest leaders in recorded history. However, their legacy does not live on because of actions in power, but because of the way they left power. The two men not only led their nations through threats that loomed-large, but they also both taught the people they served how to walk away. They served their duty in power and showed the world how to give it up. In the age of empires, they chose the plow over the crown, and that made them immortal.