ARGENTINA: Classical Precedents

With the facile ease of a lyceum lecturer, Evita Perón delved into the ancient authors. Never before had she displayed such erudition; never before had her followers heard quotes from the great batted about so airily.

In three speeches last week Evita quoted Napoleon once and Alexander the Great twice; she referred glibly to such obscure personages as Parmenio and Perdiccas (two of Alexander's generals), then casually brought Diogenes into the act.

"Napoleon rightly said that geniuses are like meteors which burn themselves to cast their light upon a century," Eva declaimed to an assembly of railway workers. "That's what Perón does."

Then...

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