BOOK NINETEENTH. THE HISTORY ALEXANDER's SUCCESSORS, CONTINUED. ARTICLE I. THIS article contains eleven years, being the whole reign of Perseus, the last king of Macedonia, from the year of the world 3826, to 3837. SECTION I. PERSEUS PREPARES FOR WAR AGAINST THE ROMANS. HE ENDEAVOURS A RECONCILIATION WITH THE ACHEANS. THE death of Philip happened very opportunely for suspending the war against the Romans, and giving them time to prepare for it. That prince had formed a strange design, and had already began to put it in 'A. M. 3826. Ant. J. C. 178. Liv. l. xl. n. 57, 58. Oros. l. iv. 20. execution; which was, to bring a considerable body of troops, both horse and foot, from European Sarmatia, part of Poland. Certain Gauls had settled near the mouths of the Borysthenes, now called the Nieper, and had taken the name of Bastarnæ. That people were neither accustomed to till the earth, to feed cattle, nor to follow commerce; they lived by war, and sold their services to any people that would employ them. After having passed the Danube, Philip was to have settled them upon the lands of the Dardanians, whom he had resolved utterly to exterminate; because, being very near neighbours of Macedonia, they never failed to take every favourable occasion for making irruptions into it. The Bastarna were to leave their wives and chil dren in this new settlement, and to march into Italy, in order to enrich themselves with the booty they were in hopes of making there. Whatever the success might be, Philip conceived he should find great advantages in it; if it should happen that the Bastarnæ were conquered by the Romans, he should easily be consoled for their defeat, in seeing himself delivered from the Dardanians, by their means; and, if their irruption into Italy succeeded, whilst the Romans were employed in repulsing these new enemies, he should have time to recover all he had lost in Greece. The Bastarnæ were already upon their march, and were considerably advanced, when they received advice of Philip's death. This news, and several accidents that befel them, suspended their first design, and they dispersed into different parts. Antigonus, whom Philip intended for his successor, had been employed against his will, in negotiating this affair. At his return, Perseus put him to death; and, to assure himself the better of the throne, sent ambassadors to the Romans, to demand, that they would renew with him the alliance they had made with his father, and that the senate would acknowledge him king. His sole intent was to gain time. Part of the Bastarnæ had pursued their route, and were actually at war with the Dardanians. The Romans took umbrage at it. Perseus excused himself, by his ambassadors, and represented, that he had not sent for them, and had no share in their enterprise. The senate, without making any further inquiry into the affair, contented themselves with advising him to take care that he observed, inviolably, the treaty made with the Romans. The Bastarnæ, after having gained some advantages at first, were at length reduced, the greatest part of them, at least, to return into their own country. It is said, that having found the Danube frozen over, in endeavouring to pass it, the ice broke under them, and a great number of them were swallowed up in the river. 'It was known at Rome, that Perseus had sent ambassadors to Carthage, and that the senate had given them audience in the night, in the temple of Esculapius. It was thought proper to send ambassadors into Macedonia, to observe the conduct of that prince. He had lately reduced the d Dolopians, who refused to obey him, by force of arms. After that expedition, he advanced towards Delphos, upon pretence of consulting bA. M. 3829. Ant. J. C. 175. Freinsheim in Liv. Dolopia was a region of Thessaly, upon the confines of Epirus. the oracle; but, in reality, as it was believed, to make the tour of Greece, and negotiate alliances. This journey, at first, alarmed the whole country, and occasioned so general a consternation, that even Eumenes did not think himself safe in Pergamus. But Perseus, as soon as he had consulted the oracle, returned into his own kingdom, passing through Phthiotis, Achaia, and Thessaly, without committing any hostilities in his march. He afterwards sent, either ambassadors, or circular letters, to all the states through which he had passed, to demand that they would forget such subjects of discontent as they might have had under the reign of his father, which ought to be buried in his grave. His principal attention was to reconcile himself with the Acheans. Their league, and the city of Athens,' had carried their hatred and resentment so high against the Macedonians, as to prohibit all commerce with them,by a decree. This declared enmity gave the slaves, who fled from Achaia, the opportunity of retiring into Macedonia, where they found an assured asylum; and knew they should not be followed, or claimed, after that general interdiction. Perseus caused all these slaves to be seized, and sent them back to the Acheans, with an obliging letter, in which he exhorted them to take effectual methods for preventing their slaves from making his dominions their refuge any longer. This was tacitly demanding the reestablishment of their ancient commerce. Xenarchus, who was, at that time, in office, and desired to make his court to the king, seconded his demand very strongly, and was supported by those, who were most solicitous for recovering their slaves. Callicrates, one of the principal persons of the assembly, who was convinced that the safety of the league consisted in the inviolable observance of the treaty concluded with the Romans, represented, that a reconciliation with Macedonia was a direct infraction of it, whilst that kingdom was making preparations to declare war against Rome, as soon as possible. He concluded, that it was necessary to leave things in their present condition, till time should explain whether their fears were just or not; that, if Macedonia continued in peace with Rome, it would be time enough when that appeared, to reestablish commerce with them; without which, a reunion would be precipitate and dangerous. Arcon, Xenarchus's brother, who spoke after Callicrates, did his utmost to prove that such terrors were without foundation; that the question was not the making of a new treaty and alliance with Perseus, and much less to break with the Romans, but solely to reverse a decree, for which the injustice of Philip might have given room, but which Perseus, who had no share in his father's conduct, was undoubtedly far from deserving. That that prince could not but be assured, that in case of a war against the Romans, the league would not fail to declare for them. "But," added he, "whilst the peace subsists, if animosities and dissensions are not made to cease entirely, it is at least reasonable to suspend them, and to let them sleep for a while." |