cuftom. In this manner the Bocotians, from having rafhly engaged in the party of Perfeus, after having formed, through a long course of time, a republic which on feveral occafions had preferved itfelf from the greateft dangers, faw themfelves feparated and governed by as many councils as there were cities in the province; all of which, in the fequel, remained independent of each other, and formed no longer one united league as at first. And this was an effect of the Roman policy, which divided them, to make them weak; well knowing that it was much easier to bring them into their measures, and fubject them by that means, than if their union fubfifted, no other cities in Boeotia, ex cept Coronæ and Haliartus, perfisted in the alliance with Perfeus.

From Boeotia the commiffioners went into Peloponnefus. The affembly of the Achæan league was fummoned to Argos. They demanded only a thousand men, to garrifon Chalcis, till the Roman army should enter Greece; which troops were ordered thither immediately. Marcius and Atilius, having terminated the affairs of Greece, returned to Rome in the beginning of the winter.

About the fame time, Rome fent (k) new commisfioners into the most confiderable iflands of Afia, to exhort them to fend powerful aid into the field against Perfeus. The Rhodians fignalized themselves upon this occafion. Hegefilochus, who was at that time. Prytanis (the principal magiftrate was fo called), had prepared the people, by reprefenting to them, that it was neceflary to efface by actions, and not by words only, the bad impreffions with which Eumenes had endeavoured to infpire the Romans in regard to their fidelity. So that, upon the arrival of the ambaffadors, they showed them a fleet of forty fhips, entirely equipped, and ready to fail upon the first orders. This agreeable furprife was highly pleafing to the Romans,

(k) Liv. 1. xlii. n. 45, 48. Polyb. Legat. 64, 68.

who

who returned from thence exceedingly fatisfied with fo diftinguished a zeal, which had prevented their demands.

Perfeus, in confequence of this interview with Marcius, fent ambaffadors to Rome, to treat there upon what had been proposed in that conference. He difpatched other ambafladors, with letters for Rhodes and Byzantium, in which he explained what had paffed in the interview, and deduced at large the reafons upon which his conduct was founded. He exhorted the Rhodians in particular to remain quiet, and to wait as fpectators only till they faw what refolutions the Romans would take. "If, contrary to the treaties

66

fubfifting between us, they attack me, you will be," faid he, the mediators between the two nations. "All the world is interested in their continuing to "live in peace, and it behoves none more than you "to endeavour their reconciliation. Defenders, not "only of your own, but the liberty of all Greece, "the more zeal and ardour you have for fo great a "good, the more ought you to be upon your guard "against whomfoever fhould attempt to infpire you "with different fentiments. You cannot but know, "that the certain means * to reduce Greece into fla

<< very, is to make it dependent upon one people only, "without leaving it to any other to have recourfe to The ambaffadors were received with great refpect; but were answered, That, in cafe of war, the king was defired not to rely upon the Rhodians, nor to demand any thing of them, in prejudice to the alliance they had made with the Remans. The fame ambaffadors went also into Boeotia, where they had almoft as little reason to be fatisfied; only a few fmall (1) cities feparating from the Thebans to embrace the king's party.

(1) Coronæa and Haliartus.

Marcius

* Cum cæterorum id intereffe, tum præcipue Rhodiorum, quo plus inter alias civitates dignitate atque opibus excellant, quæ ferva atque bnoxia fore, fi nullus alio fit quam ad Romanos respectus. Liv.

Marcius and Atilius, at their return to Rome, reported to the fenate the fuccefs of their commiflion. They dwelt particularly upon the address of their ftratagem to deceive Perfeus, by granting him a truce, which prevented him from beginning the war immediately with advantage, as he might have done, and gave the Romans time to complete their preparations, and to take the field. They did not forget their fuccefs in diffolving the general affembly of the Boeotians, to prevent their uniting with Macedonia by common consent.

The greatest part of the fenate expreffed great fatisfaction in fo wife a conduct, which argued profound policy, and uncommon dexterity in negotiation. But the old fenators, who had imbibed other principles, and perfevered in their ancient maxims, faid, they did not fee the Roman character fuftained in such dealing. That their ancestors, relying more upon true valour than fraud, used to make war openly, and not in difguife and under cover; that fuch unworthy artifices. became the Carthaginians and Grecians, with whom it was more glorious to deceive an enemy, than conquer him with open force. That, indeed, ftratagem fometimes, in the moment of action, feemed to fucceed better than valour; but that victory, obtained vigorously in a battle, where the force of the troops on each fide was tried as near as poffible, and which the enemy could not afcribe either to chance or cunning, was of a much more lafting effect, because it left a ftrong conviction of the victor's fuperior force and bra

very.

Notwithstanding these remonftances of the ancient fenators, who could not relish these new maxims of policy, that part of the fenate, which preferred the ufeful to the honourable, were much the majority upon this occafion, and the conduct of the two commiffioners was approved. Marcius was fent again with fome gallies into Greece, to regulate affairs as he fhould think most confiftent with the fervice of the public; aud Atilius into Theffaly, to take poffeffion of Lariffa,

I

left,

left, upon the expiration of the truce, Perfeus fhould make himself mafter of that important place, the capital of the country. Lentulus was also fent to Thebes, to have an eye upon Boeotia.

Though the war with Perfeus was refolved at Rome, the fenate gave audience to his ambaffadors. They repeated the fame things, which had been said in the interview. with Marcius, and endeavoured to justify their mafter principally upon the attempt he was accused of having made on the perfon of Eumenes. They were heard with little or no attention; and the senate ordered them, and all the Macedonians at Rome, to quit the city immediately, and Italy in thirty days. The conful Lucinius, who was to command in Macedonia, had orders to march as foon as poffible with his army. The prætor Lucretius, who had the command of the fleet, fet out with five and forty gallies from Cephalonia, and arrived in five days at Naples, where he was to wait for the land forces.

SECT. II. The conful LICINIUS and king PERSEUS take the field. They both encamp near the river Peneus, at fome diftance from each other. Fight of the horfe, in which PERSEUS has confiderably the advantage, and makes an ill ufe of it. He endeavours to make a peace, but ineffectually. The armies on both fides go. winter quarters.

TH

into

HE conful Licinius, after having offered his vows to the gods in the capitol, fet out from Rome *, covered with a coat of arms, according to the custom. The departure of the confuls, fays Livy, was always attended with great folemnity, and an incredible concourse of people, efpecially upon an important war, and against a powerful enemy. Befides the intereft every particular might have in the glory of the conful, the citizens were obliged to throng about him, out of a curiofity

* Ann. Mund. 3833. Bef. Chrift, 171.

curiofity to fee the general, to whofe prudence and valour the fate of the republic was confided. A thoufand anxious thoughts prefented themfelves at that time to their minds upon the events of the war, which are always precarious and uncertain. They remembered the defeats which had happened through the bad conduct and temerity, and the victories for which they were indebted to the wifdom and courage of. their generals. "What mortal," faid they, 66 can know "the fate of a conful at his departure; whether we "fhall fee him, with his victorious army, return in "triumph to the capitol, from whence he fets out, af"ter having offered up his prayers to the gods, or whe"ther the enemy may not rejoice in his overthrow ?" The ancient glory of the Macedonians; that of Philip, who had made himself famous by his wars, and particularly by that against the Romans, added very much to the reputation of Perfeus; and every body knew, that, from his fucceffion to the crown, a war had been expected from him. Full of fuch thoughts, the citizens conducted the conful out of the city. C. Claudius and Q. Mutius, who had both been confuls, did not think it below them to ferve in his army in quality of military tribunes (or as colonels or brigadiers) and went with him, as did P. Lentulus and the two Manlii Acidini. The conful repaired in their company to Brundufium, which was the rendezvous of the army, and, paffing the fea with all his troops, arrived at Nymphæum in the country of the Appollo

nians.

Perfeus, fome days before, upon the return of his ambafladors from Rome, and their affuring him that their remained no hopes of peace, held a great council, in which opinions were different. Some thought it neceffary for him either to pay tribute if required, or give up a part of his dominions, if the Romans insisted upon it; in a word, to fuffer every thing fupportable, for the fake of peace, rather than expofe his perfon and

kingdom