SECT. III. The fenate pass a wife decree to put a stop to the avarice of the generals and magiftrates, who oppreffed the allies. The conful MARCIUS, after fuftaining great fatigues, enters Macedonia. PERSEUS takes the alarm, and leaves the paffes open. He refumes courage afterwards. Infolent embaffy of the Rhodians to Rome,

N°

[OTHING memorable paffed the following year (a). The couful Hoftilius had fent Ap. Claudius into Illyria with four thousand foot, to defend fuch of the inhabitants of that country as were allies of the Romans; and the latter found means to add eight thoufand men, raised amongst the allies, to his firft body of troops. He encamped at Lychnidus, a city of the Daffaretæ. Near that place was another city, called Ufcana, which belonged to Perfeus, and where he had a great garrifon. Claudius, upon the promise which had been made him of having the place put into his hands, in hopes of making great booty, approached it with almost all his troops, without any order, diftruft, or precaution. Whilft he thought leaft of it, the garrifon made a furious fally upon him, put his whole army to flight, and purfued them a great way with dreadful flaughter. Of eleven thousand men, fcarce two thoufand escaped into the camp, which a thousand had been left to guard. Claudius returned to Lychnidus with the ruins of his army. The news of this lofs very much afflicted the fenate, and the more fo, because it had been occafioned by the imprudence and avarice of Claudius.

This was (p) the almost universal disease of the commanders at that time. The fenate received various complaints from many cities, as well of Greece as the other provinces, against the Roman officers, who treated them with unheard-of rapacioufnefs and cruelty. They punished fome of them, redreffed the wrongs they had done

2

A. M. 3834. Ant. J. C. 170. Liv. 1. xliii. n. 9. 10. 2) Polyb. Legat. lxxiv. Liv. 1. xliii. n. 17.

done the cities, and difmiffed the ambaffadors well fatisfied with the manner in which their remonstrances had been received. Soon after, to prevent fuch disorders for the future, they paffed a decree, which expreffed, that the cities should not furnish the Roman magiftrates with any thing more than what the fenate exprefsly appointed, which ordinance was published in all the cities. of Peloponnefus.

C. Popilius and Cn. Octavius, who were charged with this commiffion, went first to Thebes, where they very much praised the citizens, and exhorted them to continue firm in their alliauce with the Roman people. Proceeding afterwards to the other cities of Peloponnefus, they boafted every where of the lenity and moderation of the fenate, which they proved by their late decree in favour of the Greeks. They found great> divifions in almost all the cities, especially amongst the Etolians, occafioned by two factions which divided. them, one for the Romans, and the other for the Ma-cedonians. The affembly of Achaia was not exempt from thefe divifions; but the wifdom of the perfons of greatest authority prevented their confequences. The advice of Archon, one of the principal perfons of the league, was to act according to conjunctures, to leave no room for calumny to irritate either of the contending powers against the republic, and to avoid the misfortunes into which those were fallen, who had not suffi- › ciently comprehended the power of the Romans. This advice prevailed; and it was refolved, that Archon fhould be made chief magiftrate, and Polybius captain-general of the horfe.

About this time, Attalus, having fomething to demand of the Achæan league, caufed the new magiftrate to be founded; who determinate in favour of the Romans and their allies, promised that prince to fupport his fuit with all his power. The affair in question was, to have a decree reversed, by which it was ordained, that all the ftatues of king Eumenes fhould be removed from the public places. At the first council that was

held, the ambaffadors of Attalus were introduced to the affembly, who demanded, that, in confideration for the prince who fent them, Eumenes his brother fhould be restored to the honours the republic had formerly decreed him. Archon fupported this demand, but with great moderation. Polybius fpoke with more force, enlarged upon the merit and fervices of Eumenes, demonftrated the injuftice of the firft decree, and concluded that it was proper to repeal it. The whole affembly applauded his discourse; and it was refolved, that Eumenes fhould be restored to all his ho

nours.

It was at this time Rome (q) fent Popilius to Antiochus Epiphanes, to prevent his enterprises against Egypt, which we have mentioned before.

The Macedonian war gave the Romans great employQ. Marcius Philippus, one of the two confuls lately elected, was charged with it.

ment.

Before he fet out, Perfeus had conceived the defign of taking the advantage of the winter to make an expedition against Illyria, which was the only province from whence Macedonia had reafon to fear irruptions during the king's being employed against the Romans. This expedition fucceeded very happily for him, and almoft without any lofs on his fide. He began with the fiege of Ufcana, which had fallen into the hands of the Romans, it is not known how, and took it, after a defence of fome duration. afterwards made himself master of all the ftrong places, in the country, the most part of which had Roman garrifons in them, and took a great number of prifoners.

He

Perfeus, at the fame time, fent ambaffadors to Gentius, one of the kings of Illyria, to induce him to quit the party of the Romans, and come over to him, Gentius was far from being averfe to it; but he observed that, having neither munitions of war nor money, he

was

(4) A. M. 3835. Ant. J. C. 169. Liv. 1. xliii. n. 11 & 18—234. Poly b, Legat. lxxvi, lxxvii.

was in no condition to declare against the Romans;" which was explaining himself fufficiently. Perfeus, who was avaricious, did not understand, or rarher affected not to understand, his demand, and fent a fecond embafly to him, without mention of money, and received the fame answer. Polybius obferves, that this fear of expences, which denotes a little mean foul, and entirely difhonours a prince, made many of his enterprifes mifcarry, and that if he would have facrificed certain fums, and thofe far from being confiderable, he might have engaged feveral republics and princes in his party. Can fuch a blindnefs be conceived in a rational creature! Polybius confiders it as a punishment from the gods.

Perfeus having led back his troops into Macedonia, made them march afterwards to Stratus, a very strong city of Ætolia, above the gulf of Ambracia.

The

people had given him hopes, that they would furrender it as foon as he appeared before the walls; but the Romans prevented them, and threw fuccours into the place.

Early in the spring, the conful Marcius left Rome, and went to Theffaly, from whence, without losing time, he advanced into Macedonia, fully affured, that it was neceffary to attack Perfeus in the heart of his do

minions.

Upon the report (r), that the Roman army was ready to take the field, Archon, chief magiftrate of the Achæans, to justify his country from the suspicions and bad reports that had been propagated against it, advised the Achæans to pafs a decree, by which it fhould be ordained, that they should march an army into Theffaly, and share in all the dangers of the war, with the Romans. That decree being confirmed, orders were given to Archon to raise troops, and to make all the neceffary preparations. It was afterwards refolved, that ambaffadors fhould be fent to the conful, to acquaint him with the resolution of the republic, and

(r) Polyb. Legat. Ixxviii.

to

to know from him where and when the Achæan army fhould join him. Polybius, our hiftorian, with fome others, was charged with this embaffy. They found. the Romans had quitted Theffaly, and were encamped in Perrhobia, between Azora and Dolichæa, greatly perplexed about the rout it was neceffary to take. They followed them for a favourable opportunity of fpeaking to the conful, and fhared with him in all the dangers he ran in entering Macedonia.

Perfeus (s), who did not know what rout the conful would take, had pofted confiderable bodies of troops in two places, by which it was probable he would attempt to pass. For himself, he encamped with the reft of his army near Dium, marching and countermarching without much defign.

Marcius, after long deliberation, refolved to pass the foreft that covered part of the country called Octolopha. He had incredible difficulties to furmount, the ways were fo fteep and impracticable, and had feized an eminence, by way of precaution, which favoured his paffage. From hence the enemy's camp, which was not diftant above a thousand paces, and all the country about Dium and Phila might be discovered; which very much animated the foldiers, who had before their eyes opulent lands, where they hoped to enrich themselves. Hippias, whom the king had pofted to defend this pass, with a body of twelve thousand men, feeing the eminence poffeffed by a detachment of the Romans, marched to meet the conful, who advanced with his whole army, haraffed his troops for two days, and diftreffed them very much by frequent attacks. Marcius was in great trouble, not being able either to advance with fafety, or retreat without fhame or even danger. He had no other choice to make, but to pursue an undertaking with vigour, formed, perhaps, with too much boldnefs and temerity, and which could not fucceed without a determinate perfeverance, often crowned in the end with

(s) Liv. 1. xliv. n. I-10.