fhould think convenient. The language of the Rho- do. It is easy to judge in what manner so vain and prefumptuous a difcourfe was received. Some hiftorians tell us, all the answer that was given to it was, to order a decree of the fenate, whereby the Carians and Lycians were declared free, to be read in their presence. This was touching them to the quick, and mortifying them in the most fenfible part; for they pretended to an authority over both thofe people. Others fay, the fenate answered in few words, that the difpofition of the Rhodians, and their fecret intrigues with Perfeus, had been long known at Rome: That when the Roman people fhould have conquered him, of which they expected advice every day, they should know in their turn what they had to do, and should then treat their VOL. IX. D allies allies according to their respective merits. They made the ambaffadors, however, the usual prefents. The conful Q. Marcius's letter was then read, in which he gave an account of the manner he had entered Macedonia, after having fuffered incredible difficulties in paffing a very narrow defile. He added, that by the wife precaution of the prætor, he had fufficient provifions for the whole winter, having received from the Epirots twenty thoufand measures of wheat, and ten thoufand of barley, for which it was neceffary to pay their ambaffadors then at Rome; that it was also neceffary to fend him clothes for the foldiers; that he wanted two hundred horfe, efpecially from Numidia, because there were none of that kind in the country where he was. All these articles were exactly and immediately executed. After this, they gave audience to Onefimus, à Macedonian nobleman. He had always advised the king to obferve the peace; and putting him in mind, that his father Philip, to the last day of his life, had caused his treaty with the Romans to be conftantly read to him twice every day, he had admonished him to do as much, if not with the fame regularity, at leaft from time to time. Not being able to diffuade him from the war, he had begun by withdrawing himfelf from his councils, under different pretexts, that he might not be witnefs to the refolutions taken in them, which he could not approve. At length, feeing himself become fufpected, and tacitly confidered as a traitor, he had taken refuge amongst the Romans, and had been of great fervice to the conful. Having made this relation to the fenate, they gave him a very favourable reception, and provided magnificently for his fubfiftence. SECT. SECT. IV. PAULUS EMILIUS chofen conful. He fets out for Macedonia with the prætor CN. OCTAVIUS, who commanded the fleet. PERSEUS folicits aid on all fides. His avarice lofes him confiderable allies. The prator ANICIUS's victories in Illyria. PAULUS MILIUS'S celebrated victory over PERSEUS, near the city of Pydna. PERSEUS taken, with all his children. The command of PAULUS ÆMILIUS in Macedonia prolonged. Decree of the fenate, granting liberty to the Macedonians and Illyrians. PAULUS EMILIUS, during the winter-quarters, vifits the most celebrated cities of Greece. Upon his return to Amphipolis, he gives a great feaft. He marches for Rome. On his way, he suffers his army to plunder all the cities of Epirus. He enters Rome in triumph. Death of PERSEUS. CN. OCTAVIUS and L. ANICIUS have alfo the honour of a triumph decreed them. HE time for the comitia (z), or affemblies to elect TH confuls at Rome, approaching, all the world were anxious to know upon whom fo important a choice would fall; and nothing else was talked of in all converfations. They were not fatisfied with the confuls, who had been employed for three years against Perfeus, and had very ill fuftained the honour of the Roman name. They called to mind the famous victories formerly obtained against his father Philip, who had been obliged to fue for peace; against Antiochus, who was driven beyond mount Taurus, and forced to pay a great tribute; and what was still more confiderable, against Hannibal, the greateft general that had ever appeared as their enemy, or perhaps in the world, whom they had reduced to quit Italy, after a war of more than fixteen years continuance, and conquered in his own country, almost under the very walls of Carthage. The formidable preparations of Perfeus, and fome advantages gained by him in the former campaigns, augmented the apprehenfion of the Romans. They plainly D 2 (≈) A. M. 3836. Ant. J. C. 168. Liv. 1. xliv. n.-17. Flut. in Paul. Emil. p. 259, 2(0. plainly diftinguifhed, that it was no time to confer the command of the armies by faction or favour, and that it was neceffary to choose a general for his wisdom, valour, and experience; in a word, one capable of prefiding in fo important a war as that now upon their hands. All the world caft their eyes upon Paulus Æmilius. There are times when diftinguished merit unites thevoices of the public; and nothing is more affecting than such a judgment, founded upon the knowledge of a man's past fervices, the army's opinion of his capacity, and the state's preffing occafion for his valour and conduct. Paulus Æmilius was near fixty years old; but age, without impairing his faculties in the leaft, had rather improved them with maturity of wisdom and judgment, more neceffary in a general than even valour and bravery. He had been conful thirteen years before, and had acquired the general efteem during his administration. But the people repaid his fervices with ingratitude, having refused to raife him again to the fame dignity, though he had folicited it with fufficient ardour. For feveral years he had led a private and retired life, folely employed in the education of his children, in which no father ever fucceeded better, nor was more gloriously rewarded for his All his relations, all his friends, made inftances to him to comply with the people's wifhes, in taking upon him the confulfhip; but believing himself no longer capable of commanding, he avoided appearing in public, kept himself at home, and fhunned honours with as much folicitude, as others generally pursue them. However, when he faw the people affemble every morning in crowds before his door; that they fummoned him to the forum, and exclaimed highly against his obftinate refufal to ferve his country, he gave in at laft to their remonftrances, and appearing amongst thofe who afpired to that dignity, he feemed lefs to receive the command of the army, than to give the people the affurance of an approaching and complete victory. The confulfhip was conferred upon him unanimoufly, and, according to Plutarch, the compand of the army in Macedonia decreed to him in pre care. ference ference to his colleague, though Livy fays it fell to him by lot. It is faid, that the day he was elected general in the war against Perfeus, at his return home, attended by all the people, who followed to do him honour, he found his daughter Tertia, at that time a little infant, who, on feeing him, fell a crying bitterly. He embraced, and afked her the cause of her tears. Tertia, hugging him with her little arms, You do not know then, faid the, that our Perfeus is dead, papa. She spoke of a little dog fhe had brought up, called Perfeus. And at a very good time, my dear child, faid Paulus Æmilius, ftruck with the word, I accept this omen with joy. The ancients carried their fuperftition upon this kind of fortuitous circumftances very high. The manner (a) in which Paulus Æmilius prepared for the war he was charged with, gave room to judge of the fuccefs to be expected from it. He demanded, first, that commiffioners fhould be fent into Macedonia to infpect ́ the army and fleet, and to make their report, after an exact inquiry, of the number of troops which were neceffary to be added both by fea and land. They were alfo to inform themfelves, as near as poffible, of the number of the king's forces; where they and the Romans actually lay; if the latter were actually emcamped in the forefts, or had entirely paffed them, and were arrived in the plain; upon which of the allies they might rely with certainty; which of them were dubious and wavering; and who they might regard as declared enemies; for how long, time they had provifions, and from whence they might be fupplied with them either by land or water; what had paffed during the laft campaign, cither in the army by land, or in the fleet. As an able and experienced general, he thought it neceffary to be fully apprised in all these circumftances; convinced that the plan of the campaign, which he was about to enter, could not be formed, nor its operations concerted, without a perfect knowledge of them. The fenate approved thefe wife meafures very much, upon D 3 (a) Liv. I. xliv. n. 18-22. Plut. in Paul. Æmil. p. 260. |