favour of faving it from being plundered, and of preferving its citizens.

I fhould have believed myself wanting in fome meafure to the glory of the French nation, and to that of a city which holds one of the highest ranks in the kingdom, if I had not collected in this place part of thofe favourable reports antiquity makes of it. I hope the reader will pardon this digreffion; which befides comes into my plan, and is part of the Grecian history.

The affairs of Greece, Bithynia, Pergamus, and fome other countries, which I thought it neceffary to treat in a feries, and without interruption, have made me fufpend thofe of Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt; to which it is now I fhall begin with Macedonia.

time to return.

SECT. III. Andrifcus, who gave himself out for the fon of Perfeus, makes himself master of Macedonia, and caufes himself to be proclaimed king. The prator Juventius attacks him, and is killed in the battle with part of his army. Metellus, who fucceeds him, retrieves that lofs. The ufurper is overthrown, taken, and fent to Rome. A fecond and third ufurper are also defeated.

k

FIFTEEN or fixteen years after the defeat and death of Perfeus, Andrifcus of Adramytta, a city of Troas, in Afia Minor, a perfon of the meanest birth, giving himfeli out for the fon of Perfeus, took upon him the name of Philip, and entered Macedonia, in hopes of making the inhabitants of the country acknowledge him for their king. He had invented a flory in regard to his birth, which he reported wherever he paffed, pretending that he was the fon of Perfeus by a concubine, and that the prince his father had caufed him to be fecretly brought up at Adramytta, that in cafe of ilt fortune in the war against the Romans, fome fhoot of the royal line might remain. That after the death of Perfeus, he had been nurtured and brought

G5

k A. M. 3852. Ant. J. C. 152. Epiton. Liv, 1. xlviii.—l. Zonar. ex Dione, 1. i. c. 11. Florus, 1. ii. c. 14.

brought up at Adramytta, till he was twelve years of age, and that the perfon who paffed for his father, finding him. felf at the point of death, had revealed the fecret to his wife, and entrusted her with a writing, figned by Perfeus with his own hand, which attefted all that has been faid; which writing fhe was to deliver to him (Philip) as foon as he should attain to years of difcretion. He added, that her husband having conjured her abfolutely to conceal the affair till then, fhe had been moft faithful in keeping the fecret, and had delivered that important writing to him at the appointed time; preffing him to quit the country, before the report fhould reach the ears of Eumenes, the declared enemy of Perfeus, left he should caufe him to be put to death. He was in hopes that he fhould be believed upon his own word, and make Macedonia rife in his favour. When he faw that all continued quiet, he retired into Syria, to the court of Demetrius Soter, whose sister Perfeus had efpoufed. That prince, who immediately perceived the fraud, caufed him to be feized and fent to Rome.

As he did not produce any proof of his pretended nobility, and had nothing in his mien or manners that expreffed the prince, no great notice was taken of him at Rome, and he was treated with great contempt, without much trouble to keep a ftrict guard upon him, or to 'confine him clofe. He took the advantage of the negligence of his guards, and made his efcape from Rome. Having found means to raise a confiderable army amongst the Thracians, who entered into his views for the fake of delivering themselves by his means from the Roman yoke, he made himfelf mafter of Macedonia, either by confent or force, and affumed the marks of the royal dignity. Not content with this firft conqueft, which had coft him little, he attacked Theffaly, and fubjected a part of it to his obedience.

The affair then began to feem more important to the Romans. They elected Scipio Nafica to go thither, and appeafe this tumult in its birth, deeming him well qualified for that commiffion. He had, indeed, the art of ma

naging men's minds, and of bringing them into his meafures by perfuafion; and if he fhould find it neceflary to decide this affair by arms, he was very capable of forming a project with wifdom, and executing it with valour. As foon as he arrived in Greece, and had been fully informed of the ftate of affairs in Macedonia and Theffaly, he gave the fenate advice of them; and, without lofs of time, vifited the cities of the allies, in order to the immediate raifing of troops for the defence of Theffaly. The' Achæans, who continued at that time the most powerful people of Greece, fupplied him with the greateft number, forgetting paft fubjects of difcontent. He prefently took from the falfe Philip all the places he had poffeffed himfelf of in Theffaly, and drove him back into Macedonia.

However, it was well known at Rome from Scipio's letters, that Macedonia had occafion for a fpeedy fupport. The prætor, P. Juventius Thalna, had orders to repair thither as foon as poffible with an army, which he did without lofs of time. But looking upon Andrifcus as only a pageant king, he did not think it incumbent upon him to take any great precautions again ft him, and engaged precipitately in a battle, wherein he loft his life, with part of his army; the reft faving themselves only by favour of the night. The victor, elate with this fuccefs, and believing his authority fufficiently established, abandoned himself to his vicious inclinations without any moderation or referve; as if the being truly a king confifted in knowing no law nor rule of conduct, but his paffions. He was covetous, proud, infolent, and cruel. Nothing was feen every where but violence, confifcations of eftates,and murders. Taking the advantage of the terror occafioned by the defeat of the Roman army, he foon recovered all he had loft in Theffaly. An embaffy fent to him from the Carthaginians, who were at that time actually at way with the Romans, very much auginented his courage..

Q. Cæcilius Metellus, lately elected prætor, had fucceeded Juventius. Andrifcus had refolved to advance to meet him, but didnot think it proper to remove far from

1 A. M. 3856. Ans. J. C. 148.

the

the fea, and halted at Pydna, where he fortified his camp. The Roman prætor foon followed him. The two armies were in view of each other, and fkirmished every day. Andrifcus gained an advantage fufficiently confiderable in a small combat of the cavalry. Succefs generally blinds and proves fatal to people of little experience. Andrifcus, believing himself fuperior to the Romans, fent off a great detachment to defend his conquefts in Theffaly. This was a grofs error; and Metellus, whofe vigilance nothing efcaped, did not fail to take the advantage of it. The army that remained in Macedonia was beat, and Andrifcus obliged to fly. He retired amongst the Thracians, from whom he returned foon after with another army. He was fo rafh as to hazard another battle, which was ftill lefs fuccefsful than the former. He had above five-and. twenty thousand men killed in these two battles; and nothing was wanting to the Roman glory, but to feize Andrifcus, who had taken refuge with a petty king of Thrace, to whofe fidelity he had abandoned himself. But the Thracians did not stand much upon breach of faith, and made that the means to their intereft. That prince delivered up his guest and fuppliant into the hands of Metellus, to avoid drawing upon himself the wrath and arms of the Romans: Andrifcus was fent to Rome.

Another adventurer, who also called himself the fon of Perfeus, and took upon him the name of Alexander, had the fame fate with the firft, except being feized by Metellus he retired into Dardania, where he effectu ally concealed himfelf.

It was at this time Macedonia was entirely fubjected to the Romans, and reduced into a province.

A third ufurper, fome years after, appeared again, and fet himself up as the fon of Perfeus, under the name of Philip. His pretended royalty was but of fhort duration. He was overcome, and killed in Macedonia by Tremellius, afterward furnamed Scrofa, from having faid that he would difperfe the enemy, ut Scrofa Porcos.

SECT.

SECT. IV. Troubles in Achaia; which declares war against the Lacedæmonians. Metellus fends deputies to Corinth to appease thofe troubles; they are ill ufed and infulted. Metellus, after having exhorted them in. effectually to peace, gives them battle, and defeats them. The conful Mummius fucceeds him, and after having gained a battle, takes Corinth, fets it on fire, and entirely demolishes it. Greece is reduced into a Roman province. Various actions and death of Polybius. Triumphs of Metellus and Mummius.

ETELLUS after having pacified Macedonia, continued there fome time. Great commotions had arifen amongst the Achæans of the league, occafioned by the temerity and avarice of thofe who held the firft offices. The refolutions of their affemblies were no longer guided by reafon, prudence, and equity, but by the interest and paffions of the magiftrates, and the blind caprice of an untractable multitude. The Achæan league and Sparta had fent ambaffadors to Rome, upon an affair about which they were divided. Damocritus, notwithstanding, who was the fupreme magiftrate of the Achæans, had caused war to be declared against Sparta. Metellus had fent to defire that hoftilities might cease till the arrival of the commiffioners from Rome, who were appointed for terminating their differences. But neither he, nor Diæus, who fucceeded him, paid any regard to that requeft. Both of them entered Laconia with their troops, and laid wafte the country.

The commiffioners being arrived, the affembly was fummoned to Corinth; (Aurelius Oreftes was at the head of the commiffion.) The fenate had given them orders to weaken the body of the league; and for that end, to feparate as many cities as they could from it. Oreftes notified to the affembly the decree of the fenate; whereby Sparta,

m A. M. 3857. Ant. J. C. 147. Paufan. in Achaic. p. 421-428. Polyb. Legat. cxliii. cxliv. Id. in Excerpt. de Virt. & Vit. p. 181189. Juftin. 1. xxxiv. c. 1. Flor. 1. ii. c. 16.