cuftom. In this manner the Boeotians, from having rafhly engaged in the party of Perfeus, after having formed through a long courfe of time a republic which on feveral occafions had preferved itself from the greateft dangers, faw themselves 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 Bocotia, except Coronæ and Haliartus, perfifted 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 fhould 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.

k

About the fame time Rome fent new commif fioners into the most confiderable islands of Asia, to exhort them to fend powerful aid into the field againft Perfeus. The Rhodians fignalifed themselves upon this occafion. Hegefilochus, who was at that time Prytanis (the principal magiftrate was so called) had prepared the people by representing to them, that it was neceffary to efface by actions, and not by words only, the bad impreffions, with which Eumenes had endea voured to inspire the Romans in regard to their fidelity. So that upon the arrival of the ambaffadors, they fhewed them a fleet of forty fhips, entirely equipped and ready to fail upon the firft orders. This agreeable furprise was highly pleafing to the Romans, who returned from thence exceedingly fatisfied with fo diftin

k Liv. 1. xlii. n. 45, 48. Polyb. Legat. Ixiv-Ixviii.

diftinguished a zeal, which had prevented their demands.

Perfeus, in confequence of his interview with Marcius, fent ambaffadors to Rome to treat there upon what had been proposed in that conference. He difpatched other amballadors 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 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 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 Romans. The fame ambaffadors went alfo into Boeotia, where they had almost as little reafon to be fatisfied; only a few fmall1 cities feparating from the Thebans to embrace the king's party.

66

66

Coronæa and Haliartus.

Marcius

* Cum cæterorum id intereffe, tum præcipue Rhodiorum, quo plus inter alias civitates, dignitate atque opibus excellant, quæ ferva atque obnoxia 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 commiffion. 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 confent.

The greatest part of the fenate expreffed great fatiffaction in fo wife a conduct, which argued profound policy and uncommon dexterity in negociation. But the old fenators, who had imbibed others principles, and persevered in their ancient maxims, faid, they did not fee the Roman character sustained in fuch 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 a 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 bravery.

Notwithstanding these remonftrances of the ancient fenators, who could not relifh these new maxims of policy, that part of the fenate, which preferred the afeful to the honourable, were much the majority upon this occafion, and the conduct of the two commif. fioners was approved. Marcius was fent again with fome gallies into Greece, to regulate affairs as he fhould think most consistent with the service of the public;

public; and Atilius into Theffaly, to take poffeffion of Lariffa; left upon the expiration of the truce, Perfeus fhould make himfelf 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 faid in the interview with Marcius, and endeavoured to justify their master principally upon the attempt he was accufed of having made on the perfon of Eumenes. They were heard with little or no attention, and the fenate ordered them, and all the Macedonians at Rome, to quit the city immediately, and Italy in thirty days. The conful Licinius, who was to command in Mace-. donia, 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 Perfeus take the field. They both encamp near the river Peneus, at fome diftance from each other. Fight of the horfe, in which Perfeus 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 into winter. quarters.

THE

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 concourfe of the people, efpecially upon an important war, and against a powerful enemy. Befides the interest every particular might have in the glory of the conful, the citizens were induced to throng about him, out of

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

a curi.

a curiofity to see the general, to whose prudence and valour the fate of the republic was confided. A thoufand anxious thoughts prefented themselves 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 wisdom and courage, of their generals. "What mortal (faid they) 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, after hav"ing offered up his prayers to the gods, or whether "the enemy may not rejoice in his overthrow ?". The ancient glory of the Macedonians; that of Philip who had made himfelf 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 fucceflion 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 Apollo

nians.

Perfeus, fome days before, upon the return of his ambaffadors from Rome, and their affuring him, that there 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 infifted upon it; in a word to fuffer every thing fupportable for the fake of peace, rather than expofe his : perfon and kingdom to the danger of entire deftruction.

That