who de feats Per

feus.

of the

manders. Thefe diftinguished themselves in a very eminent manner at the famous battle of Pydna, which put an end to the Macedonian war, and obliged Perfeus to deliver himself and all his children to the Romans. After the defeat of Perfeus, the Romans began to treat their friends in a quite different manner from what they had ufed while they ftood in need of their affiftance. Ten commiffioners were appointed to fettle the affairs of Macedon, and infpect those of Greece; that is, to profecute and punifh, without any regard to equity, all thofe who, during the war, had betrayed any inclination to the Macedonians.

The tyA partial fentence which they gave, in favour of fome Ætolian rannical affaffins of their party, who had murdered 550 fenators, fpread a behaviour great terror among thofe Greeks who had fhewn any affection for the Macedonians, and increafed, beyond measure, the pride Romans. and infolence of the partizans of Rome. In each city, the leading men were divided into three factions; the first for the Macedonians, the fecond for the Romans, and the third, which was the leaft numerous, as confifting only of prudent men, was for preferving the public liberty, in oppofition both to the Romans and Macedonians. Though the members of this party were beloved in their respective cities, and had acted prudently in all their measures, yet this was not fufficient to fcreen them from the vengeance of the Romans. The commiffioners accordingly, with great injuftice and feverity, not only quafhed the Macedsnian, but the neutral party, and conferred honours and employments on fuch only as declared themselves their accufers and enemies.

The most fanguine of thefe informers were Callicrates and Andronidas, both Achæans, and greatly attached to the Roman party. Being ambitious of the chief employments in their republic, they informed against all thofe among their countrymen, who were in a condition to difpute the highest posts with them. Callicrates not only accufed his countrymen but many others, and gave in a long lift of fuch as had either declared for the Macedonians, or ftood up for the defence of their own rights Several and privileges in Acarnania, Epirus, and Baotia. These were who had ordered by P. Æmilius to give an account of their conduct at favoured Rome; but as to the Achans, the commiffioners fent two of Perfeus their own body to try them in Achaia. They acted in this fummon- manner, becaufe they apprehended that the Achaeans, who were very powerful, and no lefs jealous of their liberties, would not fubmit to go to juftify themselves at Rome. Befides, they had not found any of their letters among the papers of Perfeus, and it was neceflary to protect Callicrates, and the other informers, against the infults of their countrymen.

ed to Rome.

One of the commiffioners fent into Achaia, a man of a moft vile character, complained to the diet, that many chief men of their republic had affifted Perfeus, and therefore defired that they might be condemned, and that he would afterwards name them. The whole affembly cried out, What juftice is that?.

Name

Name them firft, and let them answer for themselves; and if they be guilty, we promife to condemn them. Since you promise to condemn them, replied the haughty Roman, all your prætors, all who have borne any office in your republic, or commanded your armies, are guilty of this crime. At these words Xenon, a person highly refpected by the whole league, spoke to this effect: I have been prætor, and have commanded the army; but if any one can charge me with having done any thing contrary to the intereft of Rome, let him appear. I am ready to clear myself either in the affembly of the Achæans, or before the Roman Jenate. The Roman took hold of this expreffion, and faid, that fince Xenon had named the Senate, he and the reft could not appeal to a more impartial judge. He then named, as accufed perfons, above 1000, all men of A thoudiftinguished merit, who had nothing fo much at heart as the fand welfare of their country. The liberty of Achaia now received Achaans its mortal wound, the republic being thus deprived at once of comthose who were moft able to advance its profperity. manded

Upon the arrival of thefe unhappy men at Rome, they were to appear banished into different towns of Italy, and kept there clofe pri- at Rome. foners, as if they had been already tried and condemned by the They are affembly of the Achaans. News of thefe tyrannical proceedings confined arriving in Achaia, the diet fent embafly after embally, begging as prisonthe fenate either to try or difmifs their countrymen. The fe- ers in nate obftinately infifting upon their having been found guilty Italy. in Achaia, a folemn embafly was at length fent to Rome in their behalf. Euratas, who was at the head of the embafly, urged the fenate either to try them themfelves, or if they had not leifure, then to refer their trial to the affembly of the Achaans, who were ready to punifh, with the utmost rigour, fuch as fhould be found guilty. The fenate were at a loss what fwer to return to this reasonable request. At length, think- The ing it but confiftent with the intereft of Rome to grant either Achaans of their demands, they answered, that it was not expedient for in vain the welfare of Achaia, that thefe men fhould return home. folicit Such tyrannical proceedings, caused an univerfal confternation their freein Achaia. All the inhabitants appeared in mourning habits. dom. Callicrates and Andronidas became more than ever the objects of public hatred. Even the children fell upon them in the public streets, calling them traitors and enemies to their country.

an

Mean while the Achæans fent new deputies to Rome in the After fseattire of fupplicants, to folicit the return of their countrymen venteen as a favour. Their speech was modeft, and extremely referved; years conthe Romans nevertheless continued inexorable. The Achæans, finement notwithstanding their bad fuccefs, did not give over foliciting they are and importuning the fenate by frequent embaffies in behalf of fenthome. their countrymen. But all was to no effect, the Romans not even fuffering Polybius, who was one of the exiles, and confined at Rome, to appear before the fenate and plead the common caufe.

Seventeen

Polybius remains at Rome.

The

Seventeen years were already paffed, when the fenate at laft was prevailed upon to fuffer thofe few Achæans, who were ftill alive, to return home. The great reputation of Polybius, procured him the diftinction of living during his exile at Rome, where by his merit, wisdom, and learning, he gained the love and efteem of the greateft men in the fenate. He was particularly dear to the two fons of P. Emilius, the youngest of whom, at his requeft, prevailed on Cato the cenfor to efpoufe the intereft of the Achaans. When the debates concerning them were very hot in the fenate, Cato rofe up, and with great gravity faid, "That to fee the Roman fenate dispute with great

warmth whether fome poor old Greeks fhould be buried in "Italy, or in their own country, would make one think that "they had nothing at all to do." This pleafantry made the fenate afhamed of their conteft, and determined them to fend back the exiles. Polybius was for fupplicating the fenate, that they might be reinftated in the honours they enjoyed before their banishment; but upon confulting Cato, the Roman told him, fmiling, "Polybius, you do not imitate the wisdom of

Ulyffes; you are for returning into the cave of the Cyclops "for fome poor tatters you have left there." The exiles accordingly returned to their own country; but their number now amounted only to 300, the reft having perifhed in Italy with hunger, grief, and old age, and fome had fuffered like criminals for attempting to make their efcape. Those brave Achæans who were thus barbaroufly treated, had most of them served under the Roman ftandards, and greatly contributed to that very victory which rendered the conquerors thus haughty and overbearing.

Polybius either made no ufe of this permiffion, or after vifiting Greece quickly returned to Rome, where that very virtue which had brought him into diftrefs, was the means of promoting him to greater dignities than thofe he had loft. He attended Scipio Emilianus in all his military expeditions, and fignalized himfelf no lefs in the fervice of Rome, than he had formerly done in that of Achaia.

The exiles, on their return, found Achaia rent into differAchæans ent factions, and the minds of the common people entirely alienated eftranged from the Romans. This averfion being artfully fofrom the mented by the chief magiftrates, who were no longer the parRomans. tizans of Rome, foon broke out into an open war, which ended in the entire reduction of Achaia.

The occa- The following circumftances gave rife to the war. Menalcifion of the das the Achæan prætor, by birth a Lacedæmonian, upon a prowar with mife of ten talents from the inhabitants of Oropus, a city of the Ro- Boeotia on the confines of Attica, engaged to prevail with the Acheans to affift them against the Athenians. Having promised Callicrates one half of the bribe, by his intereft he prevailed on the diet to efpoufe the cause of the Oropians: but before the Achæan troops could reach that city, the Athenians had taken

and

and plundered it. The avaritious prætor nevertheless infifted on having the ten talents, and after he had received them, abfolutely refused to give any part of them to Callicrates, who from refentment, accufed him of having used his utmost endeavours with the Roman fenate to withdraw his country from the Achæan league. Menalcidas would have been fentenced to death, if he had not by a prefent of three talents prevailed upon Diaus, who fucceeded him in the prætorfhip, to acquit him in fpite of all the evidences that were produced against him. Diaus finding that by this ftep he had incurred the popular odium, wanted to re-eftablish his reputation, by attempting to get a law paffed, fubjecting the Lacedæmonians to the Achaan League, even in criminal cafes, contrary to the decree of the Romans.

The whole city of Sparta was in an uproar upon the news Quarrels of the proceedings of Diaus; but he advancing against them at between the head of a confiderable army, they humbled themfelves fo the Lacefar as to entreat him by deputies not to use force till all other dæmonians means of a reconciliation proved fruitlefs. Diaus declared that and Achahe had no quarrel with the Lacedæmonians in general, but with ans. a few difturbers of the public peace, whom he named, to the number of 24. Thefe 24 excepted perfons, upon pretence of voluntary banishment, went immediately to Rome to lay the grievances of their country before the fenate. The council of Lacedæmon, after their departure, pronounced sentence of death against them, which appeafed Diaus. Soon after, however, he and Callicrates hearing that the Spartan exiles had proceeded to Rome, made what hafte they could after them, to plead the caufe of the Achæans. Callicrates dying at Rhodes, whither his affairs called him, only Diaus appeared before the fenate for the Achæans; and Menalcidas for the Lacedæmonians. By their Greek eloquence they difguifed the truth with fuch artifice, that the fenators could not come to any determination. Commif- Commiffioners were therefore appointed to examine the affair in Greece; fioners but Menalcidas and Diaus arriving in the Peloponnese long be- from Rome fore them, put all the country in a flame; which they, on their strive to arrival, could not extinguish. compofe Democritus, who fucceeded Diaus in the office of prætor, them. raised an army with the defign of attacking the Lacedemonians; and notwithstanding he was met on his march by Roman ambaffadors proceeding to Afia, who advised him to fufpend hoftilities till the arrival of the commiffioners, he proceeded to Sparta. Before the walls he routed the Lacedaemonians, who having loft 1000 men, retired with fuch precipitation into the city, that if he had not been over hafty in founding a retreat, he might have taken the place. For this neglect a fine of 50 talents was impofed upon him; and he being unable to raise the money, was obliged to banish himself from the Achæan territories. Dieus being again elected prætor, Metellus, who commanded for the Romans in Macedonia, entreated him to forbear hoftilities till the arrival of the commiflioners; which he

complied

New com

miffioners

arrive at Achaia.

complied with, but at the fame time gained over to the Achæan intereft all the cities that bordered on Laconia, and having fortified them, kept that country in a manner blocked up. The Lacedaemonians, in the mean time, giving the command of their troops to Menalcidas, he imprudently broke the truce by furprifing and plundering a city in Laconia fubject to the Achæans. The Lacedæmonians, afraid of the refentment of the Romans, proposed to punish him; but he prevented them by laying vio lent hands on himself.

Not long after Aurelius Oreftes, and the other commiffioners, arrived at Corinth; and the Achaean diet, at his request, affembling in that city, he opened the conferences with a speech calculated rather to create than compofe divifions. Polybius is of opinion, that he exceeded the inftructions he had brought from Rome, and changed the menaces of the fenate into abiolute orders. He told them, that Rome, by their continual diffentions, was at last convinced that a happy union among the free ftates of Greece could never be effected, fo long as their prefent form of government fubfifted; and concluded his fpeech with thefe words: "It is the will and pleasure of the Roman "fenate and people, that all the cities that were not formerly "of the Achæan league, namely, Corinth, Lacedæmon, Argos, Heraclea in Theffaly, and Orchomenos in Boeotia, be fepa"rated from the general alliance, and governed by their own They are "laws independantly of the confederacy." The Achæan deinfulted puties would hear him no farther, but leaving the affembly, by the and reporting this decree to the Corinthians, the multitude was enraged to the highest degree, and fell upon all the Lacedæmonians they could find in the city. Thofe who fled to the houfe of the commiffioners were dragged from thence, and the incenfed people would have treated the Romans themfelves in the fame manner, had they not faved themselves by a timely flight.

mob at

Corinth.

Other

commiffioners fent from Rome.

The commiffioners, upon their return to Rome, are said to have exaggerated the infults they received at Corinth beyond measure, and to have reprefented the tumult as a premeditated plot. The fenate was highly incenfed at fuch proceedings, and immediately deputed Sextus Julius, with fome other commiffioners, into Achaia; but inftructed them to complain with moderation. Carthage was not yet taken, nor the two pretended fons of Perfeus entirely fubdued; fo that it was neceflary to act with caution in regard to allies fo powerful as the Acheans. The commiffioners meeting a deputy fent by the Achæans to Rome to acquaint the fenate with their proceedings against Oreftes, they carried him back with them to gium, where in the general diet Julius fpoke with an air of mildnefs that was natural to him, and excufing the violence of the late tumult, declared, that the Romans would be appeafed with the leaft fign of repentance.

As Julius had defignedly omitted faying one word of feparating any city from the Achaan league, his moderate remon

ftrances