the offer, faying, that he looked upon it as a very difhonour able thing to enrich himself with the fpoils of his fellow citizens. Polybius, by the zeal he had expreffed for the honour of the great men of his country, fo charmed the Achæans, that they erected a ftatue of marble to himself; and by this laft action of his, in refufing to appropriate to himfelf any of the spoils of his country, he gave the commiffioners fuch an idea of his virtue and probity, that they appointed him to vifit all the cities of Greece, and every where fettle the new form of government. He difThe ho- charged this honourable commiffion to the fatisfaction of the fenours paid nate of Rome, and the Achæans, who erected many ftatues in honour him by the of their benefactor, and among others, one with this infcription, Greeks. To the memory of Polybius, whofe counfels had faved Achaia if they had been followed, and who comforted her in her distress. From this time Achaia was governed by a prætor as a Roman province till the reign of Nero, who reftored all Greece to the enjoyment of its antient liberties, laying on the wealthy island of Various Sardinia the tribute paid by Greece. The Greeks did not long fortune of enjoy the effects of his kindness, being foon after reduced by Achaia. Vefpafian to their former ftate of fubjection. This misfortune

they brought anew upon themselves by their domeftic broils and difcord. Under Nerva, fome fhadow at leaft of their liberty was restored to them; but they were still governed by a Reman prætor, as alfo in Trajan's time, as appears from a letter of Pliny the Younger (1. viii. Ep. 24.) In this condition they remained with little alteration till the reign of Conftantine the Great, who fubjected Achaia to the Prefectus Prætorio of Illyricum. Upon the divifion of the empire, Achaia, with the reft of Greece, fell to the emperors of the east. The Goths, under their king Alaric, laid wafte the whole country, reducing the ftately and magnificent ftructures that were then remaining to heaps of ruins. The emperor Manuel, in the 12th century, divided the Peloponnefe into feven principalities, which he gave to his feven fons, ftiling them defpotes or lords of Morea. Its refemblance to the leaf of a mulberry-tree, called in Greek Morea, gave occafion to this appellation. Thefe dynafties afterwards were not only beftowed on the emperor's children, but alfo on fuch others as had diftinguished themselves in the fervice of their country. Conftantinople, in the 13th century, being taken by the weftern princes, the maritime cities of the Morea, with most of the islands, were alloted to the Venetians. In the 15th century, the emperor Conftantine Dracofes divided this province between his two brothers Demetrius and Thomas, who making war upon each other, Mohammed II. took advantage of their divifions, and ftript them both of their dominions. The Mohammedans foon made themselves mafters of the whole province, and held it till they were driven out by the Venetians in 1687. By the treaty of Carlowitz in 1699, the Turks yielded it up to the republic of Venice, but retook it in 1715, and in their hands it ftill continues.

СНАР.

CHAP. VI.

The hiftory of ETOLIA.

HE country of the Etolians, as we have formerly men- The Etor

Ttioned, extended from the bay of Corinth northwards, to lian confe the country of the Dorians, being bounded on the eaft by the deracy. river Evenus, and on the weft by the Achelous. Their republic was, in the times we are now writing of, next in power to that of Achaia, and formed much upon the fame plan. Their general affembly met ufually once a year in autumn; but the prætor was impowered to fummon it out of the stated time upon any extraordinary occafion. Befides this great council, which was called Panatolium, and had the fole power of enacting laws, declaring war, making peace, c. there was another court called the Apocleti, anfwering to the Demiurgi among the Achæans. Their chief magiftrates after the prætor were the general of the horse, the public fecretary, and the ephori. The two firft were held in great esteem, and the ephori were introduced in imitation of the Lacedaemonians, with whom they were many ages ftrictly united, They acted in fubordination both to the general diet and the prætor; but as to their number, the antients are quite filent. The confederacy of the Etolians was formed fome time after that of the Achæans, whole example they followed, to enable them to withstand the ambitious defigns of the Macedonian princes,

The Etolians were a reftlefs and turbulent people, utter The chaftrangers to all fenfe of friendship or principle of honour. In racter of fhort, they were looked upon by the other states of Greece, the toaccording to Polybius, no otherwife than as outlaws and public lians. robbers. On the other hand, they were bold and enterpriz→ ing in war, inured to labour and hardfhips, undaunted in the greatest dangers, and zealous defenders of their liberties, as we Thall have occafion to relate in the hiftory of Alexander and his fucceffors, who were forced to grant them a peace upon very honourable terms. At prefent we fhall contine ourselves to those occurrences only which happened after they had formed themselves into a republic, from their jealoufy of the growing power of the Achrans. As they bore an irreconcileable hatred to the Acheans, they kindled the Cleomenic war, and that of the allies, in the heart of the Peloponnefe, which we have already related, with no other view but to humble them. In the latter they held out, with the affiftance only of the Eleans and Lacedemonians, for three years against the united forces of Achaia and Macedon. As they were forced to purchase a peace by yielding up Acarnania to Philip, they watched all opportu nities of wrefting it again out of the Macedonians hands; and one very favourable for their defign foon offered, Kk 3

As

They make an

alliance

with the

Romans.

Bef. Chr.

211.

invades

As Philip had entered into an alliance with Hannibal, and was threatning to invade Italy, the Romans had given the command of a fleet of 50 fhips to M. Valerius Lavinus, to watch his motions. He being informed that the Etolians were highly diffatisfied with the late peace, refolved to improve their dif content to the advantage of his republic; and inviting fome of their chief men on board as he cruised along their coafts, he enlarged on the great advantages they would receive by an alliance with the Romans, who would protect them against their powerful and ambitious neighbours the Macedonians. Repeating the fame thing at their general diet, Scopas, the Etolian prætor, and Darimachus, a man of great authority, ftrongly enforced his arguments, and expatiated with all the eloquence they were mafters of in commendation of the Romans. These two chiefs not only proposed an alliance between the Etolians and Romans, but fent ambaffadors to Elis, Lacedæmon, to Attalus king of Pergamus, and to Pleuratus and Scerdilaidas, two kings of Illyricum, inviting them to accede to the fame alliance. Lacedæmon with Elis declared for an alliance with Rome, and Pleuratus and Scerdilaidas followed their example. By the treaty, all the allies agreed to make war upon Philip, the Romans promifing to furnish at least 20 fhips. All the conquefts to be made between the confines of tolia and the fea of Corcyra, were to belong to the confederates, and the captives and booty to the Romans, who were to do their utmost to put the Atolians in poffeffion of Acarnania. No peace was to be concluded with Philip, till he fhould evacuate the territories of all the allies. Tho' this treaty, by the dilatorinefs of the Romans, was not ratified till two years after, hoftilities however began as foon as it was concluded. Lavinus feized on the island and city of Zacynthus, took Aniada, and alfo Nafus, two cities of Acarnania, and reftored them to the Atolians; after which he retired with his fleet to Corcyra, where he wintered.

Philip of Philip, upon hearing of the treaty concluded by the AtoMacedon lians, laid afide his defign of invading Italy, and early the following fpring invaded the Atolian territories. Being obliged Elia. foon after to withdraw, in order to defend his own dominions against the Madi, a people of Thrace, Scopas, the Etolian prætor, entered Acarnania, in hopes of reducing that country before Philip could return. Lavinus, at the fame time, approaching the coaft with his flect, on board of which was a legion for land fervice, the Acarnanians were fenfible that they could not oppofe both their enemies at the fame time; but nevertheless refolved to fell their lives at the dearest rate. Having fent into Epirus all their women, children, and fuch as were not able to bear arms, thofe that remained bound themfelves by oath not to return to their dwellings till they had utterly destroyed the Etolians; defiring the Epirots to bury them in one tomb, with the following epitaph: Here lie the Acarnanians, wh died fighting for their country in oppofition to the violence and injuftice of the Etolians. This refolution fo terrified the to

lians,

lians, that they returned home without offering to do any thing that might provoke a people refolved to conquer or die. They turned their arms against Anticyra, and Lavinus, at the fame The time, investing it by fea, foon made himself mafter of it. La- Etolians vinus referving for his own troops the captives and the plunder, and Rodelivered up the city to the tolians; who, flufhed with this mans take fuccefs, entered Achaia, and committed fuch ravages, as oblig- Anticyra. ed Philip to march from Demetrias in Theffaly to the relief of his allies. On his march, the tolian army, commanded by their prætor Pyrrhias, met him near Lamia, a city of Phthiotis. Tho' the Etolians were reinforced by 1000 Roman legionaries, The and a strong detachment of the troops of king Attalus, yet Etolians they were twice defeated by Philip, and obliged to fave them- defeated felves under the walls of Lamia. Philip, foon after this vic- by Philip. tory, granted the Etolians a truce of thirty days, at the interceffion of the ambaffadors from the king of Egypt, and from the Chians, Rhodians, and Athenians, who offered their mediation to put an end to the war. Philip put off the conferences till the next diet of the Achæans, and at the invitation of the Greeks went to Argos, where he prefided at the Heraan and Nemean games. The Greeks confirmed this diftinction to him by their fuffrages, on a pretence, that the firft king of Macedon was a native of Greece. The king behaved in this ftation like a voluptuous prince.

The diet at length affembling at Rhium, Philip went thither, Conferenand the conferences being opened, all parties feemed inclined ces for to a reconciliation, fearing that Attalus and the Romans would concludtake advantage of their divifions and get footing in Greece, ing a The Etolians, however, foon altered their conduct; for hear- peace. ing that the Roman fleet under Sulpitius was arrived at Naupactus, and Attalus with his fleet at gina, they declared they would confent to no peace unless Pylus on the coaft of Meffenia was restored to the Melenians, Atintania on the weitern confines of Macedon to the Romans, and the country of the Ardians on the eastern part of Illyricum, to Pleuratus and Scerdilaidas. Thefe terms being rejected with fcorn by Philip and The conhis allies, the king returned to Argos to prefide at the Nemean ferences games, which fucceeded the Heraan. Sulpitius, in the mean broken time, landing his forces between Sicyon and Corinth, ravaged off. the neighbouring country, which obliged the king to interrupt his diverfions and take the field. The enemy, upon his arri- The Roval, abandoning their booty, and re-embarking for Naupaɛlus, mans rePhilip returned to the games, where he was received with an pulfed by univerfal applaufe; but he gained more on the affections of the Philip. Greeks, who were zealous republicans, by his affable behaviour, Bef. Ch. and the popular airs he affected, than by his victories.

Some days after the games, Philip being informed that the city of Dyme, on the confines of Elis, had declared for the Etolians, he marched into the Elean territory, which he ravaged, and then encamped under the walls of the capital. Tho' his attempt against that place proved unfuccefsful, yet in fight

Kk4

of

208.

The

of the garrifon, which confifted of Romans and Etolians, he took a itrong hold of great importance. Immediately after he was obliged to return to Macedon, which was invaded by the Dardanians. He left 3000 men to protect his friends in Grecce; Etolians but during his abfence, the Romans and Etolians poffeffing and Ro- themselves of Oreum, Opus, Torone, Tribonos, and Drymus, he mansmake marched back with incredible expedition into Greece, after havfeveral ing fettled the affairs of Macedon. Upon his arrival, Attalus conquefts. and the Romans abandoning the continent, Philip retook most

A peace conclud

ed.

Bef. Ch.

204.

The

declare

for the Romans

of the cities which had been reduced in his abfence, laid wafte great part of Atolia, and having put the Lacedæmonians to flight, marched back his forces in the beginning of winter into Macedon. The following fpring, entering Etolia at the head of a numerous army, he obliged the Etolians to conclude a peace upon very difadvantageous terms.

Tho' the Romans had left the Etolians to fhift for themselves, yet they took it very much amifs that they had made a peace without their confent. They themfelves foon after concluded a peace with the king; but in a few years refolving again to renew the war, they fent Furius Purpureo to folicit the friendfhip of the Etclians. He was attended by the envoys of Athens; and at the fame time ambaffadors from Philip arrived with very advantageous proposals in cafe the Atolians would either join their matter or ftand neuter. These envoys were heard before an affembly of the Etolians at Nautaltus, and Democritus the prætor, being bribed by Philip, directed that the Macedonians fhould be heard before the Romans.

After the feveral ambaffadors had made their fpeeches to the affembly, moft of the members were inclined to favour the Romans; but Democritus fufpended their determination, by alleging, that as the affembly was not general, nothing relating to peace or war could be refolved upon. The proconful Sulalians pitius, foon after penetrated into the king's dominions, and defeated him near Octolophum, the Atolians at length declared for the Romans, and in conjunction with Amyander the king of the Athamanes, a fmall nation on the weft fide of the Achelous, they made an irruption into Macedon, and beficged Cercirium, a city of Magnejia. All the people in the neighbourhood of the lake Babis, alarmed by this fudden invafion, fled with their best effects to the adjacent mountains; so that the Etolians, finding no more booty there, fell upon the province of Perrhabia, took the city of Cynetie in Theffaly by affault, and obliged the citizens of Mallaa near Thermopyla to join them against the king of Macedon.

against Philip. Bef. Ch.

201.

From Mallea, Amyander was for marching against Gomphi, feated near the fprings of the Peneus; but the Etolians chofe rather to pillage Theffaly, than affift him in taking a city fo conveniently fituated to protect his fmall dominions. The

tolians committed great devaftations in Theffaly, but feparating themselves into fmall bodies, contrary to the advice

of