Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English FormCassius Dio Cocceianus
History
Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form
Cassius Dio Cocceianus
Rome -- History
not come to terms, but when the Romans attacked again and captured
almost all of Sparta (it was in part destitute of a wall), he would
wait no longer, but made a truce with Flamininus and by sending an
embassy to Rome effected a settlement.
Flamininus hereupon set all the Greeks free; [Sidenote: B.C. 194
(_a.u._ 560)] later he convened them in session and after reminding
them of the benefits they had received urged them to maintain a kindly
attitude toward the Romans: he then withdrew all their garrisons and
departed with his entire army.
Upon the arrival of Flamininus at Rome Nabis rebelled. And straightway
the whole Greek world, so to speak, was thrown into a turmoil which
the AEtolians did their best to increase. They were making ready for
war and were sending embassies to Philip and Antiochus. They persuaded
the latter to assume a position of hostility to the Romans, promising
him that he should be king of both Greece and Italy. Roman interests
were so upset that they had no hope of overcoming Antiochus, but were
satisfied if they could preserve their former conquests. Antiochus was
regarded as a mighty personage both in the light of his own power,
through which he had performed distinguished exploits and above all
had subjugated Media, [Sidenote: B.C. 193 (_a.u._ 561)] and he loomed
far mightier still for having attached to his cause Ptolemy, king of
Egypt, and Ariarathes, monarch of Cappadocia, as a kinsman by
marriage.
Antiochus being so esteemed, the Romans as long as they were at war
with Philip were careful to court his favor, keeping up friendly
relations with him through envoys and sending him gifts. But when they
had vanquished their other enemy, they despised also this king whom
they had formerly feared. Antiochus himself crossed over into Thrace
and gained control of many districts. [Sidenote: B.C. 192 (_a.u._
562)] He helped colonize Lysimachia, which had been depopulated,
intending to use it as a base. It was Philip and Nabis who had invited
his assistance. Hannibal, too, had been with him and had caused him to
hope that he might sail to Carthage and from there to Italy, and
further that he could subjugate the races along the Ionian Gulf and
with them set out against Rome. Twice before, indeed, Antiochus had
crossed into Europe and had reached Greece. This time he learned that
Ptolemy was dead, and deeming it all important that he should obtain
the sovereignty of Egypt he left his son Seleucus with a force at
Lysimachia and himself set out on the march. He found out, however,
that Ptolemy was alive, and so kept away from Egypt and made an
attempt to sail to Cyprus. Baffled by a storm he returned home. The
Romans and he both despatched envoys to each other submitting mutual
complaints that they might get an excuse for the war and inspect
conditions on each side betimes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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