too much for the assembly, who refused to vote until they knew the
names. The commissioners then said that all the Strategi who had been
in office since the beginning of the war were involved. One of them,
Xeno, came forward, declared his innocence, and asserted that he was
ready to plead his cause before any tribunal, Achaean or Roman. Upon
this the commissioners required that all the accused persons should go
to Rome. A list of one thousand names was drawn up, under the guidance
of Callicrates, of those who were at once to proceed to Italy[27] (B.C.
167). The court of inquiry, before which they were to appear, was never
held. They were not allowed even to stay in Rome, but were quartered
in various cities of Italy, which were made responsible for their safe
custody: and there they remained until B.C. 151, when such of them as
were still alive, numbering then somewhat less than three hundred, were
contemptuously allowed to return.[28] Among these detenus was Polybius.
We do not hear that Lycortas was also one, from which it has been with
some probability supposed that he was dead. More fortunate than the
rest, Polybius was allowed to remain at Rome. He had made, it seems,
the acquaintance of Aemilius Paulus and his two sons in Macedonia, and
during the tour of Amelius through Greece after the Macedonian war.[29]
And on their return to Italy he was allowed by their influence to
remain in Rome; and, acting as tutor to the two boys,[30] became well
acquainted with all the best society in the city. The charming account
which he gives[31] of the mutual affection existing between him and
the younger son of Aemilius (by adoption now called Publius Scipio
Africanus Aemilianus) bears all the marks of sincerity, and is highly
to the credit of both. To it we may add the anecdote of Plutarch, that
“Scipio, in observance of the precept of Polybius, endeavoured never to
leave the forum without having made a close friend of some one he met
there.”
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