struggle to be decided by his success in that....
[Sidenote: On its voyage from Samos to Teos the Roman fleet sight some
pirate vessels. Livy, 37, 27.]
+12.+ When the pirates saw that the Roman fleet was coming they turned
and fled....
_The battle between the fleets of Rome and Antiochus took place between
the promontories Myonnesus and Corycum, which form the bay of Teos.
Antiochus was beaten with a loss of forty-two ships early in B.C. 190.
Livy, 37, 30._
[Sidenote: Antiochus despairs of resistance, and sends an envoy to the
Scipios to treat of peace.]
[Sidenote: The laws relating to the Salii or priests of Mars.]
+13.+ After sustaining this defeat at sea, Antiochus remained in
Sardis, neglecting to avail himself of such opportunities as he had
left, and taking no steps whatever to prosecute the war; and when he
learnt that the enemy had crossed into Asia he lost all heart, and
determined in despair to send an envoy to Lucius and Publius Scipio
to treat of peace. He selected Heracleides of Byzantium for this
purpose, and despatched him with instructions to offer to surrender
the territories of Lampsacus and Smyrna as well as Alexandria (Troas),
which were the original cause of the war, and any other cities in
Aeolis and Ionia of which they might wish to deprive him, as having
embraced their side in the war; and in addition to this to promise an
indemnity of half the expenses they had incurred in their quarrel with
him. Such were the offers which the envoy was instructed to make in his
public audience; but, besides these, there were others to be committed
to Publius Scipio’s private ear, of which I will speak in detail
later on. On his arrival at the Hellespont the envoy found the Romans
still occupying the camp which they had constructed immediately after
crossing. At first he was much cheered by this fact, for he thought it
would materially aid his negotiation that the enemy were exactly where
they were at first, and had not as yet taken any further action. But
when he learnt that Publius Scipio was still on the other side of the
water he was much disturbed, because the turn which his negotiations
were to take depended principally on Scipio’s view of the matter. The
reason of the army being still in their first camp, and of Publius
Scipio’s absence from the army, was that he was one of the Salii. These
are, as I have before stated, one of the three colleges of priests by
whom the most important sacrifices to the gods are offered at Rome. And
it is the law that, at the time of these sacrifices, they must not quit
the spot for thirty days in which it happens to find them.[99] This
was the case at the present time with Publius Scipio; for just as the
army was on the point of crossing this season arrived, and prevented
him from changing his place of abode. Thus it came about that he was
separated from the legions and remained in Europe, while, though the
army crossed, it remained encamped, and could take no further step,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account