+14.+ Philopoemen had a sharp difference in debate with Archon the
Strategus. In course of time, however, Philopoemen was convinced by
Archon’s arguments, and, changing his mind, spoke in warm commendation
of Archon as having managed his business with skill and address. But
when I heard the speech at the time it did not seem to me right to
praise a man and yet do him an injury, nor do I think so now in my
maturer years. For I think that there is as wide a distinction in
point of morality between practical ability and success secured by
absence of scruples, as there is between skill and mere cunning. The
former are in a manner the highest attainments possible, the latter the
reverse. But owing to the lack of discernment so general in our day,
these qualities, which have little in common, excite the same amount of
commendation and emulation in the world....
[Sidenote: Ambassadors from Philip and the Achaeans heard on the report
of Caecilius, B.C. 185-184.]
+15.+ When Caecilius returned from Greece and made his report to the
Senate concerning Macedonia and the Peloponnese, the ambassadors who
had come to Rome on these matters were introduced into the Senate.
First came those from Philip and Eumenes, as well as the exiles from
Aenus and Maroneia; and on their saying much the same as they had said
before Caecilius and his colleagues at Thessalonica, the Senate voted
to send another deputation to Philip, to see first of all whether he
had evacuated the cities in Perrhaebia in conformity with the answer he
gave to Caecilius: and secondly, to order him to remove his garrison
from Aenus and Maroneia; and in a word, to abandon all fortresses,
positions, and towns on the seaboard of Thrace.
[Sidenote: The Achaean ambassadors make their defence.]
After these the ambassadors from the Peloponnese were introduced.
For the Achaeans on their part had sent Apollonidas of Sicyon, and
others, to justify themselves to Caecilius for his having received no
answer, and generally to inform the Senate on the question of Sparta;
and at the same time Areus and Alcibiades had come from Sparta as
ambassadors,—two of the old exiles recently restored by Philopoemen
and the Achaeans. And this was a circumstance that particularly roused
the anger of the Achaeans; because they thought it the height of
ingratitude on the part of the exiles, after receiving so important and
recent a service at their hands, to be now sending a hostile embassy,
and accusing to the sovereign people those who had been the authors of
their unlooked-for preservation and restoration to their country.
[Sidenote: The Spartan envoys.]
[Sidenote: The decision.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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