The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End: with the Epitomes and Fragments of the Lost BooksLivy
History
The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End: with the Epitomes and Fragments of the Lost Books
Livy
Rome -- History
it seems good that the king should by every strenuous exertion be
inflamed against the Romans, and urged to form resolutions for war, to
which he had already of his own accord turned his attention. At the same
time, in order that Demetrius might be a greater object of suspicion
every day, they used deliberately to prolong the conversations even to
the use of insulting language towards the Romans; thereupon, when some
depreciating their manners and institutions, some their military
achievements, some the appearance of the city itself, unadorned either
by public or private structures; others spoke scornfully of some
particular individuals among their principal men. On these occasions,
the young prince unwary, both out of affection for the Roman nation, and
opposition to his brother, by maintaining their cause in all things,
rendered himself an object of suspicion to his father, and a fit subject
for their accusations. His father therefore kept him a stranger to all
his designs respecting the Romans; he was entirely devoted to Perseus,
and held with him, daily and nightly, deliberations on that subject. The
envoys had returned whom he happened to have sent to the Bastarnians, to
solicit aid, and brought with them from thence young men of distinction,
and some of royal extraction; one of whom promised his sister in
marriage to Philip’s son, and the connexion with that nation raised the
king’s spirits. Hereupon Perseus said, “What does that avail? There is
by no means as much protection afforded by foreign aid, as there is
danger arising from domestic treachery. I am unwilling to call him
traitor, but a spy we certainly have in our bosom, and although the
Romans have restored to us his body, since he was a hostage at Rome, yet
they still possess his heart. The faces of almost all the Macedonians
are turned towards him, and they think they are to have no other king
but him whom the Romans would give them.” By such discourses the old
man’s mind, distempered in itself, was stimulated to passion, and these
imputations he received deeper in his mind, than appeared from his
countenance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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