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
present king done since his father’s death, than prepare for the war? In
the first place, to the terror of all the surrounding nations, he
brought the Bastarnians into Dardania; where if they had made a lasting
settlement, Greece would have found them more troublesome neighbours
than Asia found the Gauls. Disappointed in that hope, he did not drop
his design of a war; nay, if we choose to speak the truth, he has
already commenced hostilities. He subdued Dolopia by force of arms; and
would not listen when they wished to appeal concerning their disputes to
the arbitration of the Romans. Then, crossing Œta, that he might show
himself in the very centre of Greece, he went up to Delphi. To what,
think you did his taking a journey so uncommon tend? He next traversed
Thessaly; and as to his refraining on his route from doing injury to the
people whom he hated, I dread his machinations the more on that very
account. He then sent a letter to us, with the hollow show of an act of
kindness, and bade us to consider measures by which we may not require
this gift for the future; that is, to repeal the decree by which the
Macedonians are excluded from Peloponnesus; to receive again ambassadors
from him their king; to renew intimacies contracted with his principal
subjects; and, in a short time, we should see Macedonian armies, with
himself at their head, crossing over the narrow strait from Delphi into
Peloponnesus, and thus we should be blended with the Macedonians, while
they are arming themselves against the Romans. My opinion is, that we
ought not to resolve on any new proceeding, but to keep every thing in
its present state, until the question shall be reduced to a certainty,
whether these our fears be well or ill grounded. If the peace between
the Romans and Macedonians shall continue inviolate, then may we also
have a friendship and intercourse with Perseus; but to think of such a
measure now, appears to me both premature and dangerous.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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