that his father Philip, to the last day of his life, had caused his treaty with the Romans to be constantly read to him twice every day, he had admonished him to do as much, if not with the same regularity, at least from time to time. Not being able to dissuade him from the war, he had begun to withdraw himself from his councils, under different pretexts, that he might not be witness to the resolutions taken in them, which he could not approve. At length, seeing himself become suspected, and tacitly considered as a traitor, he had taken refuge amongst the Romans, and had been of great service to the consul. Having made this relation to the senate, they gave him a very favourable reception, and provided magnificently for his subsistence.

SECT. IV. Paulus Emilius chosen consul. He sets out for Macedonia with the prætor Cn. Octavius, who commanded the fleet. Perseus solicits aid on all sides. His avarice loses him considerable allies. The prætor Anicius's victories in Illyria, Paulus Emilius's celebrated victory over Perseus near the city of Pydna. Perseus taken with all his children. The command of Paulus Æmilius in Macedonia prolonged. Decree of the senate granting liberty to the Macedonians and Illyrians. Paulus Emilius, during the winter quarters, visits the most celebrated cities of Greece.

Upon

his return to Amphipolis he gives a great feast. He marches for Rome. On his way he suffers his army to plunder all the cities of Epirus. He enters Rome in triumph. Death of Perseus. Cn. Octavius and L. Anicius have also the honour of a triumph decreed them.

A. M. THE time for the comitia," or assemblies for the 3836. election of consuls at Rome, approaching, all the

Ant. J.C.

168.

■ Liv. 1. xliv. n. 17. Plut, in Paul. Emil. p. 259, 260.

world were anxious to know upon whom so important a choice would fall, and nothing else was talked of in all conversations. They were not satisfied with the consuls who had been employed for three years against Perseus, and had very ill sustained the honour of the Roman name. They called to mind the famous victories formerly obtained over his father Philip, who had been obliged to sue for peace; over Antiochus, who was driven beyond mount Taurus, and forced to pay a great tribute; and what was still more considerable, over Hannibal, the greatest general that had ever appeared as their enemy, or perhaps in the world, whom they had reduced to quit Italy after a war of more than sixteen years' continuance, and conquered in his own country almost under the very walls of Carthage. The formidable preparations made by Perseus, and some advantages gained by him in the former campaigns, augmented the apprehension of the Romans. They plainly discerned that it was no time to confer the command of the armies by faction or favour, and that it was necessary to choose a general for his wisdom, valour, and experience; in a word, one capable of conducting so important a war as that now upon their hands.

All the world cast their eyes upon Paulus Æmilius. There are times when distinguished merit unites the voices of the public; and nothing is more grateful than such a judgment, founded upon the knowledge of a man's past services, the army's opinion of his capacity, and the state's pressing occasion for his valour and conduct. Paulus Æmilius was near sixty years old; but age without impairing his faculties in the least, had rather improved them with maturity of wisdom and judgment; more necessary in a general than even valour and bravery. He had been consul thirteen years before, and had acquired general esteem during his administration. But the people repaid his services with ingratitude, having refused to raise him again to the same dignity, though he had solicited it with sufficient ardour. For several

years he had led a private and retired life, solely employed in the education of his children, in which no father ever succeeded better, nor was more gloriously rewarded for his care. All his relations, all his friends, urged him to comply with the people's wishes in taking upon him the consulship: but believing himself no longer capable of commanding, he avoided appearing in public, kept himself at home, and shunned honours with as much solicitude as others generally pursue them. However, when he saw the people assemble every morning in crowds before his door, that they summoned him to the forum, and exclaimed highly against his obstinate refusal to serve his country, he acceded at last to their remonstrances, and appearing amongst those who aspired to that dignity, he seemed less to receive the command of the army, than to give the people the assurance of an approaching and complete victory. The consulship was conferred upon him unanimously, and, according to Plutarch, the command of the army in Macedonia was assigned to him in preference to his colleague, though Livy says it fell to him by lot.

It is said, that on the very day that he was elected general in the war against Perseus, at his return home, attended by all the people, who followed to do him honour, he found his daughter Tertia, at that time a little infant, crying bitterly. He embraced her, and asked her the cause of her tears. Tertia hugging him with her little arms, "Do you not know then, father," said she, "that our Perseus is dead?" She spoke of a little dog she had brought up, called Perseus. "And at a very good time, my dear child," said Paulus Æmilius, struck with the word, "I accept this omen with joy." The ancients carried their superstition with respect to this kind of fortuitous occurrences very high.

n

The manner in which Paulus Æmilius prepared for the war he was charged with, gave room to judge

Liv. I. xliv. n. 18-22. Plut. in Paul. Emil. p. 260.

of the success to be expected from it. He demanded, first, that commissioners should be sent into Macedonia to inspect the army and fleet, and to make their report, after an exact enquiry, of the number of troops which were necessary to be added both by sea and land. They were also to inform themselves, as near as possible, of the number of the king's forces; where they and the Romans actually lay; if the latter were encamped in the forests, or had entirely passed them, and were arrived in the plain; upon which of the allies they might rely with certainty; which of them were dubious and wavering; and whom they might regard as declared enemies; for how long time they had provisions, and from whence they might be supplied with them either by land or water; what had passed during the last campaign, either in the army by land, or in the fleet. As an able and experienced general, he thought it necessary to enter fully into this detail; convinced that the plan of the campaign upon which he was about to enter, could not be formed, nor its operations concerted, without a perfect knowledge of all these particulars. The senate highly approved these wise measures, and appointed commissioners, with the approbation of Paulus Emilius, who set out two days after.

During their absence, audience was given the ambassadors from Ptolemy and Cleopatra, king and queen of Egypt, who brought complaints to Rome of the unjust enterprises of Antiochus, king of Syria; which have been before related.

The commissioners made extraordinary dispatch. Upon their return, they reported, that Marcius had forced the passes of Macedonia, to get entrance into the country, but with more danger than utility; that the king was advanced into Pieria, and in actual possession of it: that the two camps were very near each other, being separated only by the river Enipeus: that the king avoided a battle, and that the Roman army was neither in a condition to oblige

him to fight, nor to force his lines: that in addition to the other inconveniences, a very severe winter had happened, from which they could not but suffer exceedingly in a mountainous country, and be entirely prevented from acting; and that they had only provisions for six days: that the army of the Macedo→ nians was supposed to amount to thirty thousand men; that if Appius Claudius had been sufficiently strong in the neighbourhood of Lychnidus, in Illyria, he might have acted with good effect against king Gentius; but that Claudius, and his troops; were actually in great danger, unless a considerable reinforcement were immediately sent him, or he ordered directly to quit the post he then occupied. That after having visited the camp, they had repaired to the fleet; that they had been told, that part of the crews were dead of diseases; that the rest of the allies, especially those of Sicily, were returned home; and that the fleet was entirely in want of seamen and soldiers: that those who remained had not received their pay, and had no clothes: that Eumenes and his fleet, after having just shown themselves, disappeared immediately, without any cause that could be assigned; and that it seemed his inclinations neither could nor ought to be relied on: but that as for his brother Attalus, his good-will was not to be doubted.

Upon this report of the commissioners, after Paulus Æmilius had given his opinion, the senate decreed, that he should set forward without loss of time for Macedonia, with the practor Cn. Octavius, who had the command of the fleet, and L. Anicius, another prætor, who was to succeed Ap. Claudius in his post near Lychnidus in Illyria. The number of troops which each of them was to command, was regulated in the following manner.

The troops of which the army of Paulus Æmilius consisted, amounted to twenty-five thousand eight hundred men; that is, two Roman legions, each composed of six thousand foot and three hundred horse; as many of the infantry of the Italian allies,