THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER'S SUCCESSORS, CONTINUED. PLAN. This chapter includes 24 years, during which Ptolemy Epiphanes reigned in Egypt. In this interval the Romans engage in war; first against Philip king of Macedon, over whom they gain a famous victory; and then against Antiochus king of Syria, who also is defeated and forced to sue for peace. At the same time feuds and divisions break out between the Lacedæmonians and the Achaans, and the famous Philopomen dies. SECTION VII. POLYXANIDES DEFEATED BY LIVIUS.-L. SCIPIO CARRIES ON THE WAR AGAINST ANTIOCHUS, AND DEFEATS HIM NEAR MAGNESIA. WHILST* the affairs I have just related passed in Greece, Antiochus lived easy and undisturbed in Ephesus; relying on the assurances of his flatterers and courtiers that he had no reason to be under any apprehensions from the Romans, who, they declared, did not intend to cross into Asia. Hannibal was the only person capable of rousing him from this lethargy. He told the king plainly, that instead of entertaining vain hopes, and suffering himself to be lulled asleep by irrational and improbable discourse, he might be assured that he would soon be forced to fight the Romans both by sea and land in Asia, and for Asia; and that he must resolve, either to renounce the empire of it, or to defend it, sword in hand, A. M. 3813. Ant. J. C. 191. Liv. 1. xxxvi, n. 41-45. Appian, in Syriac. p. 99, 100. VOL. VII. A レ against enemies who aspired at no less than the conquest of the whole world. The king then became sensible of the great danger he was in, and immediately sent orders to hasten the march of the eastern troops which were not yet arrived. He also fitted out a fleet, embarked and sailed to the Chersonesus. He there fortified Lysimachia, Sestus, Abydos, and other cities in that neighbourhood, to prevent the Romans from crossing into Asia by the Hellespont; and this being done he returned to Ephesus. 1 Here it was resolved, in a great council, to venture a naval engagement. Polyxenides, admiral of the fleet, was ordered to go in search of C. Livius, who commanded that of the Romans, which was just before arrived in the Ægean sea, and to attack it. They met near mount Corychus in Ionia. The battle was fought with great bravery on both sides; but at last Polyxenides was beat, and obliged to fly. Ten of his ships were sunk, 13 taken, and he escaped with the rest to Ephesus. The Romans sailed into the harbour of Canna, in Ætolia, drew their ships ashore, and fortified with a good intrenchment and rampart, the place where they laid them up for the whole winter. * Antiochus, at the time this happened, was in Magnesia, assembling his land-forces. News being brought that his fleet was defeated, he marched towards the coast, and resolved to equip another so powerful as might be able to preserve the empire of those seas. For this purpose he refitted such ships as had been brought off, reinforced them with new ones, and sent Hannibal into Syria, to fetch those of Syria and Phoenicia. He also gave part of the army to Seleucus his son, whom he sent into Ætolia, to watch the Roman fleet, and awe all the country round; and marched in person with the rest into winter-quarters in Phrygia. + During these transactions the Ætolian ambassadors arrived at Rome, where they pressed to be admitted to audience, because the truce was near expiring. Quintius, who was returned from Greece, employed all his credit in their favour. But he found the senate very much exasperated against the tolians. They were considered, not as common enemies, but as a people so very untractable, that it would be to no purpose to conclude an alliance with them, After several days debate, in • Liv. l. xxxvii. n. 8. Appian. in Syriac. p. 100. which they were neither allowed nor refused peace, two prɔposals were made to them, and left to their option: these were, either to submit entirely to the will of the senate, or to pay 1000* talents, and to acknowledge all those for their friends or enemies whom the Romans should consider as such. As the Ætolians desired to know particularly how far they were to submit to the will of the senate, no express answer was made them. They therefore withdrew without obtaining any thing, and were ordered to leave Rome that very day, and Italy in a fortnight. + The next year the Romans gave the command of the land. armies, which Acilius had before, to L. Cornelius Scipio, the new consul, under whom Scipio Africanus, his brother, had of fered to serve as lieutenant. The senate and people of Rome were very desirous of trying which of the two, Scipio or Hannibal, the conqueror or the conquered, would be of the greatest service to the army in which he should fight. The command of the fleet, which Livius had before, was given to L. Æmilius Rhegillus. The consul being arrived in Ætolia, did not trifle away his time in besieging one town after another; but, wholly attentive to his principal view, after granting the Etolians a six months truce, in order that they might have full time for sending a second embassy to Rome, he resolved to march his army through Thessaly, Macedonia, and Thrace, and from thence to cross over into Asia. However, he thought it advisable previously to inform himself how Philip might stand affected. This prince gave the army such a reception as might be expected from the most faithful and most zealous ally. At its arrival, as well as departure, he furnished it all necessary refreshments and sup plies, with a truly royal munificence. In the entertainments ‡ he made for the consul, his brother, and the chief officers of the Romans, he discovered an easy graceful air, and such a polite. ness as was very pleasing to Scipio Africanus; for this great man, who excelled in every thing, was not an enemy to a certain elegance of manners and noble generosity, provided they did not degenerate into luxury. The praise which Livy gives Scipio in this place, is also very * About 190,000l. † A. M. 3814. Ant. J. C. 190. Liv. 1. xxxvii. n. 1–7. Appian. in Syr. p. 99, 100. Multa in eo et dexteritas et humanitas visa, quæ commendabilia apud Africanum erant; virum, sicut ad cætera egregium, ita a comiate, quæ sine luxuria cffet, non aversum. Liv. honourable to Philip. He had at that time for his guests the most illustrious personages in the world, a Roman consul, and at the same time general of the armies of that republic; and not only him, but Scipio Africanus, that consul's brother. Profusion is ordinary, and in some measure pardonable on these occasions; and yet nothing of that kind appeared in the reception which Philip gave to his guests. He regaled them in such a manner as became a great prince; and with a magnificence that suited their dignity and his own, but at the same time was far from discovering the least pomp or ostentation, and was infinitely improved by the engaging manner of the master of the feast; and by the care he took to set before his guests with taste and decorum whatever might be most agreeable to them. Multa in eo dexteritas et humanitas visa. These personal qualities, in the sense of Scipio, did Philip greater honour, and gave his guests a more advantageous idea of him, than the most sumptuous profusions could have done. This excellent taste on both sides, so uncommon in princes and great men, is a fine model for persons of their high rank. The consul and his brother in return for the noble and ge nerous reception which Philip had given the army, remitted him, in the name of the Roman people, who had invested them with full powers for that purpose, the remainder of the sum he was to pay them. Philip seemed to make it his duty, as well as pleasure, to accompany the Roman army, and to supply it with necessaries of every kind, not only in Macedonia, but as far as Thrace. His experience taught him how much the Roman forces were superior to his own; and his inability to shake off the yeke of obedience and submission, always grating to kings, obliged him to cultivate the good opinion, of a people on whom his future fate depended; and it was wise in him to do that with a good grace, which he would otherwise in some measure, have been obliged to do. For, in reality, it was scarce possible for him not to retain a very strong resentment against the Romans for the condition to which they had reduced him; for kings are never able to accustom themselves to depend on, and submit to others. * In the mean time the Roman fleet advanced towards Thrace, to favour the passage of the consul's troops into Asia. Polyxenides, Antiochus's admiral, who was a Rhodian exile by a stratagem defeated Pausistratus, who commanded the Rhodian * Liv. 1. xxxvii. n. 9-11, et n. 18-22. Appian. in Syr p. 101-103. fleet appointed to succour the Romans. He attacked him by surprise in the harbour of Samos, and burnt or sunk 29 of his ships; and Pausistratus himself lost his life in this engagement. The Rhodians, so far from being discouraged by this great loss, meditated only their revenge. Accordingly, with incredible diligence they fitted out a more powerful fleet than the former. It joined that of Æmilius, and both fleets sailed towards Elea, to aid Eumenes, whom Seleucus was besieging in his capital. This succour arrived very seasonably; Eumenes being just on the point of being reduced by the enemy. Diophanes, the Achæan, who had formed himself under the famous Philopamen, obliged the enemy to raise the siege. He had entered the city with 1000 foot and 100 horse. At the head of his own troops only, and in sight of the inhabitants, who did not dare to follow him, he performed actions of such extraordinary bravery, as obliged Seleucus at length to raise the siege, and quit the country. *The Rhodian fleet being afterwards detached in quest of Hannibal, who was bringing to the king that of Syria and Phoenicia, the Rhodians singly fought him on the coasts of Pamphylia. By the goodness of their ships, and the dexterity of their seamen, they defeated that great captain, drove him into the port of Megista, near Patara; and there blocked him up so close as made it impossible for him to act for the service of the king. The news of this defeat came to Antiochus much about the time that advice was brought that the Roman consul was advancing by hasty marches into Macedonia, and was preparing to pass the Hellespont and enter Asia. Antiochus then saw the imminent danger he was in, and made haste to take all possible methods for preventing it. † He sent ambassadors to Prusias, king of Bythynia, to inform him of the design which the Romans had of entering Asia. They were ordered to display, in the strongest terms, the fatal consequences of that enterprise: that they were coming with a design to destroy all the kingdoms in the world, and subject them to the empire of the Romans; that after having subdued Philip and Nabis, they had resolved to attack him that should he have the ill fortune to be overcome, the fire spreading, would soon reach Bithynia: that as to Eumenes, no aid could be ex * Liv. 1. xxxvii. n. 23, 24. Appian. in Syr. p. 100. in Hannib. c. 8. † Liv. 1. xxxvii, n. 25-30. in Excerpt. Legat, c. 22. Cor. Nep. Appian. in Syr. p. 191-102. Polyb. |