and desired the Achæans to convene their general assembly, whenever the Roman ambassadors should require it; as the senate admitted them to audience in Rome, as often as they asked it.

a When Philip was informed by his ambassadors, who had been sent back to him from Rome, that he must absolutely evacuate all the cities of Thrace; in the highest degree of rage, to see his dominions contracted on every side, he vented his fury on the inhabitants of Maronea. Onomastes, who was governor of Thrace, employed Cassander, who was very well known in the city, to execute the barbarous command of the prince. Accordingly, in the dead of night, he led a body of Thracians into it, who fell with the utmost violence on the citizens, and cut a great number of them to pieces. Philip having thus wreaked his vengeance on those who were not of his faction, waited calmly for the commissioners, being firmly persuaded that no one would dare to impeach him.

Some time after, Appius arrives, who upon being informed of the barbarous treatment which the Maroneans had met with, reproached the king of Macedon, in the strongest terms, on that account. The latter resolutely asserted, that he had not been in any manner concerned in that massacre, but that it was wholly occasioned by an insurrection of the populace. "Some," says he, “declaring for Eumenes, and "others for me, a great quarrel arose, and they butchered one "another." He went so far as to challenge them to produce any person, who pretended to have any articles to lay to his charge. But who would have dared to impeach him? His punishment had been immediate; and the aid he might have expected from the Romans was too far off. "It is to no purpose," says Appius to him, " for you to apologize for your"self; I know what things have been done, as well as the au"thor of them." These words gave Philip the greatest anxiety. However, matters were not carried further at this first interview.

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But Appius, the next day, commanded him to send immediately Onomastes and Cassander to Rome to be examined by the senate on the affair in question, declaring, that there was no other way left for him to clear himself. Philip, upon receiving this order, changed colour, wavered within himself, and hesitated a long time before he made answer. At last, he declared that he would send Cassander, whom the commissioners suspected to be the contriver of the massacre : but he was determined not to send Onomastes, who (he declared) so far from having been in Maronea at the time this bloody tragedy happened, was not even in the neighbourȧ Polyb. in Legat. c. xliv. Liv. 1 xxxix. n. 34, 35.

hood of it. The true reason of this conduct was, Philip was afraid lest Onomastes, in whom he reposed the utmost confidence, and had never concealed any thing from, should betray him to the senate. As for Cassander, the instant the commissioners had left Macedon, he put him on board a ship; but, at the same time, sent some persons in his company, who poisoned him in Epirus.

After the departure of the commissioners, who were fully persuaded that Philip had contrived the massacre in Maronea, and was upon the point of breaking with the Romans; the king of Macedon, reflecting in his own mind, and with his friends, that the hatred he bore the Romans, and the strong desire he had to wreak his vengeance on the people, must necessarily soon display itself; would have been very glad to take up arms immediately, and declare war against that people; but, not being prepared, he conceived an expedient to gain time. He resolved to send his son Demetrius to Rome, whom, as having been many years an hostage, and having acquired great esteem in that city, he judged very well qualified either to defend him against the accusations with which he might be charged before the senate, or apologize for such faults as he really had committed.

He accordingly made all the preparations necessary for this embassy, and nominated several friends to attend the prince his son on that occasion.

He, at the same time promised to succour the Byzantines; not that he was sincerely desirous of defending them, but because his bare advancing to aid that people, would strike terror into the petty princes of Thrace, in the neighbourhood of the Propontis, and would prevent their opposing the resolution he had formed of engaging in a war against the Romans. And accordingly having defeated those petty sovereigns in a battle, and taken their chief prisoner, he hereby put it out of their power to annoy him, and returned into Macedon.

a The arrival of the Roman commissioners was expected in Peloponnesus, who were commanded to go from Macedon into Achaia. Lycortas, in order that an answer might be ready for them, summoned a council, in which the affair of the Lacedæmonians was examined. He represented to the assembly such things as they might fear from them; the Romans seeming to favour their interest much more than that of the Achæans. He expatiated chiefly on the ingratitude of Areus and Alcibiades, who though they owed their return to the Achæans, had however been so base as to undertake the embassy against them to the senate, where they acted and spoke like professed enemies; as if the Acha

a Liv. 1. xxxix. n. 35-37.

ans had driven them from their country, when it was they who had restored them to it. Upon this, great shouts were heard in every part of the assembly, and the president was desired to bring the affair into immediate deliberation. Nothing prevailing but passion and a thirst of revenge, Areus and Alcibiades were condemned to die.

The Roman commissioners arrived a few days after, and the council met at Clitor in Arcadia. This filled the Achaans with the utmost terror; for seeing Areus and Alcibiades, whom they had just before condemned to die, arrive. with the commissioners, they naturally supposed that the inquiry which was going to be made would be no way favourable to them.

Appius then told them that the senate had been deeply affected with the complaints of the Lacedæmonians, and could not but disapprove of every thing which had been done with respect to them: the murder of those who, on the promise which Philopomen had made them, had come to plead their cause; the demolition of the walls of Sparta; the abolition of the laws and institutions of Lycurgus, which had spread the fame of that city throughout the world, and made it flourish for several ages.

Lycortas, both as president of the council, and as being of the same opinion with Philopo men, the author of whatever had been transacted against Lacedæmonia, undertook to answer Appius. He showed first, that as the Lacedæmonians had attacked the exiles, contrary to the tenor of the treaty, which expressly forbid them to make any attempt against the maritime cities; these exiles, in the absence of the Romans, could have recourse only to the Achæan league, which could not be justly accused for having assisted them to the utmost of their power, in so urgent a necessity. That with regard to the massacre which Appius laid to their charge, they ought not to be accused for it, but the exiles, who were then headed by Areus and Alcibiades; and who, by their own immediate impulse, and without being authorised by the Achæans, had fallen with the utmost fury and violence on those whom they considered the authors of their banishment, and to whom the rest of the calamities they had suffered were owing. "However, added Lycortas, "it is pretended that we cannot but own that we were the cause of the abolition of Lycurgus's laws, and the demolition of the walls of Sparta. This, indeed, is a real fact; but then how can this double objection be made to us at the same time? The walls in question were not built by Lycurgus, but by tyrants, who erected them some few years ago, not for the security of the city but for their own safety, and to enable themselves to abolish, with impunity, the discipline and re

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gulations so happily established by that wise legislator. Were it possible for him to rise now from the grave, he would be overjoyed to see those walls destroyed, and say that he now recognises his native country and ancient Sparta. You should not, O citizens of Sparta, have waited for Philopomen or the Achæans; but ought yourselves to have pulled down those walls with your own hands, and destroyed even the slightest trace of tyranny. These were a kind of ignominious scars of your slavery: and, after having maintained your liberties and privileges during almost eight hundred years; and been for some time the sovereigns of Greece, without the support and assistance of walls; they, within these hundred years, have become the instruments of your slavery, and in a manner, your shackles and fetters. With respect to the ancient laws of Lycurgus, they were suppressed by the tyrants; and we have only substituted our own, by putting you upon a level with us in all things." Addressing himself afterwards to Appius, "I cannot for"bear owning," says he, "that the words I have hitherto "spoken, were not as from one ally to another; nor of a free nation, but as slaves who speak to their master. For, in fine, if the voice of the herald, who proclaimed us to be "free in the front of the Grecian states, was not a vain and empty ceremony; if the treaty concluded at that time be "real and solid; if you are desirous of sincerely preserving "an alliance and friendship with us; on what can that infi"nite disparity which you suppose to be between you Romans and us Achæans be grounded? I do not inquire into "the treatment which Capua met with, after you had taken "that city: why then do you examine into our usage of the Lacedæmonians, after we had conquered them? Some of "them were killed: and I will suppose that it was by us. "But did not you strike off the heads of several Campanian "senators? We levelled the walls of Sparta with the ground; but as for you, Romans, you not only dipossessed "the Campanians of their walls, but of their city and lands. To this I know you will reply, that the equality expressed "in the treaties between the Romans and Achæans is merely specious, and a bare form of words: that we really have "but a precarious and transmitted liberty, but that the Romans are the primary source of authority and empire. Of this, Appius, I am but too sensible. However, since we "must submit to this, I intreat you at least how wide a dif"ference soever you may set between yourselves and us, not. "to put your enemies and our own upon a level with us, "who are your allies; especially, not to show them better "treatment than you do to us. They require us, by for"swearing ourselves, to dissolve and annul all we have enVOL, VII.

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“acted by oath ; and to revoke that, which by being written "in our records, and engraved on marble, in order to preserve the remembrance of it for ever, is become a sacred 66 monument, which it is not lawful for us to violate. We revere you, O Romans; and if you will have it so, we also "fear you: but then we think it glorious to have a greater "reverence and fear for the immortal gods."

The greatest part of the assembly applauded this speech, and all were unanimous in their opinion, that he had spoken like a true magistrate; it was therefore necessary for the Romans to act with vigour, or resolve to lose their authority. Appius, without descending to particulars, advised them, whilst they still enjoyed their freedom, and had not received any orders, to make a merit, with regard to the Romans, of enacting of their own accord what might afterwards be enjoined them. They were grieved at these words; but were instructed by them, not to persist obstinately in the refusal of what should be demanded. All they therefore desired was, that the Romans would decree whatever they pleased with regard to Sparta; but not oblige the Achæans to break their oath, by annulling their decree themselves. As to the sentence that was just before passed against Areus and Alcibiades, it was immediately repealed.

a The Romans pronounced judgment the year following. The chief articles of the ordinance were, that those persons who had been condemned by the Achæans should be recalled and restored; that all sentences relating to this affair should be repealed, and that Sparta should continue a member of the Achæan league. Pausanias adds an article not taken notice of by Livy, that the walls which had been demolished should be rebuilt. Q. Marcius was appointed commissary to settle the affairs of Macedon, and those of Peloponnesus, where great feuds and disturbances subsisted, especially between the Achæans on one side, and the Messenians and Lacedæmonians on the other. They all had sent ambassadors to Rome; but it does not appear that the senate was in any great haste to put an end to their differences. The answer they made to the Lacedæmonians was, that the Romans were determined not to trouble themselves any further about their affairs. The Achæans demanded aid of the Romans against the Messenians, pursuant to the treaty; or at least, not to suffer arms or provisions to be transported out of Italy, to the latter people. It was answered them, that when any cities broke their alliance with the Achæans, the senate did not think itself obliged to enter into those disputes; for that this would open a door to ruptures and divisions, and even, in some measure, give a sanction to them.

a Liv. 1. xxxviii. n. 48.

Achaic. p. 414.

c Polyb. in Legat, c. li,