45.35
The
captive monarchs Perseus and Gentius, with their children, were the first to
be brought to Rome as prisoners; a host of prisoners followed them. These
were succeeded by the Macedonians and the leading men of Greece who had
received orders to go to Rome. In the case of these latter the summons
embraced not only those at home, but also any who were reported to be with
Antiochus or Ptolemy. A few days later Paulus himself sailed up the Tiber to
the City in the king's ship, a vessel of enormous size propelled by sixteen
banks of oars and adorned with the spoils of Macedonia in the shape of
glittering armour and embroidered fabrics which belonged to the king. The
river banks were crowded with multitudes who had streamed out to greet his
arrival. Anicius and Octavius, with their fleet, arrived shortly afterwards. A
triumph for all three was decreed by the senate, and the praetor Q. Cassius
was instructed to arrange with the tribunes of the plebs that they should
propose a resolution to the Assembly that on the day when they entered the
City in triumph they should retain their full military powers. Men of
mediocre ability escape envy, it generally aims its shafts at the highest. No
hesitation was felt about allowing Anicius and Octavius a triumph; Paulus,
with whom they would have blushed to compare themselves, was the mark
for calumny. He had maintained the ancient discipline amongst his men; he
had given the soldiers much less booty than they had hoped considering
Perseus' immense wealth; had he satisfied their demands they would have left
nothing for the treasury. The whole of the army in Macedonia were incensed
against their commander, and intended to give very little support to the
resolution. Servius Sulpicius Galba, who had served in Macedonia as military
tribune in the second legion and who had a private grievance against his
commander, had gone about personally amongst the men and through the
soldiers of his own legion had solicited and spurred on the rest to come in
force and vote against the resolution, they would then have their revenge
upon their despotic and niggardly general. "The City plebs would follow the
lead of the soldiers. He forsooth had not the power to give the soldiers
money! The soldiers, however, had the power to confer honour. He must not
hope to reap the fruit of a gratitude which he had not earned."
