42.12
"For
throughout the cities of Greece and Asia all stand in awe of his greatness. I
do not see for what merits or munificence such a tribute is paid him, nor can
I say for certain whether this is due to the good fortune which attends him or
whether, though I shrink from saying it, it is ill-feeling towards Rome that
places him so high in their favour. Even with monarchs he possesses great
influence; he married the daughter of Seleucus, and did not ask for her hand;
on the contrary, he was invited to make the match; he gave his sister to
Prusias in response to his earnest solicitations. At the celebration of both
these marriages congratulations and wedding presents were offered by
deputations from numberless States, and the proudest nations joined in the
processions to bring good luck to the brides. The Boeotians, in spite of all
Philip's persuasions, could never be brought to make a formal league of
friendship and commit it to writing; today the terms of a league with Perseus
are recorded in three inscriptions: one at Thebes, another in the venerable
world-famed shrine in Delos, and the third at Delphi. And, as a matter of
fact, unless a small section of the Achaean council had threatened the rest
with the power of Rome, matters would have gone so far that the way into
Achaia would have been open to him. After all the services I have rendered
to that nation -and it is difficult to say whether those to the nation or those
to individuals were the greater -the statues set up in my honour have either
fallen into decay through neglect, or else have been done away with through
hostile malice. Who does not know that in their party conflicts the Aetolians
appeal for help not to the Romans, but to Perseus? Though he had these
friendships and alliances to lean upon, he has made such ample preparations
for war at home that he has no need of outside help. He has stored corn for
30,000 infantry and 5000 cavalry which will last for ten years, so that he can
leave the harvests of his own and of the enemy's fields untouched. He is now
in possession of so much money that he has a reserve sufficient to pay
10,000 mercenary troops, in addition to his Macedonian force, for the same
period. This is irrespective of the revenue from the royal mines. In the
arsenals, arms have been accumulated for three armies each as large. Thrace
is open to him as a never-failing source from which he can draw fighting
men, supposing that the supply from Macedonia should fail."
