44.14
Whilst
the Macedonian war was going on, envoys from a Transalpine Gaulish
chieftain Balanos -his name is given but not that of his tribe -went to Rome
with promises of assistance in the war. Thanks were accorded to them by the
senate, and presents sent to their chief -a golden chain, two pounds in
weight, and four golden bowls, each weighing one pound, a horse with all its
trappings, and a complete set of equestrian armour. The Gauls were
followed by a deputation from Pamphylia, who brought into the
senate-house a golden crown made out of 20,000 "philippei," and begged
that they might be allowed to place it as an offering in the shrine of Jupiter
Optimus Maximus in the Capitol. Permission was granted, and the senate
also acceded to their request for a renewal of the league of friendship with
Rome; they each received a present of 2000 ases. An audience was then
granted to envoys from Prusias, and shortly afterwards to those from
Rhodes. Both embassies dealt with the same subject, but on very different
lines; they both pleaded for peace with Perseus. The tone of Prusias's
representatives was one of entreaty rather than demand. Prusias declared
that he had stood by the Romans up to that time, and would continue to do
so as long as the war lasted, but when envoys from Perseus approached him
with the object of bringing the war with Rome to an end he had promised to
intercede for him with the senate. He begged them, if they could make up
their minds to lay aside their resentment, to look favourably upon him as the
instrument of procuring peace. Such was the appeal which the king's envoys
made.
The Rhodians were far less deprecatory. They enumerated the
services they had rendered to the people of Rome, and practically claimed
the greater share in the victory over Antiochus at all events. Whilst there was
peace between Macedonia and Rome, friendly relations were formed
between them and Perseus. Much against their will they had broken off that
friendship, without his having done anything to deserve such treatment,
because the Romans had thought good to draw them as allies into the war.
For three years they had been suffering many of the evils of war; the sea had
been closed to them, and without supplies by sea their island was in a state
of destitution. They could not put up with this state of things any longer, and
had therefore sent to Macedonia to inform Perseus that the Rhodians wished
him to come to terms with Rome, and they had sent their envoys on a similar
mission to Rome. The Rhodians would consider how they would have to act
against those who prevented the war from being brought to a close. I am
quite certain that even today such language cannot be read or heard without
a deep feeling of indignation. It can then be imagined what the state of mind
of the senators was as they listened to it.
