41.25
While
this was going on the Aetolians turned their rage against themselves, and it
seemed as though the massacres on both sides would result in the total
destruction of the nation. At last both factions, weary of slaughter, sent
missions to Rome and approached each other in the hope of re-establishing
peace and concord. But these negotiations were rendered fruitless by a fresh
outrage which roused all the old passions. The refugees from Hypata,
comprising eighty illustrious citizens, who belonged to the party of
Proxenus, had been assured of their restoration to their native country under
the pledged word of Eupolemus, the chief magistrate. As they were
returning home the whole population, including Eupolemus himself, came
out to meet them; he gave them a kind greeting and the right hand of
friendship. But as they were entering the gates they were all put to death in
spite of their appeals to the gods, as witnesses of the pledges given by
Eupolemus. After this the war blazed up more fiercely than ever. C. Valerius
Laevinus, Ap. Claudius Pulcher, C. Memmius, M. Popilius and L. Canuleius
had been sent by the senate to arbitrate between the contending parties. The
delegates from both sides appeared before them at Delphi and a keen debate
took place, in which Proxenus was considered to have spoken by far the
most convincingly and most eloquently. A few days later he was poisoned by
his wife Orthobula. She was convicted of the crime and sent into exile. The
same madness of party faction was rife among the Cretans. When Q.
Minucius, who had been sent with ten ships to settle their disputes, arrived
off the island they entertained hopes of peace. There was only a six months'
truce, however; after that a still more bitter conflict was kindled. The
Lycians were being harassed at this time by the Rhodians. But it is not worth
while to narrate in detail these wars which foreign nations waged with each
other. The task before me is sufficiently and more than sufficiently heavy of
describing the doings of the Romans.
