A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

FLAMININUS. FLAMININUS. 163
opposed by two tribunes, who maintained that he the country and destroyed the towns. Flamininus
ought first to go through the offices of aedile and laid siege to Phaloria, the first Thessalian town to
praetor, before aiming at the consulship; but as he which he came, and, after a brave resistance of its
had reached the legitimate age, the senate declared garrison, it was taken by.storm, and reduced to
that he was entitled to offer himself as a candidate. a heap of ashes, as a warning to the other Greeks.
The tribunes yielded, and T. Quintius Flamininus But this severity did not produce the desired
was elected consul for B. C. 198, together with effect, nor did it facilitate his progress, for the
Sex. Aelius Paetus. When the two consuls drew principal towns were strongly garrisoned, and the
lots for their provinces, T. Flamininus obtained Macedonian army was encamped in Tempe, whence
Macedonia. According to a resolution of the the king could easily send succours to his allies.
senate, he levied an army of 3000 foot and 300 Flamininus next besieged Charax, on the Peneius;
horse, as a supplement for the army engaged but in spite of his most extraordinary exertions,
against Philip of Macedonia, and he selected such and even partial success, the heroic defence of its
men as had already distinguished themselves in inhabitants thwarted all his attempts, and in the
Spain and Africa. Some prodigies detained him end he was obliged to raise the siege. He fearfor a short time in Rome, as the gods had to be fully ravaged the country, and marched into
propitiated by a supplication; but he then has- Phocis, where several places and maritime towns,.
tened without delay to his province, instead of which enabled him to communicate with the fleet
spending the first months of his consulship at under the command of his brother Lucius, opened
Rome, as had been the custom with his predeces- their gates to him; but Elateia, the principal place,
sors. He sailed from Brundusium to Corcyra, which was strongly fortified, offered a brave rewhere he left his troops to follow him, for he him- sistance, and for a time checked his progress.
self sailed to Epeirus, and thence hastened to the While he was yet engaged there, his brother.
Roman camp. After having dismissed his prede- Lucius, at his request, contrived to draw thecessor, he waited a few days, till the troops from Achaean league into an alliance with the Romans,,'Corcyra arrived in the camp; he then held a which was effected the more easily, as Aristaenecouncil, to deliberate by what route he should tus, then strategus of the Achaeans, was well disinvade Macedonia. He there showed at once posed towards Rome. Megalopolis, however,
that he was animated by a bold and heroic spirit: Dyme, and Argos, remained faithful to Macedonia.
he did not despair of what appeared impossible to After capturing Elateia, Flamininus took up
every one else, for he resolved to storm the pass of his winter-quarters in Phocis and Locris; but he
Antigoneia,'which was occupied by the enemy, had not been there long when an insurrection
instead of going a round-about way. He trusted, broke out at Opus, in which the Macedonian garhowever, in this undertaking to the assistance of rison was compelled to withdraw to the acropolis.:
the Roman party in Epeirus, which was headed by Some of the citizens called in the assistance of the
Charops; and he further hoped to pave his way Aetolians, and others that of the Romans. The
into Greece, where he wished to detach one state former came, but the gates were not opened till
after another from the cause of Macedonia, and Flamininus arrived, and took possession of the
thus to crush Philip more effectually. For forty town. This seems to have been the first cause of
days he faced the enemy, without a favourable the ill feeling of the Aetolians towards the Romans.
opportunity of attacking the enemy being offered. The Macedonian- garrison remained in the acroPhilip had from the first conceived the hope of polis, and Flamininus for the present abstained
concluding a favourable treaty with the Romans, from besieging them, as king Philip had just made
and, through the mediation of the Epeirots, he proposals of peace. Flamininus accepted the probegan to negotiate, but Flamininus demanded posals, but only with the view of employing them as
first of all the liberation of Greece and Thessaly. a means of satisfying his own ambition; for as he
This bold demand of the young hero, before he did not yet know whether he was to be left in his
had gained an inch of ground, was equivalent to a province for another year, his object was to give
all upon the Greeks to throw off the yoke of Mace- matters such a turn as to have it in his own power
donia. An event, however, soon occurredwhich en- to decide upon war or peace. A congress was!bled Flamininus to rise from his inactivity: there held at the Malean gulf, in the neighbourhood of
vas a path across the mountains, by which the pass Nicaea, which lasted for three days. Flamininus
f Antigoneia could be evaded, as at Thermopylae, and his allies, among whom the Aetolians distinnd this path was either unknown to Philip, or neg- guished themselves by their invectives against
ected by him, because he did not fear any danger Philip, who was present, drew up a long list of
rom that quarter. Charops informed Flamininus demands, and the conditions of a peace: the prinf the existence of the path, and sent a man well cipal demand, however, was, that Philip should
cquainted with it as his guide. The consul then withdraw his garrisons from all the towns of
ent 4300 men, accompanied by the guide, across Greece. The allies of the Romans were of opinion
hlie mountain, and in a few days they arrived in that the negotiations should be broken off at once,
he rear of the Macedonians. The latter, being unless Philip would consent to this fundamental
hus pressed on both sides, made a short resist- condition; but the consul, whose object it was to
nce, and then fled in great consternation towards defer'giving any decision, acted with very great
rhessaly: 2000 men were lost, and their camp diplomatic skill. At last a truce of two months
ell into the hands of the Romans. Epeirus im- was concluded, during which ambassadors of both
ediately submitted to Flamininus, and was mildly parties were sent to Rome. The condition, howreated, for his ambition was to appear every ever, on which Philip was permitted to send his
vhere as the deliverer from the'Macedonians. ambassadors was, the evacuation of the towns
The consul and his army now marched through in Phocis and Locris which were still in his
he passes into Thessaly. Here Philip, in order to possession. When the ambassadors arrived at
cave nothing for the enemy to take, had ravaged Rome, those of Flamininus and his allies acted
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