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

PERSEUS. PERSEUS. 207
lyb. xxvi. 7; Inscr. Del. ap. Marnz. Oxon.; Ap- drew off his forces, and even sent to the consul to
pian. Alac. ix. 1.) But every attempt to strengthen renew his offers of peace, which were haughtily
himself by foreign alliances was resented by the rejected by Licinius. The rest of the campaign
Romans as an infraction of the treaty with them. passed over without any decisive result. The
The Dardanians complained to the senate at Rome Romans in their turn obtained a slight advantage,
of the aggressions of the Bastarnae, and accused and Perseus at the close of the summer withdrew
Perseus, apparently not without reason, of sup- into Macedonia, whither Licinius made no attempt
porting the invaders. News was also brought to to follow him. (Liv. xlii. 50-67; Polyb. xxvii.
Rome that Macedonian envoys had been secretly 8; Appian Allac. Exc. 10; Plut. Aleril. 9; Zonar.
received at Carthage; and the king soon after ix. 22; Eutrop. iv. 6; Oros. iv. 20.)
gave fresh cause of offence by an expedition The second year of the war (B. c. 170) passed
against the Dolopians, in which, after reducing over without any striking action, but was on the
that tribe, he repaired at the head of an army, whole favourable to Perseus. The Macedonian fleet
though in the most peaceful manner, to Delphi, defeated that of the Romans at Oreus; and the
under pretence of a vow, but in reality to make a consul, A. Hostilius Mancinus, after an unsuccessshow of his power and force in the eyes of the ful attempt to penetrate into Macedonia, through
Greeks. Numerous embassies were sent by the the passes of Elymiotis, remained inactive in ThesRomans to complain of these proceedings, as well saly. Meanwhile, the Epeirots declared in favour
as to spy into the real state of affairs in Macedonia, of Perseus, by which his frontier became secured
while Perseus in return was not sparing of apolo- on that side; and so little cause did there appear
gies and excuses. At length, in B. C. 172, Eu- to dread the advance of the Romans. that the king
mnenes, king of Pergamus, repaired in person to found leisure for an expedition against the DarRome and laid before the senate an elaborate danians, by which he obtained a large booty.
statement of the power, the resources, and the (Plut. Aemil. 9; Liv. xliii. 18.) During the heart
hostile designs of the Macedonian king. On his of the following winter he crossed the mountains
return through Greece he was attacked near Delphi into Illyria with an army, but not so much with a
by a band of assassins, who are said to have been view to conquest, as in order to gain over Gentius,
employed by Perseus, a suspicion to which the king of the Illyrians, to his alliance. That monlatter certainly afforded some countenance, by arch was favourably disposed towards the Macetaking the leader of themn-a Cretan named Evan- donian cause, but was unable to act without money,
der-into his immediate service. Another plot and this Perseus was unwilling to give. A second
which the Romans pretended to have discovered expedition into Acarnania was also productive ot
at the same time, for poisoning some of their chief little result. (Liv. xliii. 18-23.)
officers [RAMAIvUS], was probably a mere fiction The arrival of the new consul Q. Marcius Philipto inflame the minds of the populace against Per- pus, in the spring of 169, for a moment gave fresh
seus. War was now determined by the senate, vigour to the Roman arms. By a bold but hazardous
but it was not declared till the following spring march he crossed the mountain ridge of Olympus,
(B. c. 171), and even then the Romans were not fully and thus descended into Macedonia near Heraprepared to commence hostilities. Perseus, on the cleium. Had Perseus attacked him before he reached
other hand, found himself at the head of a splendid the plains he might probably have destroyed the
army, fully equipped and ready for immediate whole Roman army: but instead of this he was
action: but instead of making use of this advan- seized with a panic terror, abandoned the strong
tage, he still clung to the delusive hopes of peace, position of Dium, and hastily retreated to Pydna.
and was persuaded by Q. Marcius Philippus, with Marcius at first followed him, but was soon comwhom he held a personal conference in Thessaly, to pelled by want of provisions to fall back to Phila,
send ambassadors once more to Rome. These soon and Perseus again occupied the line of the Enipeus.
returned, as was to be expected, without having (Liv. xliv. 1-10; Polyb. xxix. 6; Died. xxx.
even obtained an answer; but in the mean while Exc. Vales. pp. 578, 579; Exc. Vat. pp. 74, 75;
the Romans had completed their levies, transported Zonar. ix. 22.)
their army into Epeirus, and the consul P. Licinius The length to which the war had been unexCrassus was ready to take the field. (Liv. xli. pectedly protracted,and the ill success of the Roman
19, 22-24, xlii. 2, 5, 11, 12, 14-19, 25, 29- arms, had by this time excited a general feeling in
31, 36-43, 48; Polyb. xxvi. 9, xxvii. 7, Exc. Vat. favour of the Macedonian monarch; Prusias, king
p. 413; Diod. xxx. Exc. Leg. pp. 623, 624; Ap- of Bithynia, and the Rhodians, both interposed
pian, Mac. Exc. ix. 1-5.) their good offices at Rome to obtain for him a
Perseus was now at length convinced that he peace upon moderate terms; and even his bitter
had no hope of any longer delaying the contest; enemy Eumenes began to waver, and entered into
and at a council of war held at Pella, it was de- secret negotiations with the same view. [Eutermined to have immediate recourse to arms. MENES.] These were, however, rendered abortive
Though supported by no allies, except Cotys king by the refusal of Perseus to advance the suns of
of the Odrysians, he found himself at the head of money demanded by the king of Pergamus as the
an army, of 39,000 foot and 4,000 horse, with price of his interposition; and the same unseasonwhich he invaded Thessaly, and after taking some able niggardliness deprived the king of the services
small towns, encamped near Sycurium in the of 20,000 Gaulish mercenaries, who had actually
valley of the Peneius. The consul Licinius soon advanced into Macedoniato his support, but retired
arrived in the same neighbourhood, and an action on failing to obtain their stipulated pay. Many
ensued between the cavalry of the two armies, in of the Greek states, also, which had been from the
which the Macedonians were victorious; and if commencement of the war favourably disposed to.
Perseus had chosen to follow up his advantage wards Perseus, might undoubtedly have been in
with vigour, might probably have led to the total duced at this juncture openly to espouse his cause,
defeat of the Romans. But the king wavered, had he been more liberal of his treasures: but his