what titus quintius , whom we select as a parallel tophilopoemen, was in personal appearance, those who are curious maysee by the brazen statue of him, which stands in rome near that of the great apollo, brought from carthage, opposite to the circus maximus,with a greek inscription upon it. the temper of his mind is said tohave been of the warmest both in anger and in kindness, not indeedequally so in both respects； as in punishing he was ever moderate,never inflexible； but whatever courtesy or good turn he set about,he went through with it, and was as perpetually kind and obligingto those on whom he had poured his favours, as if they, not he, had been the benefactors； exerting himself for the security and preservationof what he seemed to consider his noblest possessions, those to whomhe had done good. but being ever thirsty after honour, and passionatefor glory, if anything of a greater and more extraordinary naturewere to be done, he was eager to be the doer of it himself； and tookmore pleasure in those that needed, than in those that were capableof conferring favours； looking on the former as objects for his virtue,and on the latter as competitors in glory.
the manuscripts generally write the name incorrectly- flaminius. tituswas the name by which he was commonly known to the greeks .
rome had then many sharp contests going on, and her youth betakingthemselves early to the wars, learned betimes the art of commanding；and flamininus, having passed through the rudiments of soldiery, receivedhis first charge in the war against hannibal, as tribune under marcellus,then consul. marcellus, indeed, falling into an ambuscade, was cutoff. but titus, receiving the appointment of governor, as well oftarentum, then retaken, as of the country about it, grew no less famousfor his administration of justice, than for his military skill. thisobtained him the office of leader and founder of two colonies whichwere sent into the cities of narnia and cossa； which filled him withloftier hopes, and made him aspire to step over those previous honourswhich it was usual first to pass through, the offices of tribune of the people, praetor and aedile, and to level his aim immediately at the consulship. having these colonies, and all their interest readyat his service, he offered himself as candidate； but the tribunesof the people, fulvius and and their party, strongly opposedhim； alleging how unbecoming a thing it was that a man of such rawyears, one who was yet, as it were, untrained, uninitiated in the first sacred rites and mysteries of government, should, in contemptof the laws, intrude and force himself into the sovereignty.
（manius curius is meant） .
however, the senate remitted it to the people's choice and suffrage；who elected him （though not then arrived at his thirtieth year） consulwith sextus aelius. the war against philip and the macedonians fellto titus by lot, and some kind fortune, propitious at that time to the romans, seems to have so determined it； as neither the peoplenor the state of things which were now to be dealt with were suchas to require a general who would always be upon the point of forceand mere blows, but rather were accessible to persuasion and gentleusage. it is true that the kingdom of macedon furnished supplies enoughto philip for actual battle with the romans； but to maintain a longand lingering war he must call in aid from greece； must thence procurehis supplies； there find his means of retreat； greece, in a word,would be his resource for all the requisites of his army. unless,therefore, the greeks could be withdrawn from siding with philip,this war with him must not expect its decision from a single battle.now greece （which had not hitherto held much correspondence with theromans, but first began an intercourse on this occasion） would notso soon have embraced a foreign authority, instead of the commandersshe had been inured to, had not the general of these strangers beenof a kind, gentle nature, one who worked rather by fair means thanforce； of a persuasive address in all applications to others, andno less courteous and open to all addresses of others to him； andabove all bent and determined on justice. but the story of his actionswill best illustrate these particulars.
titus observed that both sulpicius and publius, who had been his predecessorsin that command, had not taken the field against the macedonians tilllate in the year； and then, too, had not set their hands properlyto the war, but had kept skirmishing and scouting here and there forpasses and provisions, and never came to close fighting with philip.he resolved not to trifle away a year, as they had done, at home inostentation of the honour, and in domestic administration, and onlythen to join the army, with the pitiful hope of protracting the termof office through a second year, acting as consul in the first, andas general in the latter. he was, moreover, infinitely desirous toemploy his authority with effect upon the war, which made him slightthose home honours and prerogatives. requesting, therefore, of thesenate, that his brother lucius might act with him as admiral of thenavy, and taking with him to be the edge, as it were, of the expeditionthree thousand still young and vigorous soldiers, of those who, underscipio, had defeated asdrubal in spain, and hannibal in africa, hegot safe into epirus； and found publius encamped with his army, overagainst philip, who had long made good the pass over the river apsus,and the straits there； publius not having been able, for the naturalstrength of the place, to effect anything against him. titus thereforetook upon himself the conduct of the army, and, having dismissed publius,examined the ground. the place is in strength not inferior to tempe,though it lacks the trees and green woods, and the pleasant meadowsand walks that adorn tempe. the apsus, making its way between vastand lofty mountains which all but meet above a single deep ravinein the midst, is not unlike the river peneus in the rapidity of itscurrent and in its general appearance. it covers the foot of thosehills, and leaves only a craggy, narrow path cut out beside the stream,not easily passable at any time for an army, but not at all when guardedby an enemy.
there were some, therefore, who would have had titus make a circuitthrough dassaretis, and take an easy and safe road by the districtof lyncus. but he, fearing that if he should engage himself too farfrom the sea in barren and untilled countries, and philip should declinefighting, he might, through want of provisions, be constrained tomarch back again to the seaside without effecting anything, as hispredecessor had done before him, embraced the resolution of forcinghis way over the mountains. but philip, having possessed himself ofthem with his army, showered down his darts and arrows from all partsupon the romans. sharp encounters took place, and many fell woundedand slain on both sides, and there seemed but little likelihood ofthus ending the war； when some of the men, who fed their cattle thereabouts,came to titus with a discovery, that there was a roundabout way whichthe enemy neglected to guard： through which they undertook to conducthis army, and to bring it, within three days at furthest, to the topof the hills. to gain the surer credit with him, they said that charops,son of machatas, a leading man in epirus, who was friendly to theromans, and aided them （though, for fear of philip, secretly）, wasprivy to the design. titus gave their information belief, and senta captain with four thousand foot and three hundred horse； these herdsmenbeing their guides, but kept in bonds. in the daytime they lay stillunder the covert of the hollow and woody places, but in the nightthey marched by moonlight, the moon being then at the full. titus,having detached this party, lay quiet with his main body, merely keepingup the attention of the enemy by some slight skirmishing. but whenthe day arrived that those who stole round were expected upon thetop of the hill, he drew up his forces early in the morning, as wellthe light-armed as the heavy, and, dividing them into three parts,himself led the van, marching his men up the narrow passage alongthe bank, darted at by the macedonians and engaging, in this difficultground, hand to hand with his assailants； whilst the other two divisionson either side of him threw themselves with great alacrity among therocks. whilst they were struggling forward, the sun rose, and a thinsmoke, like a mist, hanging on the hills, was seen rising at a distance,unperceived by the enemy, being behind them, as they stood on theheights； and the romans, also, as yet under suspense, in the toiland difficulty they were in, could only doubtfully construe the sightaccording to their desires. but as it grew thicker and thicker, blackeningthe air, and mounting to a greater height, they no longer doubtedbut it was the fire-signal of their companions； and, raising a triumphantshout, forcing their way onwards, they drove the enemy back into theroughest ground； while the other party echoed back their acclamationsfrom the top of the mountain.
the macedonians fled with all the speed they could make； there fell,indeed, not more than two thousand of them； for the difficulties of the place rescued them from pursuit. but the romans pillaged theircamp, seized upon their money and slaves, and, becoming absolute mastersof the pass, traversed all epirus； but with such order and discipline,with such temperance and moderation, that, though they were far from the sea, at a great distance from their vessels, and stinted of theirmonthly allowance of corn, and though they had much difficulty inbuying, they nevertheless abstained altogether from plundering thecountry, which had provisions enough of all sorts in it. for intelligencebeing received that philip, making a flight, rather than a march,through thessaly, forced the inhabitants from the towns to take shelterin the mountains, burnt down the towns themselves, and gave up asspoil to his soldiers all the property which it had been found impossibleto remove, abandoning, as it would seem, the whole country to theromans, titus was, therefore, very desirous, and entreated his soldiersthat they would pass through it as if it were their own, or as ifa place trusted into their hands； and, indeed, they quickly perceived,by the event, what benefit they derived from this moderate and orderlyconduct. for they no sooner set foot in thessaly, but the cities openedtheir gates, and the greeks, within thermopylae, were all eagernessand excitement to ally themselves with them. the achaeans abandonedtheir alliance with philip, and voted to join with the romans in actualarms against him； and the opuntians, though the aetolians, who werezealous allies of the romans, were willing and desirous to undertakethe protection of the city, would not listen to proposals from them；but sending for titus, intrusted and committed themselves to his charge.
it is told of pyrrhus, that when first, from an adjacent hill or watchtowerwhich gave him a prospect of the roman army, he descried them drawnup in order, he observed, that he saw nothing barbarian-like in thisbarbarian line of battle, and all who came near titus could not choosebut say as much of him, at their first view. for they who had beentold by the macedonians of an invader, at the head of a barbarianarmy, carrying everywhere slavery and destruction on his sword's point；when, in lieu of such an one, they met a man, in the flower of hisage, of a gentle and humane aspect, a greek in his voice and language,and a lover of honour, were wonderfully pleased and attracted； andwhen they left him, they filled the cities, wherever they went, withfavourable feelings for him, and with the belief that in him theymight find the protector and assertor of their liberties. and whenafterwards, on philip's professing a desire for peace, titus madea tender to him of peace and friendship, upon the condition that thegreeks he left to their own laws, and that he should withdraw hisgarrisons, which he refused to comply with, now after these proposalsthe universal belief even of the favourers and partisans of philipwas, that the romans came not to fight against the greeks, but for the greeks against the macedonians.
accordingly, all the rest of greece came to peaceable terms with him.but as he marched into boeotia, without committing the least act ofhostility, the nobility and chief men of thebes came out of theircity to meet him, devoted under the influence of brachylles to themacedonian alliance, but desirous at the same time to show honourand deference to titus； as they were, they conceived, in amity withboth parties. titus received them in the most obliging and courteousmanner, but kept going gently on, questioning and inquiring of them,and sometimes entertaining them with narratives of his own, till hissoldiers might a little recover from the weariness of their journey.thus passing on, he and the thebans came together into their city,not much to their satisfaction； but yet they could not well deny himentrance, as a good number of his men attended him in. titus, however,now he was within, as if he had not had the city at his mercy, cameforward and addressed them, urging them to join the roman interest.king attalus followed to the same effect. and he, indeed, trying toplay the advocate, beyond what it seems his age could bear, was seized,in the midst of his speech, with a sudden flux or dizziness, and swoonedaway； and, not long after, was conveyed by ship into asia, and diedthere. the boeotians joined the roman alliance.
but now, when philip sent an embassy to rome, titus despatched awayagents on his part, too, to solicit the senate, if they should continuethe war, to continue him in his command, or if they determined anend to that, that he might have the honour of concluding the peace.having a great passion for distinction, his fear was, that if anothergeneral were commissioned to carry on the war, the honour even ofwhat was passed would be lost to him； and his friends transacted mattersso well on his behalf, that philip was unsuccessful in his proposals,and the management of the war was confirmed in his hands. he no soonerreceived the senate's determination, but, big with hopes, he marcheddirectly into thessaly, to engage philip； his army consisting of twenty-sixthousand men, out of which the aetolians furnished six thousand footand four hundred horse. the forces of philip were much about the samenumber. in this eagerness to encounter, they advanced against eachother, till both were near scotussa, where they resolved to hazarda battle. nor had the approach of these two formidable armies theeffect that might have been supposed, to strike into the generalsa mutual terror of each other； it rather inspired them with ardourand ambition； on the romans' part, to be the conquerors of macedon,a name which alexander had made famous amongst them for strength andvalour； whilst the macedonians, on the other hand, esteeming of theromans as an enemy very different from the persians, hoped, if victorystood on their side, to make the name of philip more glorious thanthat of alexander. titus, therefore, called upon his soldiers to playthe part of valiant men, because they were now to act their partsupon the most illustrious theatre of the world, greece, and to contendwith the bravest antagonists. and philip, on the other side, commenceda harangue to his men, as usual before an engagement, and to be thebetter heard （whether it were merely a mischance, or the result ofunseasonable haste, not observing what he did）, mounted an eminenceoutside their camp, which proved to be a burying-place； and much disturbedby the despondency that seized his army at the unluckiness of theomen, all that day kept in his camp, and declined fighting.
but on the morrow, as day came on, after a soft and rainy night, theclouds changing into a mist filled all the plain with thick darkness；and a dense foggy air descending, by the time it was full day, from the adjacent mountains into the ground betwixt the two camps, concealedthem from each other's view. the parties sent out on either side,some for ambuscade, some for discovery, falling in upon one anotherquickly after they were thus detached, began the fight at what arecalled the cynos cephalae, a number of sharp tops of hills that standclose to one another, and have the name from some resemblance in theirshape. now many vicissitudes and changes happening, as may well beexpected, in such an uneven field of battle, sometimes hot pursuit,and sometimes as rapid a flight, the generals on both sides kept sendingin succours from the main bodies, as they saw their men pressed orgiving ground, till at length the heavens clearing up, let them seewhat was going on, upon which the whole armies engaged. philip, whowas in the right wing, from the advantage of the higher ground whichhe had, threw on the romans the whole weight of his phalanx, with a force which they were unable to sustain； the dense array of spears,and the pressure of the compact mass overpowering them. but the king'sleft wing being broken up by the hilliness of the place, titus observingit, and cherishing little or no hopes on that side where his own gaveground, makes in all haste to the other, and there charges in uponthe macedonians； who, in consequence of the inequality and roughnessof the ground, could not keep their phalanx entire, nor line theirranks to any great depth （which is the great point of their strength）,but were forced to fight man for man under heavy and unwieldy armour.for the macedonian phalanx is like some single powerful animal, irresistibleso long as it is embodied into one, and keeps its order, shield touchingshield, all as in a piece； but if it be once broken, not only is thejoint force lost, but the individual soldiers also who composed itlose each one his own single strength, because of the nature of theirarmour； and because each of them is strong, rather, as he makes apart of the whole, than in himself. when these were routed, some gavechase to the flyers, others charged the flanks of those macedonianswho were still fighting, so that the conquering wing, also, was quicklydisordered, took to flight, and threw down its arms. there were thenslain no less than eight thousand, and about five thousand were takenprisoners； and the aetolians were blamed as having been the main occasionthat philip himself got safe off. for whilst the romans were in pursuit,they fell to ravaging and plundering the camp, and did it so completely,that when the others returned, they found no booty in it.
this bred at first hard words, quarrels, and misunderstandings betwixtthem. but, afterwards, they galled titus more by ascribing the victoryto themselves, and prepossessing the greeks with reports to that effect；insomuch that poets, and people in general in the songs that weresung or written in honour of the action, still ranked the aetoliansforemost. one of the pieces most current was the following epigram：-
"naked and tombless see, o passer-by, the thirty thousand men of thessaly, slain by the aetolians and the latin band, that came with titus from italia's land； alas for mighty macedon！ that day, swift as a roe, king philip fled away." this was composed by alcaeusin mockery of philip, exaggerating the number of the slain. however,being everywhere repeated, and by almost everybody, titus was morenettled at it than philip. the latter merely retorted upon alcaeuswith some elegiac verses of his own：-
"naked and leafless see, o passer-by, the cross that shall alcaeus crucify." but such little matters extremelyfretted titus, who was ambitious of a reputation among the greeks；and he therefore acted in all after-occurrences by himself, payingbut very slight regard to the aetolians. this offended them in theirturn； and when titus listened to terms of accommodation, and admittedan embassy upon the proffers of the macedonian king, the aetoliansmade it their business to publish through all the cities of greece,that this was the conclusion of all； that he was selling philip apeace at a time when it was in his hand to destroy the very rootsof the war, and to overthrow the power which had first inflicted servitudeupon greece. but whilst with these and the like rumours the aetolianslaboured to shake the roman confederates, philip, making overturesof submission of himself and his kingdom to the discretion of titusand the romans, put an end to those jealousies, as titus, by acceptingthem, did to the war. for he reinstated philip in his kingdom of macedon,but made it a condition that he should quit greece, and that he shouldpay one thousand talents； he took from him also all his shipping,save ten vessels and sent away demetrius, one of his sons, hostageto rome； improving his opportunity to the best advantage, and takingwise precautions for the future. for hannibal the african, a professedenemy to the roman name, an exile from his own country, and not longsince arrived at king antiochus's court, was already stimulating thatprince, not to be wanting to the good fortune that had been hithertoso propitious to his affairs； the magnitude of his successes havinggained him the surname of the great. he had begun to level his aimat universal monarchy, but above all he was eager to measure himselfwith the romans. had not, therefore, titus, upon a principle of prudenceand foresight, lent an ear to peace, and had antiochus found the romansstill at war in greece with philip, and had these two, the most powerfuland warlike princes of that age, confederated for their common interestsagainst the roman state, rome might once more have run no less a risk,and been reduced to no less extremities, than she had experiencedunder hannibal. but now, titus opportunely introducing this peacebetween the wars, despatching the present danger before the new onehad arrived, at once disappointed antiochus of his first hopes andphilip of his last.
when the ten commissioners, delegated to titus from the senate, advisedhim to restore the rest of greece to their liberty, but that corinth,chalcis, and demetrias should be kept garrisoned for security againstantiochus； the aetolians on this, breaking out into loud accusations,agitated all the cities, calling upon titus to strike off the shacklesof greece （so philip used to term those three cities）, and askingthe greeks whether it were not matter of much consolation to themthat, though their chains weighed heavier, yet they were now smootherand better polished than formerly, and whether titus were not deservedlyadmired by them as their benefactor, who had unshackled the feet ofgreece, and tied her up by the neck； titus, vexed and angry at this,made it his request to the senate, and at last prevailed in it, that the garrisons in these cities should be dismissed, that so the greeksmight be no longer debtors to him for a partial, but for an entirefavour. it was now the time of the celebration of the isthmian games；and the seats around the racecourse were crowded with an unusual multitudeof spectators； greece, after long wars, having regained not only peace,but hopes of liberty, and being able once more to keep holiday insafety. a trumpet sounded to command silence； and the crier, steppingforth amidst the spectators, made proclamation, that the roman senateand titus quintius, the proconsular general, having vanquished kingphilip and the macedonians, restored the corinthians, locrians, phocians,euboeans, achaeans of phthiotis, magnetians, thessalians, and perrhaebiansto their own lands, laws, and liberties； remitting all impositionsupon them, and withdrawing all garrisons from their cities. at first,many heard not at all, and others not distinctly, what was said； butthere was a confused and uncertain stir among the assembled people,some wondering, some asking, some calling out to have it proclaimedagain. when, therefore, fresh silence was made, the crier raisinghis voice, succeeded in making himself generally heard； and recitedthe decree again. a shout of joy followed it, so loud that it washeard as far as the sea. the whole assembly rose and stood up； therewas no further thought of the entertainment； all were only eager toleap up and salute and address their thanks to the deliverer and championof greece. what we often hear alleged, in proof of the force of humanvoices, was actually verified upon this occasion. crows that wereaccidentally flying over the course fell down dead into it. the disruptionof the air must be the cause of it； for the voices being numerous,and the acclamation violent, the air breaks with it and can no longergive support to the birds, but lets them tumble, like one that shouldattempt to walk upon a vacuum； unless we should rather imagine themto fall and die, shot with the noise as a dart. it is possible, too,that there may be a circular agitation of the air, which, like marinewhirlpools, may have a violent direction of this sort given to itfrom the excess of its fluctuation.
but for titus； the sports being now quite at an end, so beset washe on every side, and by such multitudes, that had he not, foreseeingthe probable throng and concourse of the people, timely withdrawn,he would scarce, it is thought, have ever got clear of them. whenthey had tired themselves with acclamations all about his pavilion,and night was now come, wherever friends or fellow-citizens met, theyjoyfully saluted and embraced each other, and went home to feast andcarouse together. and there, no doubt, redoubling their joy, theybegan to recollect and talk of the state of greece, what wars shehad incurred in defence of her liberty, and yet was never perhapsmistress of a more settled or grateful one than this which other men'slabours had won for her； almost without one drop of blood, or onecitizen's loss to be mourned for, she had this day had put into herhands the most glorious of rewards, and best worth the contendingfor. courage and wisdom are, indeed, rarities amongst men, but ofall that is good, a just man it would seem is the most scarce. suchas agesilaus, lysander, nicias, and alcibiades, knew how to play thegeneral's part, how to manage a war, how to bring off their men victoriousby land and sea； but how to employ that success to generous and honestpurposes they had not known. for should a man except the achievementat marathon, the sea-fight at salamis, the engagements at plataeaand thermopylae, cimon's exploits at eurymedon, and on the coastsof cyprus, greece fought all her battles against, and to enslave,herself； she erected all her trophies to her own shame and misery,and was brought to ruin and desolation almost wholly by the guiltand ambition of her great men. a foreign people, appearing just toretain some embers, as it were, some faint remainders of a commoncharacter derived to them from their ancient sires, a nation fromwhom it was a mere wonder that greece should reap any benefit by wordor thought, these are they who have retrieved greece from her severestdangers and distresses, have rescued her out of the hands of insultinglords and tyrants, and reinstated her in her former liberties.
thus they entertained their tongues and thoughts： whilst titus byhis actions made good what had been proclaimed. for he immediatelydespatched away lentulus to asia, to set the bargylians free, titilliusto thrace, to see the garrisons of philip removed out of the townsand islands there, while publius villius set sail, in order to treatwith antiochus about the freedom of the greeks under him. titus himselfpassed on to chalcis, and sailing thence to magnesia, dismantled thegarrisons there, and surrendered the government into the people'shands. shortly after, he was appointed at argos to preside in thenemean games, and did his part in the management of that solemnitysingularly well； and made a second publication there by the crierof liberty to the greeks； and, visiting all the cities, he exhortedthem to the practice of obedience to law, of constant justice, andunity, and friendship one towards another. he suppressed their factions,brought home their political exiles； and, in short, his conquest over the macedonians did not seem to give him a more lively pleasure, thanto find himself prevalent in reconciling greeks with greeks； so thattheir liberty seemed now the least part of the kindness he conferredupon them.
the story goes, that when lycurgus the orator had rescued xenocratesthe philosopher from the collectors who were hurrying him away toprison for non-payment of the alien tax, and had them punished for the licence they had been guilty of, xenocrates afterwards meetingthe children of lycurgus, "my sons," said he, "i am nobly repayingyour father for his kindness； he has the praises of the whole peoplein return for it." but the returns which attended titus quintius and the romans, for their beneficence to the greeks, terminated not inempty praises only； for these proceedings gained them, deservedly,credit and confidence, and thereby power, among all nations, for manynot only admitted the roman commanders, but even sent and entreatedto be under their protection； neither was this done by popular governmentsalone, or by single cities； but kings oppressed by kings cast themselvesinto these protecting hands. insomuch that in a very short time （thoughperchance not without divine influence in it） all the world did homageto them. titus himself thought more highly of his liberation of greecethan of any other of his actions, as appears by the inscription withwhich he dedicated some silver targets, together with his own shield,to apollo at delphi：-
"ye spartan tyndarids, twin sons of jove, who in swift horsemanship have placed your love, titus, of great aeneas's race, leaves this in honour of the liberty of greece." he offered also to apollo a goldencrown, with this inscription：-
"this golden crown upon thy locks divine, o blest latonia's son, was set to shine by the great captain of the aenean name. o phoebus, grant the noble titus fame！
the same event has twice occurred to the greeks in the city of corinth.titus, then, and nero again in our days, both at corinth, and bothalike at the celebration of the isthmian games, permitted the greeksto enjoy their own laws and liberty. the former （as has been said）proclaimed it by the crier； but nero did it in the public meeting-placefrom the tribunal, in a speech which he himself made to the people.this, however, was long after.
titus now engaged in a most gallant and just war upon nabis, thatmost profligate and lawless tyrant of the lacedaemonians, but in theend disappointed the expectations of the greeks. for when he had anopportunity of taking him, he purposely let it slip, and struck upa peace with him, leaving sparta to bewail an unworthy slavery； whetherit were that he feared, if the war should be protracted, rome wouldsend a new general who might rob him of the glory of it； or that emulationand envy of philopoemen （who had signalized himself among the greeksupon all other occasions, but in that war especially had done wondersboth for matter of courage and counsel, and whom the achaeans magnifiedin their theatres, and put into the same balance of glory with titus）,touched him to the quick； and that he scorned that an ordinary arcadian,who had commanded in a few encounters upon the confines of his nativedistrict, should be spoken of in terms of equality with a roman consul,waging war as the protector of greece in general. but, besides, tituswas not without an apology too for what he did, namely, that he putan end to the war only when he foresaw that the tyrant's destructionmust have been attended with the ruin of the other spartans.
the achaeans, by various decrees, did much to show titus honour： noneof these returns, however, seemed to come up to the height of theactions that merited them, unless it were one present they made him,which affected and pleased him beyond all the rest； which was this.the romans, who in the war with hannibal had the misfortune to betaken captives, were sold about here and there, and dispersed intoslavery； twelve hundred in number were at that time in greece. thereverse of their fortune always rendered them objects of compassion；but more particularly, as well might be, when they now met, some withtheir sons, some with their brothers, others with their acquaintance；slaves with their free, and captives with their victorious countrymen.titus, though deeply concerned on their behalf, yet took none of themfrom their masters by constraint. but the achaeans, redeeming themat five pounds a man, brought them altogether into one place, andmade a present of them to him, as he was just going on shipboard,so that he now sailed away with the fullest satisfaction； his generousactions having procured him as generous returns, worthy a brave manand a lover of his country. this seemed the most glorious part ofall his succeeding triumph； for these redeemed romans （as it is thecustom for slaves, upon their manumission, to shave their heads andwear felt hats） followed in that habit in the procession. to add to the glory of this show, there were the grecian helmets, the macedoniantargets and long spears, borne with the rest of the spoils in publicview, besides vast sums of money； tuditanus says, 3,713 pounds weightof massy gold, 43,270 of silver, 14,514 pieces of coined gold, calledphilippics, which was all over and above the thousand talents whichphilip owed, and which the romans were afterwards prevailed upon,chiefly by the mediation of titus, to remit to philip, declaring himtheir ally and confederate, and sending him home his hostage son.
shortly after, antiochus entered greece with a numerous fleet anda powerful army, soliciting the cities there to sedition and revolt；abetted in all and seconded by the aetolians, who for this long timehad borne a grudge and secret enmity to the romans, and now suggestedto him, by the way of a cause and pretext of war, that he came tobring the greeks liberty. when, indeed, they never wanted it less,as they were free already, but, in lack of really honourable grounds,he was instructed to employ these lofty professions. the romans, in the interim, in the great apprehension of revolutions and revolt ingreece, and of his great reputation for military strength, despatchedthe consul manius acilius to take the charge of the war, and titus,as his lieutenant, out of regard to the greeks： some of whom he nosooner saw, but he confirmed them in the roman interests； others,who began to falter, like a timely physician, by the use of the strongremedy of their own affection for himself, he was able to arrest in the first stage of the disease, before they had committed themselvesto any great error. some few there were whom the aetolians were beforehandwith, and had so wholly perverted that he could do no good with them；yet these, however angry and exasperated before, he saved and protectedwhen the engagement was over. for antiochus, receiving a defeat atthermopylae, not only fled the field, but hoisted sail instantly forasia. manius, the consul, himself invaded and besieged a part of theaetolians, while king philip had permission to reduce the rest. thuswhile, for instance, the dolopes and magnesians on the one hand, theathamanes and aperantians on the other, were ransacked by the macedonians,and while manius laid heraclea waste, and besieged naupactus, thenin the aetolians' hands, titus, still with a compassionate care forgreece, sailed across from peloponnesus to the consul： and began firstof all to chide him, that the victory should be owing alone to hisarms, and yet he should suffer philip to bear away the prize and profitof the war, and set wreaking his anger upon a single town, whilstthe macedonians overran several nations and kingdoms. but as he happenedto stand then in view of the besieged, they no sooner spied him out,but they call to him from their wall, they stretch forth their hands,they supplicate and entreat him. at the time, he said not a word more,but turning about with tears in his eyes, went his way. some littlewhile after he discussed the matter so effectually with manius, thathe won him over from his passion, and prevailed with him to give atruce and time to the aetolians to send deputies to rome to petitionthe senate for terms of moderation.
but the hardest task, and that which put titus to the greatest difficulty,was to entreat with manius for the chalcidians, who had incensed himon account of a marriage which antiochus had made in their city, evenwhilst the war was on foot； a match noways suitable in point of age,he an elderly man being enamoured with a mere girl； and as littleproper for the time, in the midst of a war. she was the daughter ofone cleoptolemus, and is said to have been wonderfully beautiful.the chalcidians, in consequence, embraced the king's interests withzeal and alacrity, and let him make their city the basis of his operationsduring the war. thither, therefore, he made with all speed, when he was routed and fled； and reaching chalcis, without making any stay,taking this young lady, and his money and friends with him, away hesails to asia. and now manius's indignation carrying him in all hasteagainst the chalcidians, titus hurried after him, endeavouring topacify and to entreat him； and at length succeeded both with him and the chief men among the romans.
the chalcidians, thus owing their lives to titus, dedicated to himall the best and most magnificent of their sacred buildings, inscriptionsupon which may be seen to run thus to this day： the people dedicatethis gymnasium to titus and to hercules； so again： the people consecratethe delphinium to titus and to hercules； and what is yet more, evenin our time, a priest of titus was formerly elected and declared；and after sacrifice and libation, they sing a set song, much of whichfor the length of it we omit, but shall transcribe the closing verses-
"the roman faith, whose aid of yore our vows were offered to implore, we worship now and evermore. to rome, to titus, and to jove, o maidens, in the dances move. dances and io-paeans too unto the roman faith are due, o saviour titus, and to you." other parts of greece also heaped honoursupon him suitable to his merits, and what made all those honours trueand real, was the surprising goodwill and affection which his moderationand equity of character had won for him. for if he were at any timeat variance with anybody in matters of business, or out of emulationand rivalry （as with philopoemen, and again with diophanes, when inoffice as general of the achaeans）, his resentment never went far,nor did it ever break out into acts； but when it had vented itselfin some citizen-like freedom of speech, there was an end of it. infine, nobody charged malice or bitterness upon his nature, thoughmany imputed hastiness and levity to it； in general, he was the mostattractive and agreeable of companions, and could speak, too, bothwith grace and forcibly. for instance, to divert the achaeans from the conquest of the isle of zacynthus, "if," said he, "they put theirhead too far out of peloponnesus, they may hazard themselves as muchas a tortoise out of its shell." again, when he and philip first metto treat of a cessation and peace, the latter complaining that tituscame with a mighty train, while he himself came alone and unattended,"yes," replied titus, "you have left yourself alone by killing yourfriends." at another time, dinocrates, the messenian, having drunktoo much at a merry-meeting in rome, danced there in woman's clothes,and the next day addressed himself to titus for assistance in hisdesign to get messene out of the hands of the achaeans. "this," repliedtitus, "will be matter for consideration； my only surprise is thata man with such purposes on his hands should be able to dance andsing at drinking parties." when, again, the ambassadors of antiochuswere recounting to those of achaea the various multitudes composingtheir royal master's forces, and ran over a long catalogue of hardnames, "i supped once," said titus, "with a friend, and could notforbear expostulating with him at the number of dishes he had provided,and said i wondered where he had furnished himself with such a variety；'sir,' replied he, 'to confess the truth, it is all hog's flesh differentlycooked.' and so, men of achaea, when you are told of antiochus's lancers,and pikemen, and foot-guards, i advise you not to be surprised； sincein fact they are all syrians, differently armed."
after his achievements in greece, and when the war with antiochuswas at an end, titus was created censor； the most eminent office,and, in a manner, the highest preferment, in the commonwealth. theson of marcellus, who had been five times consul, was his colleague.these, by virtue of their office, cashiered four senators of no greatdistinction, and admitted to the roll of citizens all freeborn residents.but this was more by constraint than their own choice； for terentiusculeo, then tribune of the people, to spite the nobility, spurredon the populace to order it to be done. at this time, the two greatestand most eminent persons in the city, africanus scipio and marcuscato, were at variance. titus named scipio first member of the senate；and involved himself in a quarrel with cato, on the following unhappyoccasion. titus had a brother, lucius flamininus, very unlike himin all points of character, and, in particular, low and dissolutein his pleasures, and flagrantly regardless of all decency. he keptas a companion a boy whom he used to carry about with him, not onlywhen he had troops under his charge, but even when the care of a provincewas committed to him. one day at a drinking-bout, when the youngsterwas wantoning with lucius, "i love you, sir, so dearly," said he,"that preferring your satisfaction to my own, i came away withoutseeing the gladiators, though i have never seen a man killed in mylife." lucius, delighted with what the boy said, answered, "let notthat trouble you； i can satisfy that longing," and with that ordersa condemned man to be fetched out of the prison, and the executionerto be sent for, and commands him to strike off the man's head, beforethey rose from table. valerius antias only so far varies the storyas to make it a woman for whom he did it. but livy says that in cato'sown speech the statement is that a gaulish deserter coming with hiswife and children to the door, lucius took him into the banqueting-room,and killed him with his own hand, to gratify his paramour. cato, it is probable, might say this by way of aggravation of the crime； butthat the slain was no such fugitive, but a prisoner, and one condemnedto die, not to mention other authorities, cicero tells us in his treatiseon old age, where he brings in cato, himself, giving that accountof the matter.
however, this is certain； cato, during his censorship, made a severescrutiny into the senators' lives in order to the purging and reformingthe house, and expelled lucius, though he had been once consul before,and though the punishment seemed to reflect dishonour on his brotheralso. both of them presented themselves to the assembly of the peoplein a suppliant manner, not without tears in their eyes, requestingthat cato might show the reason and cause of his fixing such a stainupon so honourable a family. the citizens thought it a modest andmoderate request. cato, however, without any retraction or reserve,at once came forward, and standing up with his colleague interrogatedtitus as to whether he knew the story of the supper. titus answeredin the negative, cato related it, and challenged lucius to a formaldenial of it. lucius made no reply, whereupon the people adjudgedthe disgrace just and suitable, and waited upon cato home from thetribunal in great state. but titus still so deeply resented his brother'sdegradation, that he allied himself with those who had long bornea grudge against cato； and winning over a major part of the senate,he revoked and made void all the contracts, leases, and bargains madeby cato, relating to public revenues, and also got numerous actionsand accusations brought against him； carrying on against a lawfulmagistrate and excellent citizens, for the sake of one who was indeedhis relation, but was unworthy to be so, and had but gotten his deserts,a course of bitter and violent attacks, which it would be hard tosay were either right or patriotic. afterwards, however, at a publicspectacle in the theatre, at which the senators appeared as usual,sitting, as became their rank, in the first seats, when lucius wasspied at the lower end, seated in a mean, dishonourable place, itmade a great impression upon the people, nor could they endure thesight, but kept calling out to him to move, until he did move, andwent in among those of consular dignity, who received him into theirseats.
this natural ambition of titus was well enough looked upon by theworld whilst the wars we have given a relation of afforded competentfuel to feed it； as, for instance, when after the expiration of hisconsulship, he had a command as military tribune, which nobody pressedupon him. but being now out of all employ in the government, and advancedin years, he showed his defects more plainly； allowing himself, inthis inactive remainder of life, to be carried away with the passionfor reputation, as uncontrollably as any youth. some such transport,it is thought, betrayed him into a proceeding against hannibal, whichlost him the regard of many. for hannibal, having fled his country,first took sanctuary with antiochus； but he, having been glad to obtaina peace, after the battle in phrygia, hannibal was put to shift forhimself, by a second flight, and, after wandering through many countries,fixed at length in bithynia, proffering his service to king prusias.every one at rome knew where he was, but looked upon him, now in hisweakness and old age, with no sort of apprehension, as one whom fortunehad quite cast off. titus, however, coming thither as ambassador,though he was sent from the senate to prusias upon another errand,yet seeing hannibal resident there, it stirred up resentment in himto find that he was yet alive. and though prusias used much intercessionand entreaties in favour of him, as his suppliant and familiar friend,titus was not to be entreated. there was an ancient oracle, it seems,which prophesied thus of hannibal's end：-
"libyssan earth shall hannibal inclose." he interpreted this to bemeant of the african libya, and that he should be buried in carthage；as if he might yet expect to return and end his life there. but thereis a sandy place in bithynia, bordering on the sea, and near it alittle village called libyssa. it was hannibal's chance to be stayinghere, and, having ever from the beginning had a distrust of the easinessand cowardice of prusias, and a fear of the romans, he had, long before,ordered seven underground passages to be dug from his house, leadingfrom his lodging and running a considerable distance in various oppositedirections, all undiscernible from without. as soon, therefore, ashe heard what titus had ordered, he attempted to make his escape throughthese mines； but finding them beset with the king's guards, he resolvedupon making away with himself. some say that, wrapping his upper garmentabout his neck, he commanded his servant to set his knee against hisback, and not to cease twisting and pulling it till he had completelystrangled him. others say he drank bull's blood, after the exampleof themistocles and midas. livy writes that he had poison in readiness,which he mixed for the purpose, and that, taking the cup in his hand,"let us ease," said he, "the romans of their continual dread and care,who think it long and tedious to await the death of a hated old man.yet titus will not bear away a glorious victory, nor one worthy ofthose ancestors who sent to caution pyrrhus, an enemy, and a conquerortoo, against the poison prepared for him by traitors."
thus various are the reports of hannibal's death； but when the newsof it came to the senator's ears, some felt indignation against titusfor it, blaming as well his officiousness as his cruelty； who whenthere was nothing to urge it, out of mere appetite for distinctionto have it said that he had caused hannibal's death, sent him to hisgrave when he was now like a bird that in its old age has lost itsfeathers, and incapable of flying, is let alone to live tamely withoutmolestation.
they began also now to regard with increased admiration the clemencyand magnanimity of scipio africanus, and called to mind how he, whenhe had vanquished in africa the still then invincible and terriblehannibal, neither banished him his country, nor exacted of his countrymenthat they should give him up. at a parley just before they joinedbattle, scipio gave him his hand, and in the peace made after it,he put no hard article upon him, nor insulted over his fallen fortune.it is told, too, that they had another meeting afterwards, at ephesus,and that when hannibal, as they were walking together, took the upperhand, africanus let it pass, and walked on without the least noticeof it； and that then they began to talk of generals, and hannibalaffirmed that alexander was the greatest commander the world had seen,next to him pyrrhus, and the third was himself； africanus, with asmile, asked, "what would you have said, if i had not defeated you？""i would not then, scipio," he replied, "have made myself the third,but the first commander." such conduct was much admired in scipio,and that of titus, who had as it were insulted the dead whom anotherhad slain, was no less generally found fault with. not but that therewere some who applauded the action, looking upon a living hannibalas a fire, which only wanted blowing to become a flame. for when he was in the prime and flower of his age, it was not his body nor hishand that had been so formidable, but his consummate skill and experience,together with his innate malice and rancour against the roman name,things which do not impair with age. for the temper and bent of thesoul remains constant, while fortune continually varies； and somenew hope might easily rouse to a fresh attempt those whose hatredmade them enemies to the last. and what really happened afterwardsdoes to a certain extent tend yet further to the exculpation of titus.aristonicus, of the family of a common musician, upon the reputationof being the son of eumenes, filled all asia with tumults and rebellion.then again, mithridates, after his defeats by sylla and fimbria, andvast slaughter as well among his prime officers as common soldiers,made head again, and proved a most dangerous enemy, against lucullus,both by sea and land. hannibal was never reduced to so contemptiblea state as caius marius； he had the friendship of a king, and thefree exercise of his faculties, employment and charge in the navy,and over the horse and foot, of prusias； whereas those who but nowwere laughing to hear of marius wandering about africa, destituteand begging, in no long time after were seen entreating his mercyin rome, with his rods at their backs, and his axes at their necks.so true it is, that looking to the possible future, we can call nothingthat we see either great or small； as nothing puts an end to the mutabilityand vicissitude of things but what puts an end to their very being.some authors accordingly tell us that titus did not do this of hisown head, but that he was joined in commission with lucius scipio,and that the whole object of the embassy was to effect hannibal'sdeath. and now, as we find no further mention in history of anythingdone by titus, either in war or in the administration of the government,but simply that he died in peace, it is time to look upon him as hestands in comparison with philopoemen.
the end