a smaller history of greece-第63章

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In　B。C。；　209　the　Achaeans；　being　hard　pressed　by　the　AEtolians；　were　again　induced　to　call　in　the　aid　of　Philip。　　The　spirit　of　the　Achaeans　was　at　this　time　revived　by　Philopoemen；　one　of　the　few　noble　characters　of　the　period；　and　who　has　been　styled　by　Plutarch　〃the　last　of　the　Greeks。〃　　He　was　a　native　of　Megalopolis　in　Arcadia；　and　in　208　was　elected　Strategus　of　the　league。　　In　both　these　posts　Philopoemen　made　great　alterations　and　improvements　in　the　arms　and　discipline　of　the　Achaean　forces；　which　he　assimilated　to　those　of　the　Macedonian　phalanx。　These　reforms；　as　well　as　the　public　spirit　with　which　he　had　inspired　the　Achaeans　were　attended　with　the　most　beneficial　results。　　In　207　Philopoemen　gained　at　Mantinea　a　signal　victory　over　the　Lacedaemonians；　who　had　joined　the　Roman　alliance；　4000　of　them　were　left　upon　the　field；　and　among　them　Machanidas　who　had　made　himself　tyrant　of　Sparta。　　This　decisive　battle；　combined　with　the　withdrawal　of　the　Romans；　who；　being　desirous　of　turning　their　undivided　attention　towards　Carthage；　had　made　peace　with　Philip　（205）；　secured　for　a　few　years　the　tranquillity　of　Greece。　It　also　raised　the　fame　of　Philopoemen　to　its　highest　point；　and　in　the　next　Nemean　festival；　being　a　second　time　general　of　the　league；　he　was　hailed　by　the　assembled　Greeks　as　the　liberator　of　their　country。

Upon　the　conclusion　of　the　second　Punic　war　the　Romans　renewed　their　enterprises　in　Greece；　and　declared　war　against　Philip　（B。C。　200）。　　For　some　time　the　war　lingered　on　without　any　decided　success　on　either　side；　but　in　198　the　consul　T。　Quinctius　Flamininus　succeeded　in　gaining　over　the　Achaean　league　to　the　Roman　alliance；　and　as　the　AEtolians　had　previously　deserted　Philip；　both　those　powers　fought　for　a　short　time　on　the　same　side。　　In　197　the　struggle　was　brought　to　a　termination　by　the　battle　of　Cynoscephalae；　near　Scotussa；　in　Thessaly；　which　decided　the　fate　of　the　Macedonian　monarchy。　　Philip　was　obliged　to　sue　for　peace；　and　in　the　following　year　（196）　a　treaty　was　ratified　by　which　the　Macedonians　were　compelled　to　renounce　their　supremacy；　to　withdraw　their　garrisons　from　the　Grecian　towns；　to　surrender　their　fleet；　and　to　pay　1000　talents　for　the　expenses　of　the　war。　　At　the　ensuing　Isthmian　games　Flamininus　solemnly　proclaimed　the　freedom　of　the　Greeks；　and　was　received　by　them　with　overwhelming　joy　and　gratitude。

The　AEtolians；　dissatisfied　with　these　arrangements；　persuaded　Antiochus　III。；　king　of　Syria；　to　enter　into　a　league　against　the　Romans。　　He　passed　over　into　Greece　with　a　wholly　inadequate　force；　and　was　defeated　by　the　Romans　at　Thermopylae　（B。C。　191）。　The　AEtolians　were　now　compelled　to　make　head　against　the　Romans　by　themselves。　　After　some　ineffectual　attempts　at　resistance　they　were　reduced　to　sue　for　peace；　which　they　at　length　obtained；　but　on　the　most　humiliating　conditions　（B。C。　189）。　They　were　required　to　acknowledge　the　supremacy　of　Rome；　to　renounce　all　the　conquests　they　had　recently　made；　to　pay　an　indemnity　of　500　talents　and　to　engage　in　future　to　aid　the　Romans　in　their　wars。　　The　power　of　the　AEtolian　league　was　thus　for　ever　crushed；　though　it　seems　to　have　existed；　in　name　at　least；　till　a　much　later　period。

The　Achaean　league　still　subsisted　but　was　destined　before　long　to　experience　the　same　fate　as　its　rival。　　At　first；　indeed；　it　enjoyed　the　protection　of　the　Romans；　and　even　acquired　an　extension　of　members　through　their　influence；　but　this　protectorate　involved　a　state　of　almost　absolute　dependence。　Philopoemen　also　had　succeeded；　in　the　year　192；　in　adding　Sparta　to　the　league；　which　now　embraced　the　whole　of　Peloponnesus。　　But　Sparta　having　displayed　symptoms　of　insubordination；　Philopoemen　marched　against　it　in　188；　and　captured　the　city；　when　he　put　to　death　eighty　of　the　leading　men；　razed　the　walls　and　fortifications；　abolished　the　institutions　of　Lycurgus；　and　compelled　the　citizens　to　adopt　the　democratic　constitution　of　the　Achaeans。　　Meanwhile　the　Romans　regarded　with　satisfaction　the　internal　dissensions　of　Greece；　which　they　foresaw　would　only　render　her　an　easier　prey；　and　neglected　to　answer　the　appeals　of　the　Spartans　for　protection。　　In　183　the　Messenians；　under　the　leadership　of　Dinocrates；　having　revolted　from　the　league；　Philopoemen；　who　had　now　attained　the　age　of　70；　led　an　expedition　against　them；　but　having　fallen　from　his　horse　in　a　skirmish　of　cavalry；　he　was　captured；　and　conveyed　with　many　circumstances　of　ignominy　to　Messene；　where；　after　a　sort　of　mock　trial；　he　was　executed。　　His　fate　was　avenged　by　Lycortas；　the　commander　of　the　Achaean　cavalry；　the　father　of　the　historian　Polybius。

In　B。C。　179　Philip　died；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Perseus；　the　last　monarch　of　Macedonia。　　The　latter　years　of　the　reign　of　Philip　had　been　spent　in　preparations　for　a　renewal　of　the　war；　which　he　foresaw　to　be　inevitable；　yet　a　period　of　seven　years　elapsed　after　the　accession　of　Perseus　before　the　mutual　enmity　of　the　two　powers　broke　out　into　open　hostilities。　　The　war　was　protracted　three　years　without　any　decisive　result；　but　was　brought　to　a　conclusion　in　168　by　the　consul　L。　AEmilius　Paulus；　who　defeated　Perseus　with　great　loss　near　Pydna。　　Perseus　was　carried　to　Rome　to　adorn　the　triumph　of　Paulus　（167）；　and　was　permitted　to　spend　the　remainder　of　his　life　in　a　sort　of　honourable　captivity　at　Alba。　　Such　was　the　end　of　the　Macedonian　empire；　which　was　now　divided　into　four　districts；　each　under　the　jurisdiction　of　an　oligarchical　council。

The　Roman　commissioners　deputed　to　arrange　the　affairs　of　Macedonia　did　not　confine　their　attention　to　that　province；　but　evinced　their　design　of　bringing　all　Greece　under　the　Roman　sway。　In　these　views　they　were　assisted　by　various　despots　and　traitors　in　different　Grecian　cities；　and　especially　by　Callicrates；　a　man　of　great　influence　among　the　Achaeans；　and　who　for　many　years　lent　himself　as　the　base　tool　of　the　Romans　to　effect　the　enslavement　of　his　country。　　After　the　fall　of　Macedonia；　Callicrates　denounced　more　than　a　thousand　leading　Achaeans　who　had　favoured　the　cause　of　Perseus。　　These；　among　whom　was　Polybius　the　historian；　were　apprehended　and　sent　to　Rome　for　trial。　　A　still　harder　fate　was　experienced　by　AEtolia；　Boeotia；　Acarnania；　and　Epirus。　　In　the　last…named　country；　especially；　no　fewer　than　seventy　of　the　principal　towns　were　abandoned　by　Paulus　to　his　soldiers　for　pillage；　and　150；000　persons　are　said　to　have　been　sold　into　slavery。

A　quarrel　between　the　Achaeans　and　Sparta　afforded　the　Romans　a　pretence　for　crushing　the　small　remains　of　Grecian　independence　by　the　destruction　of　the　Achaean　league。

The　Spartans；　feeling　themselves　incompetent　to　resist　the　Achaeans；　appealed　to　the　Romans　for　assistance；　and　in　147　two　Roman　commissioners　were　sent　to　Greece　to　settle　the　disputes　between　the　two　states。　　These　commissioners　decided　that　not　only　Sparta；　but　Corinth；　and　all　the　other　cities；　except　those　of　Achaia；　should　be　restored　to　their　independence。　　This　decision　occasioned　serious　riots　at　Corinth；　the　most　important　city　of　the　league。　　All　the　Spartans　in　the　town　were　seized；　and　even　the　Roman　commissioners　narrowly　escaped　violence。　　On　their　return　to　Rome　a　fresh　embassy　was　despatched　to　demand　satisfaction　for　these　outrages。　　But　the　violent　and　impolitic　conduct　of　Critolaus；　then　Strategus　of　the　league；　rendered　all　attempts　at　accommodation　fruitless；　and　after　the　return　of　the　ambassadors　the　Senate　declared　war　against　the　league。　　The　cowardice　and　incompetence　of　Critolaus　as　a　general　were　only　equalled　by　his　previous　insolence。　　On　the　approach　of　the　Romans　under　Metellus　from　Macedonia　he　did　not　even　venture　to　make　a　stand　at　Thermopylae；　and　being　overtaken　by　them　near　Scarphea　in　Locris；　he　was　totally　defeated；　and　never　again　heard　of。　　Diaeus；　who　succeeded　him　as　Strategus；　displayed　rather　more　energy　and　courage。　　But　a　fresh　Roman　force　under　Mummius　having　landed　on　the　isthmus；　Diaeus　was　overthrown　in　a　battle　near　Corinth；　and　that　city　was　immediately　evacuated　not　only　by　the　troops　of　the　league；　but　also　by　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants。　　On　entering　it　Mummius　put　the　few　males　who　remained　to　t