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fearing his faithlessness, for they were not unaware of what had happened, they began to desert. And he, fearing that he might be handed over to the Romans, attempted to escape by night. And he would have escaped notice, having been brought to Cotys, the Thracian ruler, if the Cretans had not abandoned him; for having put the money onto the ships, they sailed away home. And for some days he remained hidden there with Philip, one of his sons, and escaped notice, but when he learned that Octavius had captured his other children and his retinue, he was found willingly. And when he was brought to Amphipolis, Paulus did him no harm, but even welcomed him and made him his table companion and kept him in custody without chains and treated him with respect. And after this he was brought back to Italy through Epirus. But Plutarch says that Perseus was brought to Aemilius, and that he, weeping, met him, but that the other threw 2.319 himself on his face and, grasping his knees, uttered ignoble cries. And that Aemilius, looking at him with a pained expression, said, "Why, you wretched man, do you do these things? From which things you will seem to be unfortunate not undeservedly, and to have been unworthy not of your present, but of your past fortune. And why do you cast down my victory and diminish my achievement, by showing yourself to be not noble nor a worthy adversary for the Romans? Virtue, you know, has great respect for the unfortunate, even among enemies, but cowardice, to the Romans, even if it is successful, is in every way most dishonorable." And at the same time Lucius Anicius, a general, having been sent against Gentius, defeated those who engaged him and, pursuing the fleeing Gentius, shut him up in Scodra, where his palace was. and he would have besieged it in vain, for it is built on a mountain crest and is surrounded by deep ravines containing swift-flowing rivers, and it is girded by a strong wall, if Gentius, hoping greatly in his forces, had not willingly advanced into battle. And as a result of this Anicius brought his entire kingdom over to his side, and advancing as far as Epirus, before Paulus arrived, he pacified it, which was in turmoil. But those in Rome learned of the victory of Paulus on the fourth day after the battle from a certain rumor, they did not, however, fully believe it. Then, when letters concerning this were brought from Paulus, they rejoiced exceedingly, and not as though they had conquered Perseus and acquired Macedonia, but as though they had conquered that famous Philip and Alexander himself with all of that empire which he had held, they prided 2.320 themselves. And when Paulus came to Rome many things were decreed for him, and his triumphal procession was most magnificent. For he sent both all the other things that had been captured, and he also sent Bithys the son of Cotys, and Perseus and his wife and his three children in the guise of captives. But fearing on account of the excess of good fortune lest the divine power be angry with them, he also prayed in the manner of Camillus that no evil come to the city from these things, but that it should happen to himself, if it were necessary; and he lost two sons, one a little before the triumph, and the other during the festival of victory itself. And he was not only good at being a general, but also a despiser of money. And as proof, being consul then for the second time and having seized untold spoils, he lived in such great poverty that his wife's dowry was paid back with difficulty when he died. And of the captives, Bithys was given as a gift to his father, but Perseus was placed at Alba with his children and retinue; and there as long as he hoped to recover his kingdom he held out, but when he despaired, he killed himself. And Philip his son and his daughter died not long after; but only the youngest, working as a clerk for the magistrates of Alba, survived for some time. Thus Perseus, who boasted of being descended from twenty kings, and who often spoke of Philip, and even more of Alexander, both lost his kingdom and became a captive and was paraded in the victory procession, wearing chains along with his diadem. 2.321 The Rhodians, however, who previously behaved arrogantly towards the Romans, then begged them not to bear a grudge, and formerly allies

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φοβηθέντες τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόησαν τὸ γενόμενον, μεθίστασθαι ηρξαντο. κἀκεῖνος δείσας μὴ τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις παραδοθῇ, ἐκδρᾶναι νυκτὸς ἐπεχείρησε. καὶ ελαθεν αν πρὸς Κότυν Θρᾷκα δυνάστην κομισθείς, εἰ μὴ οἱ Κρῆτες αὐτὸν ἐγκατέλιπον· ἐνθέμενοι γὰρ τὰ χρήματα εἰς τὰ πλοῖα οικαδε ἀπῆραν. ὁ δὲ ἡμέρας μέν τινας αὐτοῦ μετὰ Φιλίππου ἑνὸς τῶν υἱέων κρυπτόμενος ελαθεν, ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς αλλους παῖδας καὶ τὴν θεραπείαν εγνω κατεσχηκότα τὸν ̓Οκταούιον, εὑρέθη ἐθελοντής. καὶ ἀχθέντα εἰς τὴν ̓Αμφίπολιν οὐδὲν ὁ Παῦλος ἐκάκωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδεξιώσατο καὶ ὁμόσιτον ἐποιήσατο καὶ ἐν ἀδέσμῳ φυλακῇ ἐτήρει καὶ ἐν θεραπείᾳ ηγε. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν διὰ τῆς ̓Ηπείρου ἀνεκομίσθη. ̔Ο δὲ Πλούταρχος ἀχθῆναι λέγει τὸν Περσέα πρὸς τὸν Αἰμίλιον, καὶ τὸν δεδακρυμένον προσυπαντῆσαι αὐτῷ, ἐκεῖνον δ' ἐπὶ στόμα καταβαλεῖν 2.319 ἑαυτὸν καὶ γονάτων δραξάμενον ἀφεῖναι φωνὰς ἀγεννεῖς. καὶ τὸν Αἰμίλιον ἀλγοῦντι προσώπῳ προσιδόντα αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν "τί, ω ταλαίπωρε, ταῦτα πράττεις; ἀφ' ων δόξεις οὐκ ἀναξίως ἀτυχεῖν, οὐδὲ τοῦ νῦν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πάλαι δαίμονος ἀνάξιος γεγονέναι. τί δέ μου καταβάλλεις τὴν νίκην καὶ σμικρύνεις μου τὸ κατόρθωμα, ἐπιδεικνύμενος ἑαυτὸν οὐ γενναῖον οὐδὲ πρέποντα ̔Ρωμαίοις ἀνταγωνιστήν; ἀρετή τοι δυστυχοῦσι μεγάλην εχει μοῖραν καὶ παρὰ πολεμίοις, δειλία δὲ ̔Ρωμαίοις, καν εὐποτμῇ, πάντῃ ἀτιμότατον." Κατὰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον καὶ Λούκιος ̓Ανίκιος στρατηγὸς πεμφθεὶς ἐπὶ τὸν Γέντιον τοὺς προσμίξαντάς τε αὐτῷ ἐνίκησε καὶ τὸν Γέντιον φυγόντα ἐπιδιώξας ἐς Σκόδραν κατέκλεισεν, οπου ην αὐτῷ τὰ βασίλεια. καὶ διακενῆς αν προσήδρευεν αὐτῇ, ἐπὶ γὰρ ἀκρωνυχίας ορους πεπόλισται καὶ φάραγξι βαθείαις ποταμοὺς ῥοώδεις ἐχούσαις περιειλεῖται, τείχει τε ὀχυρῷ περιέζωσται, εἰ μὴ ὁ Γέντιος μέγα ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει ἐλπίσας ἑκὼν εἰς μάχην ἐχώρησε. κἀκ τούτου τήν τε ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν ὁ ̓Ανίκιος προσηγάγετο καὶ μέχρι τῆς ̓Ηπείρου προελθών, πρὶν τὸν Παῦλον ἐλθεῖν, κἀκείνην ταραττομένην ἡμέρωσεν. Οἱ δ' ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ εμαθον μὲν τὴν τοῦ Παύλου νίκην τετάρτῃ μετὰ τὴν μάχην ἡμέρᾳ εκ τινος φήμης, οὐ μέντοι καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐπίστευον. ειτα γραμμάτων ὑπὲρ ταύτης κομισθέντων τοῦ Παύλου, ὑπερήσθησαν, καὶ οὐχ ὡς τὸν Περσέα νενικηκότες καὶ τὴν Μακεδονίαν κτησάμενοι, ἀλλ' ὡς τὸν Φίλιππον ἐκεῖνον τὸν πάνυ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ̓Αλέξανδρον μετὰ πάσης τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκείνης, ην εσχηκε, νικήσαντες ἐσε2.320 μνύνοντο. ἐλθόντι δ' ἐς ̔Ρώμην τῷ Παύλῳ πολλὰ ἐψηφίσθη, καὶ ἡ πομπὴ τῶν νικητηρίων αὐτῷ λαμπροτάτη ἐγένετο. επεμψε μὲν γὰρ καὶ ταλλα οσα ἑαλώκει πάντα, επεμψε δὲ καὶ Βίθυν τὸν τοῦ Κότυος υἱόν, τόν τε Περσέα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τούς τε παῖδας τρεῖς οντας ἐν τῷ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων σχήματι. δείσας δὲ διὰ τὴν τῆς εὐτυχίας ὑπερβολὴν μή τι νεμεσήσῃ αὐτοῖς τὸ δαιμόνιον, ηυξατο καὶ ουτος κατὰ τὸν Κάμιλλον μή τι κακὸν τῇ πόλει ἐκ τούτων, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ, ει τι δέοι, γενήσεσθαι· καὶ δύο υἱεῖς, τὸν μὲν πρὸ τοῦ θριάμβου μικρόν, τὸν δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τῶν ἐπινικίων ἀπέβαλεν ἑορτῇ. ην δὲ οὐ στρατηγῆσαι μόνον ἀγαθός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπερόπτης χρημάτων. τεκμήριον δέ, δεύτερον τότε ὑπατεύσας καὶ λαφύρων ἀμυθήτων κρατήσας ἐν τοσαύτῃ πενίᾳ διεβίω ωστε χαλεπῶς τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν προῖκα τελευτήσαντος ἀποδοθῆναι. Τῶν δ' ἁλόντων τῷ πατρὶ μὲν ὁ Βίθυς προῖκα ἐδόθη, Περσεὺς δὲ εἰς Αλβαν σὺν τοῖς παισὶ καὶ τῇ θεραπείᾳ κατετέθη· κἀκεῖ εως μὲν ηλπιζε τὴν βασιλείαν κομίσασθαι ἀντεῖχεν, ἐπεὶ δ' ἀπέγνω, ἑαυτὸν διεχειρίσατο. καὶ ὁ Φίλιππος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ η τε θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἀπέθανον· μόνος δ' ὁ νεώτατος τοῖς τῶν ̓Αλβανῶν αρχουσιν ὑπογραμματεύων ἐπί τινα χρόνον διήρκεσεν. ουτως ὁ Περσεὺς ὁ δι' εικοσι βασιλέων αὐχῶν γεγονέναι, καὶ πολὺν μὲν τὸν Φίλιππον, πλείω δὲ θρυλῶν τὸν ̓Αλέξανδρον καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπώλεσε καὶ αἰχμάλωτος γέγονε καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπινικίοις ἐπόμπευσε, δεσμὰ μετὰ τοῦ διαδήματος περικείμενος. 2.321 Οἱ δέ γε ̔Ρόδιοι, μετὰ φρονήματος πρῴην τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις προσφερόμενοι, τότε μὴ μνησικακεῖν αὐτοῖς ἠξίουν, καὶ σύμμαχοι πρόσθεν