Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 42
Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. and Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D., Ed.

13. The rest of his speech was exhortation: “I am relating this to you, conscript Fathers,” he said, “not as founded on uncertain rumours and too eagerly accepted because I wished these charges against an enemy to be true, but as ascertained and [p. 329]discovered with as much accuracy as if I had been¹ sent by you as a scout to investigate and were reporting what lay before my eyes; [2] nor should I have left my kingdom, which you have made extensive and noble, and crossed so great a sea, in order to diminish your confidence in me by bringing you an idle tale; [3] I saw the most famed states of Asia and Greece daily laying bare their judgments more clearly, with the intention, if it were permitted, of proceeding so far presently that they would have no chance to draw back and repent; [4] I saw Perseus not limiting himself to the kingdom of Macedonia, seizing some places by arms, and by influence and kindness winning over others which could not be subdued by force; [5] I saw how unjust was the fortune that caused you, while he was preparing war on you, to grant him the security of peace, although to me indeed he seemed to be, not preparing war, but almost waging it. [6] Abrupolis,² your ally and friend, he expelled from his kingdom; Arthetaurus,³ the Illyrian, also your ally and friend, because he had learned of some written communications from him to you, he put to death; [7] Eversa and Callicritus⁴ the Thebans, leading men of their state, because they had spoken too freely against him in the Boeotian council and had declared that they would report to you what was going on, he caused to be done away with; [8] he sent assistance to the Byzantines contrary to the treaty; he made war on Dolopia; he traversed Thessaly and Doris with his army, in order that he might in their civil war aid the worse cause and crush [p. 331]the [9??] better⁵ ; he threw into confusion and turmoil⁶ everything in Thessaly and Perrhaebia by the prospect of abolition of debts,⁷ in order that with the band of debtors bound to him he might overthrow the nobility. [10] Since you remained passive and acquiescent while he did this, and he sees that Greece has been surrendered to him by you, he feels assured that before he crosses into Italy no armed man will meet him. [11] How safe or how honourable this is for you is for yourselves to consider; I at least have deemed it to be a disgrace to me that Perseus should come to Italy to bring war before I, your ally, should have come to warn you to be on guard. [12] Having performed my needful task and, so to speak, absolved and acquitted myself of my trust, what more can I do except pray to the gods and the goddesses that you will look after the interests of yourselves and your state, and of us, your allies and friends who depend upon you?”