Envoys from Achaia in the Senate
After an interval the envoys of the Achaeans were
B. C. 165. Embassy from Achaia asking for the trial or release of
the Achaean détenus, who to the number of over 1000
had been summoned to Italy in B. C. 167. See 30, 13. Pausan. 7.10.11. |
admitted with instructions conformable to the
last reply received, which was to the effect that
"The Senate were surprised that they should
apply to them for a decision on matters which they
had already decided for themselves." Accordingly another embassy under Eureas now appeared
to explain that "The league had neither heard
the defence of the accused persons, nor given
any decision whatever concerning them; but
wished the Senate to take measures in regard
to these men, that they might have a trial and not perish
uncondemned. They begged that, if possible, the Senate
should itself conduct the investigation, and declare who are the
persons guilty of those charges; but, if its variety of business
made it impossible to do this itself, that it should intrust the
business to the Achaeans, who would show by their treatment
of the guilty their detestation of their crime." The Senate
recognised that the tone of the embassy was in conformity
with its own injunctions, but still felt embarrassed how to act.
Both courses were open to objection. To judge the case of
the men was, it thought, not a task it ought to undertake; and
to release them without any trial at all evidently involved ruin
to the friends of Rome. In this strait the Senate, wishing
to take all hope from the Achaean people of the restitution of
the men who were detained, in order that they might obey
without a murmur Callicrates in Achaia, and in the other
states those who sided with Rome, wrote the following answer:
"We do not consider it advisable either for ourselves or
for your nationalities that these men should return home."
The publication of this answer not only reduced the men who
had been summoned to Italy to complete despair and dejection, but was regarded by all Greeks as a common sorrow, for
it seemed to take away all hope of restoration from these
unfortunate men. When it was announced in Greece the
people were quite crushed, and a kind of desperation invaded the minds of all; but Charops and Callicrates, and
all who shared their policy, were once more in high
spirits. . . .