29.
While these things were taking place, the Roman ambassadors, Caius Popilius, Caius Decimius, and Caius Hostilius, having sailed from Chalcis with three quinqueremes, arrived at Delos, and found there forty Macedonian barks, and five quinqueremes belonging to king Eumenes.
[2]
The sacred character of the temple and the island secured all parties from injury; so that the Roman and Macedonian seamen, and those of Eumenes, used to meet promiscuously in the temple, a truce being imposed by the religious feeling which the place inspired.
[3]
Antenor, the commander of Perseus's fleet, having learned, by signals from his watch-posts, that several transport ships were passing by at sea, went himself in pursuit, with one half of his barks, (distributing the other half among the Cyclades,) and sunk or plundered every ship he met with, except such as were bound for Macedonia.
[4]
Popilius and the ships of Eumenes assisted as many as they were able;
[5]
but, in the night, the Macedonians sailing out, generally with two or three vessels, passed unseen.
[6]
About this time, ambassadors from Macedonia and Illyria came together to Rhodes. Their influence was the greater, in consequence of their squadron cruising freely among the Cyclades, and over all the Aegean Sea, and likewise on account of the junc- tion of Perseus and Gentius, and of the report of the Gauls approaching with a great force both of horse and foot.
[7]
Dinon and Polyaratus, the partisans of Perseus, now took fresh courage, and the Rhodians not only gave a favourable answer to the ambassadors, but declared publicly, that “they would put an end to the war by their own influence;
[8]
and therefore desired the kings to dispose themselves to accede to a peace.”
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