Rome and the Achaean League
In regard to these men, it should not be a matter
of surprise if we leave for a while the ordinary method and
spirit of our narrative to give a clearer and more elaborate
exposition of their character. I am aware that some may
be found, regarding it as their first duty to cast a veil over
the errors of the Greeks, to accuse us of writing in a spirit of
malevolence. But for myself, I conceive that with right-minded
persons a man will never be regarded as a true friend who
shrinks from and is afraid of plain speech, nor indeed as a good
citizen who abandons the truth because of the offence he will
give to certain persons at the time. But a writer of public
history above all deserves no indulgence whatever, who regards
anything of superior importance to truth. For in proportion'
as written history reaches larger numbers, and survives for
longer time, than words spoken to suit an occasion, both the
writer ought to be still more particular about truth, and his
readers ought to admit his authority only so far as he
adheres to this principle. At the actual hour of danger it is
only right that Greeks should help Greeks in every possible
way, by protecting them, veiling their errors or deprecating
the wrath of the sovereign people,—and this I genuinely did
for my part at the actual time: but it is also right, in regard
to the record of events to be transmitted to posterity, to leave
them unmixed with any falsehood: so that readers should not
be merely gratified for the moment by a pleasant tale, but
should receive in their souls a lesson which will prevent a
repetition of similar errors in the future. Enough, however,
on this subject. . . .
In the autumn of B. C. 150 the corrupt Menalchidas of Sparta
was succeeded as Achaean Strategus by Diaeus, who, to cover his
share in the corruption of Menalchidas, induced the league to act
in the matter of some disputed claim of Sparta in a manner
contrary to the decisions of the Roman Senate. The Spartans
wished to appeal again to Rome; whereupon the Achaeans
passed a law forbidding separate cities to make such appeals,
which were to be only made by the league. The Lacedaemonians
took up arms: and Diaeus professing that the league was not
at war with Sparta, but with certain factious citizens of that
city, named four of its chief men who were to be banished. They
fled to Rome, where the Senate ordered their restoration. Embassies went from Achaia and from Sparta to Rome to state their
respective cases; and on their return gave false reports,—Diaeus
assuring the Achaeans that the Senate had ordered the Spartans
to obey the league; Menalchidas telling the Spartans that the
Romans had released them from all connexion with the league.
War then again broke out (B.C. 148). Metellus, who was in
Macedonia on the business of the Pseudo-Philip, sent legates to
the Achaeans forbidding them to bear arms against Sparta, and
announcing the speedy arrival of commissioners from Rome to
settle the dispute. But the Achaean levies were already mustered
under the Strategus Damocritus, and the Lacedaemonians seem
to have almost compelled them to fight. The Spartans were
beaten with considerable loss: and on Damocritus preventing a
pursuit and a capture of Sparta, the Achaeans regarded him as
traitor and fined him fifty talents. He was succeeded in his
office of Strategus by Diaeus (autumn B.C. 148 - B. C. 147) who
promised Metellus to await the arrival of the commissioners
from Rome. But the Spartans now assumed their freedom from
the league and elected a Strategus of their own, Menalchidas;
who provoked a renewal of the war by taking the tow of Iasos
on the Laconian frontier. In despair of resisting the attack of
the Achaeans, and disowned by his fellow-citizens, he took poison.
The Roman commissioners arrived, led by L. Aurelius Orestes, in
B.C. 147, and summoning the magistrates of the Achaean towns
and the Strategus Diaeus before them at Corinth, announced the
decision of the Senate—separating Lacedaemon, Corinth, Argos,
Heraclea near Aete, and Orchomenus in Arcadia from the
Achaean league, as not being united by blood, and only being
subsequent additions. The magistrates, without answering,
hastily summoned the league congress. The people, on hearing
the Roman decision, pillaged the houses of the Lacedaemonian
residents in Corinth, and savagely attacked all who were or who
looked like Spartans. The Roman envoys endeavoured to restrain the popular fury. But they were somewhat roughly
handled themselves; and the people could not be persuaded to
release the Spartans whom they had arrested: though they let
all others go, and sent an embassy to Rome, which, however,
meeting the former embassy on its return, and learning the
hopelessness of support in Rome, returned home. It is this outbreak which is referred to in the next fragment. See Pausanias,
vii. 12-14; Livy, Ep. 51.