at the age of thirty-one. Macedonia had been humbled rather
than weakened by the Romans, and after eighteen years of peace, had
renewed her resources. This kingdom chafed against the foreign power of
Rome, as did the whole Hellenic world. A profound sentiment of discontent
existed in both Asia and Europe. Perseus made alliances with the
discontented cities--with the Byzantines, the AEtolians, and the Boeotians.
But so prudently did he conduct his intrigues, that it was not till the
seventh year of his reign that Rome declared war against him.

(M890) The resources of Macedonia were still considerable. The army
consisted of thirty thousand men, without considering mercenaries or
contingents, and great quantities of military stores had been collected in
the magazines. And Perseus himself was a monarch of great ability, trained
and disciplined to war. He collected an army of forty-three thousand men,
while the whole Roman force in Greece was scarcely more. Crassus conducted
the Roman army, and in the first engagement at Ossa, was decidedly beaten.
Perseus then sought peace, but the Romans never made peace after a defeat.
The war continued, but the military result of two campaigns was null,
while the political result was a disgrace to the Romans. The third
campaign, conducted by Quintus Marcius Philippus, was equally undecisive,
and had Perseus been willing to part with his money, he could have
obtained the aid of twenty thousand Celts who would have given much
trouble. At last, in the fourth year of the war, the Romans sent to
Macedonia Lucius AEmilius Paulus, son of the consul that fell at Cannae--an
excellent general and incorruptible; a man sixty years of age, cultivated
in Hellenic literature and art. Soon after his arrival at the camp at
Heracleum, he brought about the battle of Pydna, which settled the fate of
Macedonia. The overthrow of the Macedonians was fearful. Twenty thousand
were killed and eleven thousand made prisoners. All Macedonia submitted in
two days, and the king fled with his gold, some six thousand talents he
had hoarded, to Samothrace, accompanied with only a few followers. The
Persian monarch might have presented a more effectual resistance to
Alexander had he scattered his treasures among the mercenary Greeks. So
Perseus could have prolonged his contest had he employed the Celts. When a
man is struggling desperately for his life or his crown, his treasures are
of secondary importance. Perseus was so