ashes to
Meg-a-lop'o-lis, his native city, where they were buried with great
pomp.

CXV. GREECE A ROMAN PROVINCE.

For centuries the Greeks had been in the habit of assembling at Corinth
every three years for the celebration of the Isthmian games, in honor of
Poseidon, god of the sea. Here, as at Olympia, there were races,
wrestling and boxing matches, and contests in verse and song; and as
usual the prizes were simple crowns of olive leaves, which were
considered far more precious than silver or gold.

In 196 B.C. not only were the Greeks present at this celebration, but
there were also many Romans who wished to witness the games. The Greeks
were then particularly happy because the War of the Two Leagues seemed
to be ended, and the country was at peace.

In the midst of the festival, Quin'tius Flam-i-ni'nus, the Roman consul,
mounted the orator's block, and proclaimed that the Roman army had just
won a great victory over the revolted King of Macedon, and that the
Greek states were now indeed free.

These tidings were received with such a tumult of joyful cries, it is
said, that a flock of birds that were flying overhead fell to the earth,
stunned by the shock of cheers which rent the air.

This joy, however, did not last very long, for the new-won freedom of
Greece existed in name only. As soon as the Romans had completed the
conquest of Macedon under its last ruler, Perseus, they prepared to
annex Greece also.

Their first move was to accuse the Achaeans of sending aid to Macedon.
Under this pretext, one thousand leading citizens were seized, and sent
to Rome to be tried.

Here they were kept in exile for many a year, longing to go home, and
fuming against their detention. When they were finally allowed to
return, they were so imbittered, that, as the Romans had foreseen, they
soon stirred up a revolt among the Achaeans.

AE-mil'i-us Pau'lus, the conqueror of Macedon, then marched into Greece,
and swept over the whole country. He took the city of Corinth, and
burned it to the ground, after carrying off many of its most precious
works of art to adorn his triumph.

Such was the ignorance of the Romans at that time, however, about all
matters of art, that the sailors who were to carry these treasures to
Rome were warned by the consul to be careful, as they would have to
replace any article they had damaged or lost.

The Romans then placed garrisons in the principal Greek towns, and the
country beca