judged it advisable to conciliate every state in favour of the Roman
interest. It quickly appeared how very little gratitude existed among
the Boeotians; for they not only sent persons to give thanks to Philip
for the restoration of their fellows, as if that favour had been
conferred on them by him, and not by Quinctius and the Romans; but,
at the next election, raised to the office of Boeotarch a man named
Brachyllas, for no other reason than because he had been commander
of the Boeotians serving in the army of Philip; passing by Zeuxippus,
Pisistratus, and the others, who had promoted the alliance with Rome.
These men were both offended at the present and alarmed about the
future consequences: for if such things were done when a Roman army
lay almost at their gates, what would become of them when the Romans
should have gone away to Italy, and Philip, from a situation so near,
should support his own associates, and vent his resentment on those
who had been of the opposite party?

[Footnote 1: 1115l. 13s. 3-1/2d.]

28. It was resolved, while they had the Roman army near at hand, to
take off Brachyllas, who was the principal leader of the faction which
favoured the king; and they chose an opportunity for the deed, when,
after having been at a public feast, he was returning to his house
inebriated, and accompanied by some of his debauched companions,
who, for the sake of merriment, had been admitted to the crowded
entertainment. He was surrounded and assassinated by six men, of whom
three were Italians and three Aetolians. His companions fled, crying
out for help; and a great uproar ensued among the people, who ran
up and down, through all parts of the city, with lights; but the
assassins made their escape through the nearest gate. At the first
dawn, a full assembly was called together in the theatre, by the
voice of a crier, as if in consequence of a previous appointment.
Many openly clamoured that Brachyllas was killed by those detestable
wretches who accompanied him; but their private conjectures pointed
to Zeuxippus, as author of the murder. It was resolved, however, that
those who had been in company with him should be seized and examined
in their presence. While they were under examination, Zeuxippus,
with his usual composure, came into the assembly, for the purpose of
averting the charge from himself; yet said, that people were mistaken
in supposing that so daring a murder was the act of such effeminate
wretche