me
others, who had fled and dispersed themselves through the Chersonese
and Hellespontus, enrolled new colonists, whom he invited by prospects
of advantages, and used every means to repeople it fully. At the same
time, that all fear of the Thracians might be removed, he went, in
person, with one half of the land forces, to lay waste the nearest
provinces of Thrace; leaving the other half, and all the crews of the
ships, employed in the repairs of the city.

39. About this time Lucius Cornelius, who had been commissioned by the
senate to accommodate the differences between the kings Antiochus and
Ptolemy, stopped at Selymbria; and, of the ten ambassadors, Publius
Lentulus from Bargylii, and Publius Villius and Lucius Terentius from
Thasus, came to Lysimachia. Hither came, likewise, Lucius Cornelius
from Selymbria, and a few days after Antiochus from Thrace. His first
meeting with the ambassadors, and an invitation which he afterwards
gave them, were friendly and hospitable; but when the business
intrusted to them and the present state of Asia, came to be treated
of, the minds of both parties were exasperated. The Romans did not
scruple to declare, that every one of his proceedings, from the time
when he set sail from Syria, was displeasing to the senate; and they
required restitution to be made, to Ptolemy, of all the cities which
had been under his dominion. "For, as to what related to the cities
which had been in the possession of Philip, and which Antiochus,
taking advantage of a season when Philip's attention was turned to the
war with Rome, had seized into his own hands, it would surely be an
intolerable hardship, if the Romans were to have undergone such toils
and dangers, on land and sea, for so many years, and Antiochus to
appropriate to himself the prizes of the war. But, though his coming
into Asia might be passed over unnoticed by the Romans, as a matter
not pertaining to them, yet when he proceeded so far as to pass over
into Europe with all his land and naval forces, how much was this
short of open war with the Romans? Doubtless, had he even passed into
Italy, he would deny that intention. But the Romans would not wait to
give him an opportunity of doing so."

40. To this the king replied, that "he wondered how it was, that the
Romans were in the habit of diligently inquiring what ought to be done
by king Antiochus; but never considered how far they themselves ought
to advance on land or sea. Asia was no c