sans from those two towns. When the tribunes of the people,
Fulvius and Manius, came forward and protested against a young man
taking the highest office in the state by storm, contrary to the laws,
and being as it were uninitiated in the very elements of the
constitution, the Senate referred the matter to the votes of the
people, who elected him consul together with Sextus AElius, although he
was not yet thirty years old. In casting lots for provinces the war
with Philip of Macedon fell to his share, greatly to the advantage of
the Romans, because in that war they needed a general who would deal
with the enemy not entirely by main force, but also win them over by
persuasion and diplomacy. The kingdom of Macedonia was amply
sufficient for Philip, if he only fought once with the Romans; but to
maintain the cost of a long war, to supply his troops, and afford him
necessary resources, the co-operation of Greece was essential to him.
Unless therefore Greece could be detached from his alliance, the war
could not be decided by a single battle. Greece at this time had been
brought but little into contact with the Romans, who then for the
first time interfered in her politics. Unless, therefore, the Roman
general had been a man of high character, willing to act by diplomacy
rather than by war, and combining affability of address with a strict
sense of justice, the Greeks would have been unwilling to throw off
their allegiance to their former masters in order to place themselves
under the new and untried dominion of Rome. Of these honourable traits
in Titus's character many instances will be found in his acts.

III. He learned that his predecessors, Sulpicius[32] and Publius[33],
had both invaded Macedonia when the season was far advanced, had begun
warlike operations too late, and had failed because Philip occupied
the strong places in the country and harassed them by constant attacks
upon their communications and foraging parties. Flamininus did not
wish to follow their example, and, after wasting a year at home in
the enjoyment of the consular dignity, and in taking part in the
politics of Rome, to set out late in the year to begin his campaign,
although by this means he might have extended his command over two
years, by acting as consul in the first, and carrying on the war as
proconsul during the second. He preferred to throw the weight of his
power as consul into the conduct of the war, cared not to display the
insignia of