et's bring them in here, so that they may take part in
our assemblies." Valerius said this in jest, but the women hearing him
(many of them were hanging about near the Forum inquisitive to know
how the affair would come out) rushed into the assembly denouncing the
law; and accordingly, as it was speedily repealed, they put on some
ornaments right there in the assembly and went out dancing.

Cato sailed away and reached Spain. There he learned that all the
dwellers as far as the Iber had united in order to wage war against
him in a body. After organizing his army he attacked and defeated them
and forced them to submit to him. They did so in the fear that
otherwise they might lose the cities at a single stroke. At the time
he did them no harm, but later when some of them incurred his
suspicion, he deprived them all of arms and made the natives
themselves tear down their own walls. Letters were sent in every
direction with orders that they should be delivered to everybody on
the same day; and in these he commanded the people to raze the circuit
of their fortifications instanter, threatening the disobedient with
death. Those occupying official positions when they had read them
thought in each case that the message had been written to them alone,
and without taking time for deliberation they all threw down their
walls.

Cato now crossed the Iber, and though he did not dare to contend with
the Celtiberian allies of the enemy on account of their number, yet he
handled them in marvelous fashion, now persuading them by a gift of
larger pay to change front and join him, now admonishing them to
return home, sometimes even announcing a battle with them for a stated
day. The result of it all was that they broke up into separate
factions and became so fearful that they no longer ventured to fight
with him.

_(BOOK 19, BOISSEVAIN.)_

IX, 18.--At this time Flamininus, too, made a campaign against Argos,
for the Romans seeing that Nabis was not loyal to them and was a
source of terror to the Greeks treated him as an enemy. With an
accession of allies from Philip Flamininus marched upon Sparta,
crossed Taygetus without effort and advanced toward the city, meeting
with no opposition. For Nabis, being afraid of the Romans and
suspicious of the natives, did not rouse himself to the point of
meeting Flamininus at a distance; but when the latter came nearer he
made a hostile excursion from the town, thinking lightly of his
opponent be