TABLE, KEEPING HIM, LIKEWISE, ALTHOUGH A PRISONER, UNCONFINED, AND
SHOWING HIM COURTESY. After this Paulus returned through Epirus to
Italy.

IX, 24.--About the same time Lucius Anicius, a praetor sent to conduct
operations against Gentius, both conquered those who withstood him and
pursued Gentius, when he fled, to Scodra (where his palace was
located) and shut him up there. The place was built on a spur of the
mountain and had deep ravines containing boiling torrents winding
about it, besides being girt by a steadfast wall; and so the Roman
commander's siege of it would have come to naught, if Gentius
presuming greatly upon his own power had not voluntarily advanced to
battle. This act gave the control of his entire domain to Anicius, who
then proceeded, before Paulus could arrive, to Epirus and tamed the
quarrelsome pride of that district as well.

The Romans of the capital by some vague report heard of the victory of
Paulus on the fourth day after the battle, but they placed no sure
confidence in it. Then letters were brought from Paulus regarding his
success and they were mightily pleased and plumed themselves not
merely upon having vanquished Perseus and acquired Macedonia but upon
having beaten the renowned Philip of old time and Alexander himself
together with all that empire which he had held. When Paulus reached
Rome many decrees in his honor were passed and the celebration of his
triumph proved a most brilliant event. He had in his procession all
the booty which he had captured, and he had also Bithys, the son of
Cotys, besides Perseus and his wife and three children altogether in
the garb of captives. Fearing that Heaven might wax envious of the
Romans on account of their excess of good fortune he prayed, as
Camillus had done before, that no ill to the State might result from
it all but rather to him if it should be unavoidable: and, indeed, he
lost two sons, one a little before the celebration and the other
during the triumphal festival itself. [Sidenote: FRAG. 66] HE WAS NOT
ONLY GOOD AT GENERALSHIP, BUT HE LOOKED DOWN UPON MONEY. OF THIS THE
FOLLOWING IS A PROOF. THOUGH HE HAD AT THAT TIME ENTERED FOR A SECOND
TERM UPON THE CONSULSHIP AND HAD GAINED POSSESSION OF UNTOLD SPOILS,
HE CONTINUED TO LIVE IN SO GREAT INDIGENCE THAT WHEN HE DIED THE DOWRY
WAS WITH DIFFICULTY PAID BACK TO HIS WIFE.

Of the captives Bithys was returned to his father without ransom, but
Perseus with his children and attendants w