Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
reward of virtue; before this time, neither they nor their wives ever
made use either of silver or gold.
Having thus settled everything well, taking his leave of the Greeks, and
exhorting the Macedonians, that, mindful of the liberty they had received
from the Romans, they should endeavor to maintain it by their obedience
to the laws, and concord amongst themselves, he departed for Epirus,
having orders from the senate, to give the soldiers that followed him in
the war against Perseus the pillage of the cities of that country. That
he might set upon them all at once by surprise and unawares, he summoned
ten of the principal men out of each, whom he commanded, on such an
appointed day, to bring all the gold and silver they had either in their
private houses or temples; and, with every one of these, as if it were
for this very purpose, and under a presence of searching for and
receiving the gold, he sent a centurion and a guard of soldiers; who, the
set day being come, rose all at once, and at the very self-same time fell
upon them, and proceeded to ransack the cities; so that in one hour a
hundred and fifty thousand persons were made slaves, and threescore and
ten cities sacked. Yet what was given to each soldier, out of so vast a
destruction and utter ruin, amounted to no more than eleven drachmas; so
that men could only shudder at the issue of a war, where the wealth of a
whole nation, thus divided, turned to so little advantage and profit to
each particular man.
When Aemilius had done this, -- an action perfectly contrary to his gentle
and mild nature, -- he went down to Oricus, where he embarked his army for
Italy. He sailed up the river Tiber in the king's galley, that had
sixteen banks of oars, and was richly adorned with captured arms and with
cloths of purple and scarlet; so that, the vessel rowing slowly against
the stream, the Romans that crowded on the shore to meet him had a
foretaste of his following triumph. But the soldiers, who had cast a
covetous eye on the treasures of Perseus, when they did not obtain as
much as they thought they deserved, were secretly enraged and angry with
Aemilius for this, but openly complained that he had been a severe and
tyrannical commander over them; nor were they ready to show their desire
of his triumph. When Servius Galba, who was Aemilius's enemy, though he
commanded as tribune under him, understood this, he had the boldness
plainly to affirm that a triumph was not to be allowed him; and sowed
various calumnies amongst the soldiers, which yet further increased their
ill-will. Nay more, he desired the tribunes of the people, because the
four hours that were remaining of the day could not suffice for the
accusation, to let him put it off till another. But when the tribunes
commanded him to speak then, if he had anything to say, he began a long
oration, filled with all manner of reproaches, in which he spent the
remaining part of the time, and the tribunes, when it was dark, dismissed
the assembly. The soldiers, growing more vehement on this, thronged all
to Galba, and entering into a conspiracy, early in the morning beset the
capitol, where the tribunes had appointed the following assembly to be
held.
As soon as it was day, it was put to the vote, and the first tribe was
proceeding to refuse the triumph; and the news spread amongst the people
and to the senate. The people were indeed much grieved that Aemilius
should meet with such ignominy; but this was only in words, which had no
effect. The chief of the senate exclaimed against it as a base action,
and excited one another to repress the boldness and insolence of the
soldiers, which would erelong become altogether ungovernable and violent,
were they now permitted to deprive Aemilius of his triumph. Forcing a
passage through the crowd, they came up in great numbers, and desired the
tribunes to defer polling, till they had spoken what they had to say to
the people. All things thus suspended, and silence being made, Marcus
Servilius stood up, a man of consular dignity, and who had killed
twenty-three of his enemies that had challenged him in single combat.
"It is now more than ever," said he, "clear to my mind how great a
commander our Aemilius Paulus is, when I see he was able to perform such
famous and great exploits with an army so full of sedition and baseness;
nor can I sufficiently wonder, that a people that seemed to glory in the
triumphs over Illyrians and Ligurians, should now through envy refuse to
see the Macedonian king led alive, and all the glory of Philip and
Alexander in captivity to the Roman power. For is it not a strange thing
for you who, upon a slight rumor of victory that came by chance into the
city, did offer sacrifices and put up your requests unto the gods that
you might see the report verified, now, when the general is returned with
an undoubted conquest, to defraud the gods of honor, and yourselves of
joy, as if you feared to behold the greatness of his warlike deed, or
were resolved to spare your enemy? And of the two, much better were it
to put a stop to the triumph, out of pity to him, than out of envy to
your general; yet to such a height of power is malice arrived amongst
you, that a man without one scar to show on his skin, that is smooth and
sleek with ease and home-keeping habits, will undertake to define the
office and duties of a general before us, who with our own wounds have
been taught how to judge of the valor or the cowardice of commanders."
And, at the same time, putting aside his garment, he showed an infinite
number of scars upon his breast, and, turning about, he exposed some
parts of his person which it is usual to conceal; and, addressing Galba,
said: "You deride me for these, in which I glory before my
fellow-citizens, for it is in their service, in which I have ridden night
and day, that I received them; but go collect the votes, whilst I follow
after, and note the base and ungrateful, and such as choose rather to be
flattered and courted than commanded by their general." It is said, this
speech so stopped the soldiers' mouths, and altered their minds, that all
the tribes decreed a triumph for Aemilius; which was performed after this
manner.
The people erected scaffolds in the Forum, in the circuses, as they call
their buildings for horse-races, and in all other parts of the city where
they could best behold the show. The spectators were clad in white
garments; all the temples were open, and full of garlands and perfumes;
the ways were cleared and kept open by numerous officers, who drove back
all who crowded into or ran across the main avenue. This triumph lasted
three days. On the first, which was scarcely long enough for the sight,
were to be seen the statues, pictures, and colossal images, which were
taken from the enemy, drawn upon two hundred and fifty chariots. On the
second, was carried in a great many wagons the finest and richest armor
of the Macedonians, both of brass and steel, all newly polished and
glittering; the pieces of which were piled up and arranged purposely with
the greatest art, so as to seem to be tumbled in heaps carelessly and by
chance; helmets were thrown upon shields, coats of mail upon greaves;
Cretan targets, and Thracian bucklers and quivers of arrows, lay huddled
amongst horses' bits, and through these there appeared the points of
naked swords, intermixed with long Macedonian sarissas. All these arms
were fastened together with just so much looseness that they struck
against one another as they were drawn along, and made a harsh and
alarming noise, so that, even as spoils of a conquered enemy, they could
not be beheld without dread. After these wagons loaded with armor, there
followed three thousand men who carried the silver that was coined, in
seven hundred and fifty vessels, each of which weighed three talents, and
was carried by four men. Others brought silver bowls and goblets and
cups, all disposed in such order as to make the best show, and all
curious as well for their size as the solidity of their embossed work.
On the third day, early in the morning, first came the trumpeters, who
did not sound as they were wont in a procession or solemn entry, but such
a charge as the Romans use when they encourage the soldiers to fight.
Next followed young men wearing frocks with ornamented borders, who led
to the sacrifice a hundred and twenty stalled oxen, with their horns
gilded, and their heads adorned with ribbons and garlands; and with these
were boys that carried basins for libation, of silver and gold. After
this was brought the gold coin, which was divided into vessels that
weighed three talents, like those that contained the silver; they were in
number seventy-seven. These were followed by those that brought the
consecrated bowl which Aemilius had caused to be made, that weighed ten
talents, and was set with precious stones. Then were exposed to view the
cups of Antigonus and Seleucus, and those of the Thericlean make, and
all the gold plate that was used at Perseus' table. Next to these came
Perseus' chariot, in which his armor was placed, and on that his diadem.
And, after a little intermission, the king's children were led captives,
and with them a train of their attendants, masters, and teachers, all
shedding tears, and stretching out hands to the spectators, and making
the children themselves also beg and entreat their compassion. There
were two sons and a daughter, whose tender age made them but little
sensible of the greatness of their misery, which very insensibility of
their condition rendered it the more deplorable; insomuch that Perseus
himself was scarcely regarded as he went along, whilst pity fixed the
eyes of the Romans upon the infants; and many of them could not forbear
tears, and all beheld the sight with a mixture of sorrow and pleasure,
until the children were passed.
After his children and their attendants came Perseus himself, clad all in
black, and wearing the boots of his country; and looking like one
altogether stunned and deprived of reason, through the greatness of his
misfortunes. Next followed a great company of his friends and familiars,
whose countenances were disfigured with grief, and who let the spectators
see, by their tears and their continual looking upon Perseus, that it was
his fortune they so much lamented, and that they were regardless of their
own. Perseus sent to Aemilius to entreat that he might not be led in
pomp, but be left out of the triumph; who, deriding, as was but just, his
cowardice and fondness of life, sent him this answer, that as for that,
it had been before, and was now, in his own power; giving him to
understand that the disgrace could be avoided by death; which the
fainthearted man not having the spirit for, and made effeminate by I know
not what hopes, allowed himself to appear as a part of his own spoils.
After these were carried four hundred crowns, all made of gold, sent from
the cities by their respective deputations to Aemilius, in honor of his
victory. Then he himself came, seated on a chariot magnificently adorned
(a man well worthy to be looked at, even without these ensigns of power),
dressed in a robe of purple, interwoven with gold, and holding a laurel
branch in his right hand. All the army, in like manner, with boughs of
laurel in their hands, divided into their bands and companies, followed
the chariot of their commander; some singing verses, according to the
usual custom, mingled with raillery; others, songs of triumph, and the
praise of Aemilius's deeds; who, indeed, was admired and accounted happy
by all men, and unenvied by every one that was good; except so far as it
seems the province of some god to lessen that happiness which is too