Settlement of Asia
Meanwhile in Asia the Roman consul Cnaeus Manlius wintered at Ephesus, in the last year of this
Cnaeus Manlius spends the winter of 189-188 B. C. at Ephesus the last year of the 147th Olympiad, and arranges the settlement of Asia. |
Olympiad, and was there visited by embassies
from the Greek cities in Asia and many others,
bringing complimentary crowns to him for his
victories over the Gauls. For the entire inhabitants of Asia this side Taurus were not so much
rejoiced at the prospect given them by Antiochus's defeat of being relieved from tribute, garrisons, or
other royal exactions, as at the removal of all fear of the
barbarians, and at their escape from their insolence and lawlessness.
Among the rest Musaeus came from Antiochus,
and some envoys from the Gauls, desiring to ascertain the terms
upon which friendship would be granted them; and also from
Ariarathes, the king of Cappadocia. For this latter prince,
having attached himself to the fortunes of Antiochus, and having
taken part in his battle with the Romans, had become alarmed
and dismayed for his own fate, and therefore was endeavouring
by frequent embassies to ascertain what he would have to pay or
do to get pardon for his error. The Consul complimented the
ambassadors from the cities, and dismissed them after a very
favourable reception; but he replied to the Gauls that he would
not make a treaty with them until king Eumenes, whom he
expected, had arrived. To the envoys from Ariarathes he said
that they might have peace on the payment of six hundred
talents. With the ambassador of Antiochus he arranged that he
would come with his army to the frontier of Pamphylia, to receive
the two thousand five hundred talents, and the corn with which
the king had undertaken to furnish the Roman soldiers before
his treaty with Lucius Scipio.
This business being thus
settled, he solemnly purified his army; and, as the season for
military operations was now beginning, he broke
up his quarters, and, taking Attalus with him,
arrived at Apameia in eight days' march, and remained there
three days. On the fourth he continued his advance; and,
pushing on at great speed, arrived on the third day at the
rendezvous with Antiochus, and there pitched his camp. Here
he was visited by Musaeus, who begged him to wait, as the
carts and cattle that were bringing the corn and money were
late. He consented to wait: and, when the supply arrived, he
distributed the corn among the soldiers, and handed over the
money to one of his tribunes, with orders to convey it to
Apameia.