The Aetolian agents who had been sent to Achaia were received in audience at a council held at Ae咖m. Antiochus' envoy spoke first. Like most men who are fed by } royal bounty, he talked in a grandiloquent strain and filled sea and land with the empty sound of his words. According to him, an innumerable mass of cavalry was crossing the Hellespont into Europe; some were clad in coats of mail, they were called“cataphracti”; others were bowmen, and against them nothing was safe, their aim was surest when they were galloping away from the enemy. Although this cavalry force alone could overwhelm the mass ed armies of Europe, he went on to talk about bodies of infant many times as numerous and startled his hearers with names they had hardly ever heard of-Dahae, Medes, Elymaeans and Cadusii. The naval forces were such as no harbours in Greece could hold;the right division was formed by the Sidonians and Tvrians:the left by the Aradii and Sidetae from Pamnhvlia. nations which were unequalled in the whole world as skilful and intrepid seamen. It was unnecessary, he continued. to refer to the money ana other provision for war, his hearers tnemseivesknew how the realms of Asia had always overflowed with gold. So the Romans would not have to do with a Philip or a Han- nibal, the one only the foremost man in a single city, the other confined to the limits of his Macedonian kingdom, but with the Great King who ruled over the whole of Asia and a part of Europe. And yet, coming as he did from the remotest borders of the East to liberate Greece, he asked for nothing from the Ad aeans which could impair their loyalty to Rome, their old friend and ally. He did not ask them to take up arms with him against :,hem. all he wanted was that thev should stand aloof V‘_·‘_ from both sides.“Let vour one wish and desire.，’he concluded. “as becomes common friends. be that each may eniov peace; if there is.to be war do not become involved in it." Archidamus, who represented the Aetolians, spoke to the same effect and urged them to maintain a passive attitude as the easiest and safest course, and, whilst watching the war as mere onlookers, wait for its final result upon the fortunes of others without in any way hazarding their own. Then his tongue ran away with him and he broke out into unrestrained abuse of the Romans in general and in particular of Quinctius, reproaching them with ingratitude and asserting that it was through the valour of the Aetolians that they secured not only the victory over Pyrrhus, but even their own safety, for it was the Aetolians who saved Quinctius and his army from destruction.“What duty," he exclaimed,“incumbent on a commander has that man ever discharged?I saw him, while the battle was going on, busy with auspices, offerings and vows like some miserable priest, while I was exposing’ myself to the enemy's weapons in his defence."