The king's speech gave great pleasure to the senators, and it was easy to see that they were prepared to do everything in a generous and ungrudging spirit. As one of the Rhodian envoys was absent; the delegation from Smyrna was introduced, and they were highly commended for having chosen to endure every extremity rather than give themselves up to Antiochus. Then the Rhodians were received in audience. Their spokesman commenced by stating how their friendship with the Roman people began and what services they had rendered, first in the war with Philip and then in that with Antiochus. He continued: “Nothing in the whole conduct of our case, senators, is more difficult or painful than our having to enter into controversy with King Eumenes. We are bound to him more than to any other monarch by personal and (what we feel most) political ties of hospitality. It is not, however, our own feelings but nature itself which sets us at variance;we, free ourselves, are pleading for the liberty of others, but kings will have all subservient and· submissive to their rule. But however this may be, we find ourselves more embarrassed by respect and regard for the king than by any difficulty in stating our case, or any likelihood of involving you in a perplexed discussion. For if you could not honour and reward a monarch who is your friend and ally, and has done you good service in this very war, otherwise than by giving up free cities to a state of servitude under h如， you would have to choose one of two alternatives. Either you would have to send away a friendly monarch unhonoured and unrewarded, or you would have to depart from your settled policy and sully the glory you have acquired in the war with Philip by enslaving so many cities. But your good fortune entirely releases you from the necessity of either stinting your gratitude to a friend or tarnishing your glory. Through the favour of the gods your triumphal success is not more glorious than it is rich in results, sufficient to clear you from what I might call your debt to him. Lvcaonia. Pisidia. the Chersonese, and all the J，， adjacent portions of Europe are at your disposal, and the addition of any one of these countries would enlarge the king's dominions to many times their present size;if all were given him they would put him on a level with the greatest of monarchs. It is then open to you to enrich your allies with the prizes of war. and at the same time to avoid any departure from your 了.口j‘.甲 settled policy, and to bear in mind the reaso alleged for your war with Philip and your present war Antiochus, and the course you pursued after Philip's defeat, the course which we desire and expect you to take now, not more because you took it then, than because it is the right and pro per are various good and sound pretexts for territorv. others villaFres，others J Z V产 fortified towns, others ports and a strip of sea-coast. You did possessed them, nor can you the whole world is beneath not covet these things before youpossibly covet them now whenyour sway. You fought for the hand the renown which you enjoy onour of your commonwealth throughout the whole race of man, who have long looked upon your sovereignty and your name as only second to the immortal gods 1 o gain and acquire these things has been an arduous task, I am inclined to think it is a harder task to defend them. You have undertaken to protect from the tyranny1 w r . 1 "吐monarchs";he liberties of an" tr people famous. for their military， reputation, andIs I's . ,. III w、for ail. 1 that is commendable in refinement and learning. Now that the nation has placed itself as a whole under your protection as clients is incumbent on you to show yourselves its patrons fc Those Greek cities which stand on their ancient soil are in no way more Greek than those colonies which have gone forth from them into Asia;.they have changed their land but not1 7 l TT1 1 . t their character or their blood. w e nave ventured--each city amongst us--to vie in dutiful rivalry with our parents and our founders in all honourable and praiseworthy arts and excellences. You have, most of you, visited the cities of Greece and Asia:we are at no disadvantage compared with them, except that we are at a greater distance fro m you. }tj the native Tr .tn - "-v -t empe rament of the Massilians coul d ha ve yielded to the inflii ence of their soil thev would have been long agi barbarised by the wild untamed tribes all round them but we are oven to understand that they are held in as much honour as though they were living in the heart of Greece. They have preserved their language, their dress, their personal habits, but above all, they have maintained their laws and customs and their open, straightforward character, untainted by any contact with their neighhours. The Taurus range now forms a frontier of your empire, and all within that line ought not to appear distant to you. Wherever your arms have penetrated there should the laws of Rome also penetrate. Let barbarians, who have always the commands of their masters for laws, keep their kings to their joy;the Greeks submit to their fate, but they have the same love of freedom that you have. At one time they too grasped at empire in their own strength, now they pray that where the seat of empire, is there it may remain;they count it enough to protect their freedom with your arms. “‘But,' it may be replied,‘some cities took sides with Antiochus.' Yes, and others before that with Philip;the Terentines sided with Pyrrhus. Not to mention others, Carthage remains free, under her own laws. See, senators, how you are bound by this precedent which you yourselves have established. You will surely bring yourselves to refuse to the grasping ambition of Eumenes what you refused to the dictates of a just resentment. We leave you to judge with what effective and loyal service we Rhodians assisted you in this late war, and indeed in all the wars which you have ever waged on those shores. Now that peace is settled we suggest a course such that, if you approve of it, the whole world will regard the use you make of your victory as a more striking proof of your greatness than even the winning it." This speech was felt to be quite befitting to the greatness and majesty of Rome.