§18.43.1ὅτι κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα μετὰ τὴν μάχην Τίτου παραχειμάζοντος ἐν Ἐλατείᾳ Βοιωτοί, σπουδάζοντες ἀνακομίσασθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς παρʼ αὐτῶν στρατευσαμένους παρὰ τῷ Φιλίππῳ, διεπρεσβεύοντο περὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας αὐτῶν πρὸς Τίτον. §18.43.2ὁ δὲ βουλόμενος ἐκκαλεῖσθαι τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς πρὸς τὴν σφετέραν εὔνοιαν διὰ τὸ προορᾶσθαι τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ἑτοίμως συνεχώρησεν. §18.43.3ταχὺ δὲ πάντων ἀνακομισθέντων ἐκ τῆς Μακεδονίας, ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ Βραχύλλης, τοῦτον μὲν εὐθέως βοιωτάρχην κατέστησαν, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναι φίλους τῆς Μακεδόνων οἰκίας ἐτίμων καὶ προῆγον οὐχ ἧττον ἢ πρότερον. §18.43.4ἔπεμψαν δὲ καὶ πρεσβείαν πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον τὴν εὐχαριστήσουσαν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν νεανίσκων ἐπανόδῳ, λυμαινόμενοι τὴν τοῦ Τίτου χάριν. §18.43.5ἃ συνορῶντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Ζεύξιππον καὶ Πεισίστρατον, καὶ πάντες οἱ δοκοῦντες εἶναι Ῥωμαίοις φίλοι δυσχερῶς ἔφερον, προορώμενοι τὸ μέλλον καὶ δεδιότες περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων· §18.43.6σαφῶς γὰρ ᾔδεισαν ὡς, ἐὰν μὲν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι χωρισθῶσιν ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος μένῃ παρὰ πλευράν, συνεπισχύων αἰεὶ τοῖς πρὸς σφᾶς ἀντιπολιτευομένοις, οὐδαμῶς ἀσφαλῆ σφίσιν ἐσομένην τὴν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ πολιτείαν. §18.43.7διὸ καὶ συμφρονήσαντες ἐπρέσβευον πρὸς Τίτον εἰς τὴν Ἐλάτειαν. §18.43.8συμμίξαντες δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ πολλοὺς καὶ ποικίλους εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος διετίθεντο λόγους, ὑποδεικνύντες τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ πλήθους τὴν οὖσαν ἤδη νῦν καθʼ αὑτῶν καὶ τὴν ἀχαριστίαν τῶν ὄχλων. §18.43.9καὶ τέλος ἐθάρρησαν εἰπεῖν ὡς, ἐὰν μὴ τὸν Βραχύλλην ἐπανελόμενοι καταπλήξωνται τοὺς πολλούς, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀσφάλεια τοῖς Ῥωμαίων φίλοις χωρισθέντων τῶν στρατοπέδων. §18.43.10ὁ δὲ Τίτος ταῦτα διακούσας αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἔφη κοινωνεῖν τῆς πράξεως ταύτης, τοὺς δὲ βουλομένους πράττειν οὐ κωλύειν· §18.43.11καθόλου δὲ λαλεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκέλευε περὶ τούτων Ἀλεξαμενῷ τῷ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγῷ. §18.43.12τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ζεύξιππον πειθαρχησάντων καὶ διαλεγομένων, ταχέως ὁ προειρημένος πεισθεὶς καὶ συγκαταθέμενος τοῖς λεγομένοις τρεῖς μὲν τῶν Αἰτωλικῶν συνέστησε, τρεῖς δὲ τῶν Ἰταλικῶν νεανίσκων τοὺς προσοίσοντας τὰς χεῖρας τῷ Βραχύλλῃ. — §18.43.13οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως οὔτε μάρτυς ἐστι φοβερὸς οὔτε κατήγορος δεινὸς ὡς ἡ σύνεσις ἡ κατοικοῦσʼ ἐν ταῖς ἑκάστων ψυχαῖς. —
In Greece, after the battle, while Titus was wintering in Elatea, the Boeotians, being anxious to recover the men who had served under Philip from among them, sent embassies to Titus concerning their safety. But he, wishing to win over the Boeotians to his own goodwill because he foresaw the threat of Antiochus, readily consented. When all had been quickly recovered from Macedonia, among whom was also Brachylles, they immediately appointed this man Boeotarch, and likewise honored and promoted those others who were thought to be friends of the Macedonian house no less than before. And they also sent an embassy to Philip to express thanks for the return of the young men, thus rendering the favor of Titus of no effect. Seeing this, Zeuxippus, Peisistratus, and all those who were thought to be friends of the Romans, took it hard, foreseeing the future and fearing for themselves and their relations. For they knew clearly that if the Romans departed from Greece, while Philip remained at their side, always supporting those who opposed them politically, their political security in Boeotia would by no means be safe. Therefore, having consulted together, they sent an embassy to Titus at Elatea. Having met with the aforesaid, they delivered many and varied arguments to this effect, pointing out the hostile impulse of the multitude already directed against them, and the ingratitude of the masses. And at last they dared to say that unless they put Brachylles out of the way and so intimidated the multitude, there would be no safety for the friends of the Romans once the armies had departed. Titus, having heard them out, said that he himself would not take part in this action, but would not prevent those who wished to act. He bade them on the whole to speak about these matters with Alexamenus, the general of the Aetolians. When Zeuxippus and his group complied and held discussions, the aforesaid was quickly persuaded and, agreeing to the proposals, provided three Aetolian and three Italian young men to lay hands on Brachylles. For there is no witness so fearful, nor any accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the soul of each.