§27.4.1ὅτι Περσεὺς μετὰ τὸν σύλλογον τὸν πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, τῶν Ἑλλήνων, πάντα τὰ δίκαια κατέταττεν εἰς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν καὶ τοὺς ὑφʼ ἑκατέρων ῥηθέντας λόγους, §27.4.2ἅμα μὲν ὑπολαμβάνων ὑπερδέξιος φανήσεσθαι τοῖς δικαίοις, ἅμα δὲ βουλόμενος ἀπόπειραν λαμβάνειν τῆς ἑκάστων προαιρέσεως.
That Perseus, after his conference with the Romans, set down in his letter to the Greeks all his pleas and the speeches delivered by both sides, expecting on the one hand that he would appear to have the advantage in point of justice, and on the other hand wishing to make trial of the disposition of each of them.
§27.4.3πρὸς μὲν οὖν τοὺς ἄλλους διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν γραμματοφόρων ἔπεμπε τὰς ἐπιστολάς, εἰς δὲ τὴν Ῥόδον καὶ πρεσβευτὰς συναπέστειλεν Ἀντήνορα καὶ Φίλιππον.
Now to the others he sent the letters by the hands of the letter-carriers themselves, but to Rhodes he also sent Antenor and Philip as ambassadors together with them.
§27.4.4οἳ καὶ παραγενηθέντες τὰ γεγραμμένα τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἀπέδωκαν· καὶ μετά τινας ἡμέρας ἐπελθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν παρεκάλουν τοὺς Ῥοδίους κατὰ μὲν τὸ παρὸν ἡσυχίαν ἔχειν, ἀποθεωροῦντας τὸ γινόμενον· §27.4.5ἐὰν δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας ἐγχειρῶσι τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιβάλλειν τῷ Περσεῖ καὶ Μακεδόσιν, πειρᾶσθαι διαλύειν.
And they, having arrived, delivered the written dispatch to the magistrates; and a few days later, having come before the council, they exhorted the Rhodians for the present to remain quiet, watching what was taking place; and, if the Romans should attempt to lay hands on Perseus and the Macedonians contrary to the treaties, to endeavor to mediate.
§27.4.6τοῦτο γὰρ πᾶσι μὲν συμφέρειν, πρέπειν δὲ μάλιστα Ῥοδίοις.
For this, they said, was advantageous to all, and especially becoming to the Rhodians.
§27.4.7ὅσῳ γὰρ πλεῖον ὀρέγονται τῆς ἰσηγορίας καὶ παρρησίας καὶ διατελοῦσι προστατοῦντες οὐ μόνον τῆς αὑτῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήμων ἐλευθερίας, τοσούτῳ καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν προαίρεσιν μάλιστα δεῖν αὐτοὺς προορᾶσθαι καὶ φυλάττεσθαι κατὰ δύναμιν.
For the more they aspired to equal rights and freedom of speech, and continued to champion not only their own liberty but also that of the other Greeks, the more they must foresee the opposite purpose and guard against it to the best of their power.
§27.4.8ταῦτα καὶ τούτοις παραπλήσια διαλεχθέντων τῶν πρέσβεων, ἤρεσκε μὲν ἅπασι τὰ λεγόμενα· §27.4.9προκατεχόμενοι δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους εὐνοίᾳ, καὶ νικῶντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ βελτίονος, τἄλλα μὲν ἀπεδέξαντο φιλανθρώπως τοὺς πρεσβευτάς, ἠξίουν δὲ τὸν Περσέα διὰ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως εἰς μηδὲν αὑτοὺς παρακαλεῖν τοιοῦτον ἐξ οὗ φανήσονται πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀντιπράττοντες βούλησιν.
When the ambassadors had spoken these and similar words, the speeches pleased everyone; but, being preoccupied with goodwill towards the Romans, and the better counsel prevailing among them, they welcomed the ambassadors in other respects with kindness, but requested Perseus in their reply not to exhort them to any such action as would make them appear to be acting against the will of the Romans.
§27.4.10οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀντήνορα τὴν μὲν ἀπόκρισιν οὐκ ἔλαβον, τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὴν Ῥοδίων ἀπέπλευσαν εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν. —
And Antenor and his colleague, though they did not obtain the desired reply, accepted the rest of the hospitality of the Rhodians and sailed away to Macedonia.