§27.8.1ὅτι μετὰ τὴν νίκην τῶν Μακεδόνων, συνεδρίου παρὰ τῷ Περσεῖ συναχθέντος, ὑπέδειξάν τινες τῶν φίλων διότι δεῖ πρεσβείαν πέμψαι τὸν βασιλέα πρὸς τὸν στρατηγὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων, §27.8.2ἐπιδεχόμενον ἔτι καὶ νῦν ὅτι φόρους δώσει Ῥωμαίοις, ὅσους πρότερον ὑπέσχετο [ὁ] πατὴρ καταπολεμηθείς, καὶ τόπων ἐκχωρήσει τῶν αὐτῶν.
That after the victory of the Macedonians, a council having been assembled under Perseus, some of his friends suggested that the king should send an embassy to the Roman general, accepting even now to pay to the Romans as much tribute as his father, after being defeated, had previously promised, and to evacuate the same territories.
§27.8.3ἐάν τε γὰρ δέξωνται τὰς διαλύσεις, καλὴν ἔφασαν ἔσεσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν ἐξαγωγὴν τοῦ πολέμου, πεπροτερηκότι διὰ τῶν ὑπαίθρων, καὶ καθόλου πρὸς τὸ μέλλον εὐλαβεστέρους ὑπάρξειν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, πεῖραν εἰληφότας τῆς Μακεδόνων ἀνδρείας εἰς τὸ μηδὲν ἄδικον μηδὲ βαρὺ προστάττειν Μακεδόσιν.
For they said that, if they accepted the reconciliation, the conclusion of the war would be honorable for the king, since he had gained the advantage in the open field, and overall, for the future, the Romans would be more cautious, having experienced the courage of the Macedonians, so as to command nothing unjust or harsh to the Macedonians.
§27.8.4ἐάν τε μὴ δέξωνται θυμομαχοῦντες ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγονόσιν, ἐκείνοις μὲν δικαίως νεμεσήσειν τὸ δαιμόνιον, αὐτῷ δὲ διὰ τὴν μετριότητα συναγωνιστὰς ὑπάρξειν τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.
And if they did not accept, being angry at what had happened, the divine power would justly be indignant with them, while both gods and men would be allies to him because of his moderation.
§27.8.5ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐδόκει τοῖς πλείοσι τῶν φίλων.
These things, then, seemed good to the majority of his friends.
συγκαταθεμένου δὲ τοῦ Περσέως ἐπέμποντο παραχρῆμα πρεσβευταὶ Πάνταυχος Βαλάκρου καὶ Μίδων Βεροιεύς.
And Perseus having agreed, Pantauchus son of Balacrus and Midon of Beroea were immediately sent as ambassadors.
§27.8.6ὧν παραγενομένων πρὸς τὸν Λικίννιον εὐθέως ὁ στρατηγὸς συνῆγε συνέδριον.
When they arrived before Licinius, the general immediately summoned a council.
τῶν δὲ πρέσβεων διασαφησάντων τὰ κατὰ τὰς ἐντολάς, μεταστησάμενοι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Πάνταυχον ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ τῶν προσπεπτωκότων.
The ambassadors having explained their instructions, they dismissed Pantauchus and his companions and deliberated on the proposals.
§27.8.7ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁμοθυμαδὸν ὡς βαρυτάτην δοῦναι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν.
It seemed good to them, therefore, with one mind to give the harshest answer.
§27.8.8ἴδιον γὰρ τοῦτο πάντῃ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἔθος καὶ πάτριόν ἐστι τὸ κατὰ μὲν τὰς ἐλαττώσεις αὐθαδεστάτους καὶ βαρυτάτους φαίνεσθαι, κατὰ δὲ τὰς ἐπιτυχίας ὡς μετριωτάτους.
For this is in every way a peculiar and ancestral custom among the Romans, to appear most arrogant and harsh in adversity, but most moderate in success.
§27.8.9τοῦτο δʼ ὅτι καλὸν πᾶς ἄν τις ὁμολογήσειεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν ἐν ἐνίοις καιροῖς, εἰκότως ἄν τις ἐπαπορήσειεν.
That this is noble, anyone would agree; but whether it is also possible on certain occasions, one might reasonably doubt.
§27.8.10πλὴν τότε γε τοιαύτην ἔδωκαν τὴν ἀπόκρισιν· ἐκέλευον γὰρ ἐπιτρέπειν τὸν Περσέα τὰ καθʼ αὑτόν, καὶ καθόλου διδόναι τῇ συγκλήτῳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὡς ἂν αὐτῇ δοκῇ, βουλεύεσθαι περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν.
At any rate, on that occasion they gave such an answer: for they ordered Perseus to submit his affairs to them, and in general to give the senate full authority to deliberate concerning Macedonia as it might see fit.
§27.8.11οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πάνταυχον ταῦτʼ ἀκούσαντες ἐπανῆλθον καὶ διεσάφουν τῷ Περσεῖ καὶ τοῖς φίλοις.
Pantauchus and his companions, having heard these things, returned and explained them to Perseus and his friends.
§27.8.12ὧν τινες ἐκπληττόμενοι τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν παρωξύνοντο καὶ συνεβούλευον τῷ Περσεῖ μήτε διαπρεσβεύεσθαι μηκέτι μήτε διαπέμπεσθαι περὶ μηδενός.
Some of whom, being struck by their arrogance, were exasperated and advised Perseus neither to send any more embassies nor to negotiate about anything at all.
§27.8.13οὐ μὴν ὁ Περσεὺς τοιοῦτος ἦν, ἀλλὰ προστιθεὶς καὶ τὸ πλῆθος αὔξων τῶν χρημάτων διεπέμπετο πλεονάκις πρὸς τὸν Λικίννιον.
But Perseus was not of such a mind; rather, adding and increasing the amount of money, he sent messages repeatedly to Licinius.
προκόπτων δʼ οὐδέν, §27.8.14ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πλείστων φίλων ἐπιτιμώντων αὐτῷ καὶ φασκόντων ὅτι νικῶν ποιεῖ τὰ τοῦ λειπομένου καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐπταικότος, §27.8.15οὕτως ἠναγκάσθη τὰς διαπρεσβείας ἀπογνοὺς μεταστρατοπεδεῦσαι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ Συκύριον.
But making no progress, and moreover, since the majority of his friends reproached him, saying that, though victorious, he was acting like one who was defeated and had utterly failed, he was thus forced to give up hope of negotiations and to move his camp back to Sycurium.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τούτων ἦν. —
And these things happened in this manner. —