Source edition
Appianus. Appiani Historia romana, Volume 1. Mendelssohn, Ludwig, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1879.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This historical work depicts the course of the three Macedonian Wars fought between the expanding Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Macedon. The narrative begins with the peace negotiations of the First Macedonian War, progresses through the second conflict triggered by Philip V's betrayal, and details the famous declaration of "Greek freedom" by the Roman general Flamininus. However, underlying resentment remains, leading to the Third Macedonian War under Philip's successor, Perseus. Perseus's distrust and extreme parsimony cause his alliances to collapse, ultimately resulting in the conquest of Macedon by the Roman general Paullus. The work concludes on a dramatic note with Paullus, who, despite his grand triumph, suffers the loss of his young sons and delivers an eloquent speech to the Roman citizens on the fickle nature of fortune and divine jealousy.