of money to assist Hannibal and the Carthaginians.”  The Macedonians, on being interrogated on these points, proceeded to answer in a subtle and evasive manner; but without waiting for the conclusion of their reply they were told, “that the king was seeking occasion for war, and that if he persisted he would soon obtain his object.  That the treaty had been doubly violated by him, both by offering insults to the allies of the Roman people, by assaulting them with hostilities and arms, and also by aiding their enemies with auxiliaries and money.  That Publius Scipio was deemed to have acted properly and regularly in keeping in chains, as enemies, those who had been made prisoners while bearing arms against the Romans; and that Marcus Aurelius had consulted the interest of the state, and the senate were thankful to him for it, in protecting the allies of the Roman people by arms, since he could not do it by the obligation of the treaty.”  The Macedonian ambassadors having been dismissed with this unpleasant answer, the Carthaginian ambassadors were called.  On observing their ages and dignified appearance, for they were by far the first men of the state, all promptly declared their conviction, that now they were sincere in their desire to effect a peace.  Hasdrubal, however, surnamed by his countrymen Haedus, who had invariably recommended peace, and was opposed to the Barcine faction, was regarded with greater interest than the rest.  On these accounts the greater weight was attached to him when transferring the blame of the war from the state at large to the cupidity of a few.  After a speech of varied character, in which he sometimes refuted the charges which had been brought, at other times admitted some, lest by impudently denying what was manifestly true their forgiveness might be the more difficult; and then, even admonishing the conscript fathers to be guided by the rules of decorum and moderation in their prosperity, he said, that if the Carthaginians had listened to himself and Hanno, and had been disposed to make a proper use of circumstances, they would themselves have dictated terms of peace, instead of begging it as they now did.  That it rarely happened that good fortune and a sound judgment were bestowed upon men at the same time.  That the Roman people were therefore invincible, because when successful they forgot not the maxims of wisdom and prudence; and indeed it would have been matter of astonishment did they act otherwise.  That those persons to whom success was a new and uncommon thing, proceeded to a pitch of madness in their ungoverned transports in consequence of their not being accustomed to it.  That to the Roman people the joy arising from victory was a matter of common occurrence, and was now almost become old-fashioned.  That they had extended their empire more by sparing the vanquished than by conquering.  The language employed by the others was of a nature more calculated to excite compassion; they represented from what a height of power the Carthaginian