A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Roman Envoys Insulted 393
and Gauis Fannius; they, happening to
arrive when the
congress was assembled at Corinth, were introduced to
the assembly, and delivered a long and conciliatory speech,
much in the spirit of that of Sextus Julius, exerting themselves
with great zeal to prevent the Achaeans from proceeding
to an open breach with Rome, either on a pretext
of their grievance against the Lacedaemonians, or from any
feehng of anger against the Romans themselves. But
the assembled people would not hear them ; insulting words
were loudly uttered against the envoys, and in the midst
of a storm of yells and tumult they were driven from the
assembly. The fact was that such a crowd of workmen
and artisans had been got together as had never been
collected before; for all the cities were in a state of drivelling
folly, and above all the Corinthians en masse; and
there were only a very few who heartily approved of the
words of the envoys.
Critolaus, conceiving that he had attained his purpose,
in the midst of an audience as excited and mad as himself
began attacking the magistrates, abusing all who were
opposed to him, and openly defying the Roman envoys,
saying that he was desirous of being a friend of the Romans,
but had no taste for them as his masters. And finally he
tried to incite the people by saying that, if they acquitted
themselves like
men, they would have no lack of allies;
but if they betrayed womanish fears, they would not want
for masters. By many other such words to the same
effect, conceived in the spirit of a charlatan and huckster,
he roused and excited the populace. . . .
Having carried these measures, he began intriguing to
Critolaus
bring on an outbreak and cause an attack upon the Roman tack on the
envoys. He had no pretext for doing this; but adopted a ^^^^^y^course,
which of all possible courses, offends most fla-
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