r, as it would seem that the governor,
faithful to his charge, would not listen to the commands of Rome. But
the ambassadors had been told to conquer Cyprus, if necessary, with the
arms of the republic only, and they therefore made Euergetes disband
his levies. They sailed for Alexandria to enforce their orders upon
Philometor, and sent Euergetes home to Cyrene. Philometor received the
Roman ambassadors with all due honours; he sometimes gave them fair
promises, and sometimes put them off till another day; and tried to spin
out the time without saying either yes or no to the message from the
senate. Euergetes sent to Alexandria to ask if they had gained their
point; but though they threatened to return to Rome if they were not at
once obeyed, Philometor, by his kind treatment and still kinder words,
kept them more than forty days longer at Alexandria.

At last the Roman ambassadors left Egypt, and on their way home they
went to Cyrene, to let Euergetes know that his brother had disobeyed the
orders of the senate, and would not give up Cyprus; and Euergetes then
sent two ambassadors to Rome to beg them to revenge their affronted
dignity and to enforce their orders by arms. The senate of course
declared the peace with Egypt at an end, and ordered the ambassadors
from Philometor to quit Rome within five days, and sent their own
ambassadors to Cyrene to tell Euergetes of their decree.

But while this was going on, the state of Cyrene had risen in arms
against Euergetes; his vices and cruelty had made him hated, they had
gained for him the nicknames of Kakergetes, or _mischief-maker_, and
Physcon, or _bloated_; and while wishing to gain Cyprus he was in danger
of losing his own kingdom. When he marched against the rebels, he was
beaten and wounded, either in the battle or by an attack upon his life
afterwards, and his success was for some time doubtful. When he had at
last put down this rising, he sailed for Rome, to urge his complaints
against Philometor, upon whom he laid the blame of the late rebellion,
and to ask for help. The senate, after hearing both sides, sent a small
fleet with Euergetes, not large enough to put him on the throne of
Cyprus, but gave him, what they had before refused, leave to levy
an army of his own, and to enlist their allies in Greece and Asia as
mercenaries under his standard.

The Roman troops seem not to have helped Euergetes; but he landed in
Cyprus with his own mercenaries, and was there m