ians
endeavored to persuade Philip, Nabis, and Antiochus to enter into a
league against the Romans. Philip at once refused, but Nabis took up
arms, and Antiochus willingly entered into the designs of the AEtolians.
At this time Hannibal appeared as an exile at the Syrian court. After
the Second Punic War he had set himself to work, like his father
Hamilcar at the end of the previous war, to prepare means for renewing
the contest at no distant period. He introduced various reforms in the
constitution, and seems to have deprived the Oligarchy of their
exclusive power; but they avenged themselves by denouncing him to the
Romans as engaged in negotiations with Antiochus to induce him to take
up arms against Rome. The Senate sent envoys to Carthage to inquire into
these charges; and Hannibal, seeing that his enemies were too strong for
him, secretly took flight, and reached the court of Antiochus in safety.
He was received with the highest honors, and urged the king to place an
army at his disposal with which he might invade Italy. But Antiochus was
persuaded by the AEtolians to cross over into Greece, and accordingly
landed at Demetrias in Thessaly in B.C. 192. The Romans now declared war
against Antiochus, and in the following year (B.C. 191) the Consul
Acilius Glabrio marched into Thessaly. The king had intrenched himself
in the passes of Thermopylae, that he might prevent the Romans from
penetrating into Central Greece. But there was, as is well known, a
difficult passage across Mount Oeta, by which the Persians had
descended to fight with Leonidas. This passage was now forced by M.
Cato, who was serving as one of the Consul's lieutenants, and as soon as
he appeared in the rear of the Syrian army they fled in confusion, and
the battle was won. Antiochus now hastened back to Asia, abandoning all
farther hopes of conquest in Greece. As soon as he had placed the sea
between himself and the Romans he thought that he was safe; but
Hannibal warned him of his error, and said that he wondered that the
Romans had not already followed him.

Next year (B.C. 190) L. Cornelius Scipio, the brother of the great
Africanus, and C. Laelius, the intimate friend of the latter, were
Consuls. L. Scipio was anxious to have the command of the war against
Antiochus; but the Senate had not much confidence in his ability, and it
was only in consequence of his brother Africanus offering to serve under
him as his lieutenant that he obtained the comm