Αἰμίλιος

The consul, who defeated Perseus the king of the Macedonians. He was a judicious man who knew how to handle good fortune and was self-sufficient. For he received the man along with his royal retinues and when he [Perseus] made to fall toward his knees, he [Aemilius] bade him rise and said, "my good man, why are you ruining my victory?" and he had him sit down beside him on a royal type of stool. He commanded that the Macedonians and Illyrians, now that they had been released from their previous servitude, were to be free and autonomous, and he ordered their league to render a small amount of tribute, one that was considerably less than what they previously paid to each other's kings. As a result everyone could agree that the Romans waged war more on account of the prior misdeeds against them than out of desire to obtain the Macedonian empire. In any case, Aemilius, in the hearing of all those present [many had gathered, and from many nations], revealed the decree of the Senate and declared that the men were free. He entertained the ambassadors of the Europeans who had come to him at great expense, considering the splendor of the banquet a point of honor. For in fact he used to say that those who prevailed in war also had the responsibility to prove themselves careful and ambitious in their preparations for banquets.