But he was always delighted that though many splendid things
were prepared, he himself was the chief object of interest to his
guests, and when they expressed their surprise at his taking such pains,
he would answer that the same mind can array an army for battle in the
most terrific fashion, or a feast in the most acceptable one. All men
praised to the skies his generous magnanimity, because, when a great
mass of gold and silver was collected from the king's treasury, he would
not so much as look at it, but handed it over to the quaestors to be put
into the public treasury. Of all the spoil, he only allowed his sons,
who were fond of reading, to take the king's books; and when
distributing prizes for distinguished bravery in action, he gave Aelius
Tubero, his son-in-law, a silver cup of five pounds' weight. This Tubero
is he whom we said lived with fifteen other kinsfolk on a small farm,
which supported them all. And that, they say, was the first piece of
plate that ever was seen in the Aelian household, brought there by
honourable valour; for before that neither they nor their wives used
either gold or silver plate.
XXIX. When he had settled all things properly he took leave of the
Greeks, and reminding the Macedonians to keep by orderly and unanimous
conduct the liberty which the Romans had bestowed upon them, he started
for Epirus, as the Senate had passed a decree that the soldiers who had
been present in the battle against Perseus should be gratified with the
spoil of the cities of Epirus.
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