Rhodes Decides to Seek Peace
The question being put to the vote at Rhodes, it was
note
carried to send envoys to negotiate a peace;
and this decree thus decided the relative
strength of the opposite political parties at
Rhodes [as has been stated in my essay on
public speaking], showing that the party for
siding with Perseus was stronger than that
which was for preserving their country and its laws. The
Prytanies immediately appointed ambassadors to negotiate
the cessation of the war: Agepolis, Diocles, and Cleombrotus
were sent to Rome; Damon, Nicostratus, Agesilochus, and
Telephus to Perseus and the consul. The Rhodians went on
in the same spirit to take further steps, so that they eventually
committed themselves past all excuse. For they at once
sent ambassadors to Crete, to renew their friendly relations
with the entire Cretan people, and to urge that, in view of the
dangers that threatened them, they should throw in their lot with
the people of Rhodes, and hold the same people to be friends
and enemies as they did, and also to address the separate cities
to the same effect. . . .
