The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America - Percy T. Magan

of Philip, king of Macedon. True, peace had been
concluded with him two or three years before, “yet
the grounds of a new quarrel were soon
discovered.” He was accused of having attacked
the Athenians and some of the other friends of
Rome. At this time the southern part of Greece was
divided into a number of small republics, all of
which paid more or less tribute to Philip of
Macedon. Rome was a republic, a great and a
strong republic, and she considered it her duty to
assist these poor, little, weak, struggling republics
against the tyranny of the king of Macedonia. “The
war was undertaken by the Romans chiefly, as was
pretended, on their [the small republics of Greece]
account.”[6] It was “under pretext of an invitation
from the Athenians to protect them from the king
of Macedon that the ambitious republic secured a
foothold in Greece.”[7] To all appearances this was
a piece of disinterestedness not common among
nations; but it was only “to all appearances.” “The
barbarous tribes on the north and west of
Macedonia were also led, by the temptation of
plunder, to join the confederacy; and their
irruptions served to distract the councils and the
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