He said, then, that he had nothing further to say about what concerned him personally but adhered to his resolution, giving the senate complete authority to decide. But there was one point on which he was anxious, and that was the action of the Rhodians;
and for this reason he had now been induced to speak about the situation.
"For the Rhodians," he said, "have come to promote the interests of their country, with just as much warmth as we at the present crisis plead for our dominions.
But at the present crisis, whatever they say is meant to give an impression quite contrary to their real purpose, and this you will easily discover.
For when they enter this house they will say that they have come neither to beg for anything at all from you nor with the wish to harm myself in any way, but that they send this embassy to plead for the freedom of the Greek inhabitants of Asia Minor.
They will say that this is not so much a favour to themselves as your duty, and the natural consequence of what you have already achieved.
Such will be the false impression their words will be meant to produce on you, but you will find that their actual intentions are of quite a different character.
When the towns for which they plead are set at liberty their own power in Asia will be immensely increased, and mine will be more or less destroyed.
For this fine name of freedom and autonomy will, the moment it becomes evident that you have decided to ask so, entirely detach from me not only the cities now about to be liberated, but those previously subject to me, and add them all to the Rhodian dominion.
For such is the nature of things: thinking that they owe their freedom to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a>, they will be nominally the allies of the Rhodians, but in reality ready to obey all their orders, feeling indebted to them for the greatest of services.
Therefore, I beg you, sirs, to be suspicious on this point, in case unawares you strengthen some of your friends more than is meet and unwisely weaken others, at the same time conferring favours on your enemies and neglecting and making light of those who are truly your friends.
Walbank Commentary