After Prusias had received his answer news came that Eumenes was on his way.
This matter very much embarrassed the senate. For as they had now quarrelled with him, and their opinion of him remained unshaken, they did not wish to make any pronouncement at all.
For they had proclaimed to the whole world that this king was their first and greatest friend, and now, if they allowed him to meet them and to defend himself, should they tell him in reply what they were really led to think of him by their own judgement, they would expose themselves to ridicule for having in former times paid this high honour to a man of such a character:
if on the other hand they made themselves the slaves of appearances and gave him a kind answer, they would be ignoring truth and the interest of their country.
Since therefore, whichever course they decided to adopt would put them in a position not easy to justify, they hit on the following solution of problem.
Affecting to be displeased by the visit of kings in general, they issued a decree that no king would present himself to them;
and in the next place, when they heard that Eumenes had arrived at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Brundisium&groupId=411&placeId=762">Brundisium</a>, they dispatched the quaestor bearing this decree, and with orders to tell Eumenes to inform him if he stood in need of any service from senate:
in case there was nothing the king wanted he was to order him to leave <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> as soon as possible.
Eumenes, when he met the quaestor, understood the intention of the senate and remained perfectly silent after saying that he was in want of nothing.
This, then, was the way in which the king was prevented from going up to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>.
But another more practical purpose had contributed to this decision.
For, as the kingdom of Pergamus was menaced with a great danger from the Gauls, it was evident that by this repulse all the allies of the king would be humiliated, and the Gauls would undertake the war with redoubled vigour.
So that it was with the view of thoroughly humiliating Eumenes that the senate arrived at this decision.
This took place at the beginning of winter, and afterwards the senate dealt with all the embassies that had arrived.
For there was no city or prince or king who had not at this time sent a mission to congratulate them.
To all these they replied in suitable and kind terms with the exception of the Rhodians whom they dismissed with ambiguous declarations about their future.
They also deferred giving an answer to the Athenians.
Walbank Commentary