They Received From Other Princes Presents Or
Privileges Of Equal Importance And Value; So That, In A Very Short Time,
They Recovered Their Former Opulence And Trade, And Rebuilt Their Walls,
Etc.
Their alliance with Attalus, king of Pergamus, involved them in a war with
Philip king of Macedonia, and was the cause of their forming an alliance
with the Romans.
In this war the Rhodian fleet, in conjunction with the
fleets of their allies, gained several victories over the fleet of Philip.
The latter was at length obliged to sue to the Romans for peace, and they,
in fixing the terms, included the Rhodians, to whom were ceded Stratonice,
and the greater part of Caria. In the meantime Antiochus and the Romans had
commenced hostilities, and the Rhodians were again involved in them: almost
at their very commencement, their fleet was surprized by a stratagem of
Antiochus's admiral, and of thirty ships of war of which it consisted, only
seven escaped.
They soon, however, repaired their losses, and fitted out another fleet,
with which they put to sea, for the purpose of preventing the junction of
Hannibal with Antiochus's ships: the former had thirty-seven large ships;
the Rhodian fleet was nearly equal in numbers, but inferior in size. The
hostile fleets met off the coast of Pamphilia. The battle was obstinate: at
first, by an oversight of the Rhodian admiral, some disorder occurred in
part of his fleet; but this was soon repaired, and a decisive victory
obtained. Part of Hannibal's fleet was captured, and the rest blocked up in
the harbours of Pamphilia. The defeat of Antiochus, both at sea and land,
by the Romans, to which we have already adverted, obliged this monarch to
sue for peace, in which the Rhodians were included.
We have now arrived at that period of the history of Rhodes when the first
difference arose between that city and the Romans: the latter suspected
that the Rhodians favoured Perseus king of Macedon, with whom they were at
war, and were moreover displeased at their presuming to interfere with them
in his favour. In order to watch their inclinations and motions, the senate
sent three commissioners to Rhodes: these found a fleet of forty galleys,
which there was reason to believe had been intended to act against the
Romans; but which, by the advice of the chief magistrate, were, on the
arrival of the commissioners, ordered to sea, to act in union with them.
Scarce, however, were the commissioners departed, when the Rhodians became
lukewarm in the cause of the Romans; and although they sent a few of their
galleys to join the Roman admiral, they kept the greatest number in port,
waiting the issue of the war between them and the king of Macedonia. As
soon as they heard of the defeat of the former in Thessaly, they entered
into negotiations with Perseus, and at the same time sent ambassadors to
Rome, who complained, that in consequence of the war between Perseus and
the Romans, the navigation and commerce of Rhodes was greatly injured,
their island deprived of provisions and other necessaries, and the customs
and duties which their maritime situation formerly afforded them kept back,
from their no longer being able to sail with safety along the coasts of
Asia, where they used to levy the most important and productive of them.
After the defeat of Perseus, they ceased to remonstrate, and became
submissive to the Romans. It is probable, however, that the Romans would
have seized this opportunity of attacking them, had not Cato spoken very
strongly in their favour: in consequence of his arguments and influence,
and by the cession of Lycia and Caria, they were again admitted to an
alliance with the Romans.
The advantages they derived from this alliance were so great, that they
resisted the promises and the threats of Mithridates, when he engaged in
hostilities with the Romans. This monarch, therefore, resolved to employ
his whole force by sea and land against them: they were not however
dismayed, but placed a firm reliance on their skill in maritime affairs.
They divided their fleet into three squadrons: one drawn up in a line
protected the entrance of the harbour; and the other two, at a greater
distance from the shore, were stationed to watch the approach of the enemy.
Mithridates also divided his fleet, which was more numerous than that of
the Rhodians, into three squadrons; one of these he himself commanded, on
board of a quinquereme, and directed to attack the squadron which was
protecting the port. The Rhodians gradually retired before the enemy, till
they came close to the mouth of the harbour: Mithridates in vain
endeavoured to break their line, and force an entrance; in all his attempts
he was defeated with considerable loss; and his land forces, which he had
embarked in transports, being dispersed in a storm, he was obliged to
retire from before the city.
The Romans acknowledged the benefits they derived from the valour of the
Rhodians on this occasion; and they again experienced it, in the war which
Pompey carried on against the Cilician pirates, though that commander took
all the merit to himself. In the civil war between him and Caesar, they
assisted the former with a numerous fleet, under the command of one of
their best seamen, who distinguished himself above all Pompey's captains,
and gained very considerable advantages over Caesar's fleet. On the death
of Pompey they joined Csesar: this exposed them to the hostility of
Cassius; they endeavoured to pacify him by promising to recal the ships
they had sent to the assistance of Caesar, but he demanded the delivery of
their whole fleet, and that he should be put in possession of their harbour
and city. To these terms they would not accede, but prepared for war, by
equipping a fleet of thirty-three ships, and placing it under the command
of one of their best officers. A battle ensued which was fought on both
sides with great skill and bravery; but the Rhodians were obliged to yield
to the superior number of the Roman fleet, and to return to the harbour,
having lost two of their ships, and the rest being very much damaged.
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