This  movement  of  Antiochus  had  been  foreseen  by  the
Romans,  who  about  the  same  time  landed  on  the  coast  of
Epirus  with  a  force  of  25,000  men.  War  was  thus,  practically,
declared  on  both  sides.  The  struggle  was,  directly  and  imme-
diately, for  the  protectorate  of  Greece ;  indirectly  and  pros-  ,
pectively,  for  political  ascendency.  Antiochus  "  the  Great,"  as
he  was  called,  the  master  of  all  Asia  from  the  valley  of  the  In-
dus to  the  jEgean,  thought  himself  quite  competent  to  meet  and
defeat  the  upstart  power  which  had  lately  ventured  to  inter-
meddle in  the  affairs  of  the  "  Successors  of  Alexander."  Nar-
row-minded and  Ignorant,  he  despised  his  adversary,  and  took
the  field  with  a  force  absurdly  small,  which  he  could  without
difficulty  have  quadrupled.   The  natural  result  followed.  Rome


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ANCIENT  HISTORY  341

easily  defeated  him  in  a  pitched  battle,  drove  him  across  the
sea,  and  following  him  rapidly  into  his  own  country,  shattered
his  power,  and  established  her  own  prestige  in  Asia,  by  the
great  victory  of  Magnesia,  which  placed  the  Syrian  empire  at
her  mercy.  Most  fortunate  was  it  for  Rome  that  the  sceptre
of  Syria  was  at  this  time  wielded  by  so  weak  a  monarch.  Had
the  occupant  of  the  Seleucid  throne  possessed  moderate  ca-
pacity ;  had  he  made  a  proper  use  of  his  opportunities ;  had
he  given  the  genius  of  Hannibal,  which  was  placed  at  his  dis-
posal, full  scope ;  had  he,  by  a  frank  and  generous  policy,  at-
tached Philip  of  Macedon  to  his  side,  the  ambitious  Republic
might  have  been  checked  in  mid-career,  and  have  suffered  a
repulse  from  which  there  would  have  been  no  recovery  for
centuries.
