Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome, Episode 25, The Syrian War.

Last week, Rome was drawn into the thick of Greek politics, and emerged from its brief war

with Philip of Macedon, the leading power west of the Aegean.

The hero of the second Macedonian war, Gaius Flominius, had declared Greece free from foreign

interference, to the great joy of the proud Greeks.

However, it was a peculiar form of freedom, as Flominius did not seem to count Rome

amongst the foreign powers Greece was free from.

Soon enough, the Greeks would begin to look sideways at their liberators, who were fast

becoming occupiers.

A faction of Greeks, fed up with the Roman presence, would look across the Aegean to the only

other power in the Mediterranean who could possibly expel the Romans.

The Celicid Empire of Syria, led by Antiochus the Great.

Trouble began in 195 BC, the year after Flominius' declaration.

The Italian League, the collection of cities that had been Rome's first allies in Greece,

felt they had not received the rewards they deserve for all the help they had given

the Romans.

All their aid for Rome had been given, with the assumption that once they helped clear

out Macedon, the Italian League would be handed control of Greece, with Rome withdrawing

into the role of silent partner.

But the generous Romans had not punished their Greek enemies at the bargaining table, and

had left the existing power structure in place, granting the Italians no more control

than they had prior to the war against Philip.

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