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This man, after renewing his friendship with [the] Romans, immediately turned his hand to courting the Greeks,[1] recalling to Macedonia those fleeing their debts, both those banished by [judicial] sentences and those who had withdrawn for offences to the king. He posted lists of these [men] in Delos and Delphi,[2] granting not only security to those returning but also recovery of the possessions from which each had fled. He released those in Macedonia itself from debts to the king, and set free those locked up in prisons for charges against the king. By doing these things he often believed foolishly[3] that many would show great hopes for all the Greeks in him.[4] He also exhibited the honor of the kingly office in his leadership in war.[5] For in appearance he was both capable and apt for every bodily need that concerns a practical purpose. In outward appearance he had a brow and disposition not unfitting his age. He had avoided the licentiousness of his father[6] both in women and in drink. His beginnings were of such character.[7]

Perseus: houtos ananeôsamenos tên pros Rhômaious philian eutheôs hellênokopein epebaleto, katakalôn eis tên Makedonian kai tous ta chrea pheugontas kai tous pros katadikas ekpeptôkotas kai tous epi basilikois enklêmasi parakechôrêkotas. kai toutôn exetithei prographas eis te Dêlon kai Delphous, didous ou monon tên asphaleian tois kataporeuomenois, alla kai tôn huparchontôn komidên, aph' hôn hekastos ephuge. pareluse de tous en autêi têi Makedoniai tôn basilikôn opheilêmatôn, aphêke de kai tous en tais phulakais enkekleismenous epi basilikais aitiais. tauta de poiêsas pollous pollakis meteôrodokôn kalas elpidas hupodeiknunai pasi tois Hellêsin en autôi: epephaine de kai kata tên en tôi polemôi prostasian to tês basileias axiôma. kata te gar tên epiphaneian ên hikanos kai pros pasan sômatikên chreian tên diateinousan eis ton pragmatikon tropon euthetos; kata te tên epiphasin eichen episkunion kai taxin ouk anoikeion tês hêlikias. epepheugei de kai tên patrikên aselgeian tên te peri tas gunaikas kai tên peri tous potous. kai ta men prooimia autou toiautên esche diathesin.

Born c.213/2, king of Macedonia 179-168; OCD4 s.v. Perseus(2). See also pi 1371. The present entry follows, with modifications, Polybius 25.3.1–8 (web address 1).
[1] cf. epsilon 840.
[2] Polybius 25.3.2 adds a third location: the temple of Itonian Athena (in Thessaly).
[3] metewrodokw=n appears to be the fusion of e)metew/rise, dokw=n as found in Polybius 25.3.4. The Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität, ed. Erich Trapp, defines this fused word as "leichtsinnig glauben."
[4] Polybius has e)n au(tw=| "in himself."
[5] More generalised in Polybius: "in the rest of his behaviour".
[6] Philip V (phi 355).
[7] Polybius 25.3.8 has "the beginnings of the reign of Perseus were of such character."

David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 29 February 2012@09:22:21.
David Whitehead (typo and other cosmetics; raised status) on 30 September 2013@07:14:39.
David Whitehead (updated a ref) on 10 August 2014@05:05:25.
Catharine Roth (added another note and a link) on 29 August 2021@22:44:20.

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