Philip's Treacherous Conduct, B. C. 204
Philip now entered upon a course of treachery which no
one would venture to say was worthy of a king; but which
some would defend on the ground of its necessity in the conduct of public affairs, owing to the prevailing bad faith of the
time. For the ancients, so far from using a fraudulent policy
towards their friends, were scrupulous even as to using it to
conquer their enemies; because they did not regard a success
as either glorious or secure, which was not obtained by such a
victory in the open field as served to break the confidence of
their enemies. They therefore came to a mutual understanding not to use hidden weapons against each other, nor such as
could be projected from a distance; and held the opinion that
the only genuine decision was that arrived at by a battle fought
at close quarters, foot to foot with the enemy. It was for this
reason also that it was their custom mutually to proclaim their
wars, and give notice of battles, naming time and place at which
they meant to be in order of battle. But nowadays people
say that it is the mark of an inferior general to perform any
operation of war openly. Some slight trace, indeed, of the
old-fashioned morality still lingers among the Romans; for
they do proclaim their wars, and make sparing use of ambuscades, and fight their battles hand to hand and foot to foot.
So much for the unnecessary amount of artifice which it is the
fashion for commanders in our days to employ both in politics
and war.
