Philip Comes to the Conference
After this they separated for that day. On the next the
note
king arrived: and on the third, when all the
delegates were met for discussion, Philip entered, and with great skill and tact diverted
the anger which they all entertained against him. For he
said that "He conceded the demands made on the former
occasion by the Romans and the allies, and remitted the decision on the remaining points to the Senate." But Phaeneas,
one of the Aetolians present, said: "Why then, Philip, do
not you restore to us Larisa Cremaste, Pharsalus, Phthiotid
Thebes, and Echinus?" Whereupon Philip bade them take
them over. note But Flamininus here interposed,
and forbade the Aetolians to take over any of
the towns except Phthiotid Thebes; "for upon
his approaching this town with his army, and summoning it to
submit to the Roman protection, the Thebans had refused;
and, as it had now come into his hands in the course of war,
he had the right of taking any measures he chose regarding it."
Phaeneas and his colleagues indignantly protested at this, and
asserted that it was their clear right to recover the towns previously members of their league, "first on the ground that
they had taken part in the recent war; and secondly in virtue
of their original treaty of alliance, according to which the movable property of the conquered belonged to the Romans, the
towns to the Aetolians." To which Flamininus answered that
"they were mistaken in both points; for their treaty with
Rome had been annulled when they abandoned the Romans,
and made terms with Philip: and, even supposing that treaty
to be still in force, they had no right to recover or take over
such cities as had voluntarily put themselves under the protection of Rome, as the whole of the cities in Thessaly had done,
but only such as were taken by force. note
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