Philip Recalled To Macedonia
But whilst he was still engaged on this work, news was
note
brought to the king that the Dardani, suspecting
his intention of invading the Peloponnese, were
collecting forces and making great preparations
with the determination of invading Macedonia.
When he heard this, Philip made up his mind
that he was bound to go with all speed to the protection of
Macedonia: and accordingly he dismissed the Achaean envoys
with the answer, which he now gave them, that when he had
taken effectual measures with regard to the circumstances that
had just been announced to him, he would look upon it as his
first business to bring them aid to the best of his ability.
Thereupon he broke up his camp, and began his return march
with all speed, by the same route as that by which he had
come. When he was on the point of recrossing the Ambracian
gulf from Acarnania into Epirus, Demetrius of Pharos presented
himself, sailing with a single galley, having just been banished
from Illyria by the Romans,—as I have stated in the previous
book. note Philip received him with kindness and bade him sail
-- 338 --
to Corinth, and go thence through Thessaly to Macedonia;
while he himself crossed into Epirus and pushed on without a
halt. When he had reached Pella in Macedonia, the Dardani
learnt from some Thracian deserters that he was in the country,
and they at once in a panic broke up their army, though they
were close to the Macedonian frontier. note And Philip, being
informed of their change of purpose, dismissed his Macedonian
soldiers to gather in their harvest: while he
himself went to Thessaly, and spent the rest of
the summer at Larisa.
It was at this season that Aemilius celebrated a splendid note
triumph at Rome for his Illyrian victories; and
Hannibal after the capture of Saguntum dismissed
his troops into winter quarters; while the Romans,
on hearing of the capture of Saguntum, were sending ambassadors to Carthage to demand the surrender of Hannibal,
and at the same time were making preparations for the war
after electing Publius Cornelius Scipio and Tiberius Sempronius
Longus Consuls for the following year, as I have stated in
detail in the previous book. My object in recalling the facts
here is to carry out my original plan of showing what events in
various parts of the world were contemporaneous.
