Philip Goes to Naupactus
The commissioners having now assembled, Philip sent
Aratus and Taurion, and some others who had come with
them, to the Aetolians. They found them in full assembly
at Naupactus; and after a short conference with them, and
satisfying themselves as to their inclination for peace, they
sailed back to Philip to inform him of the state of the case.
But the Aetolians, being very eager to bring the war to a
conclusion, sent ambassadors with them to Philip urging him
to visit them with his army, that by a personal conference the
business might be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
Moved by these representations, the king
sailed across with his army to what is
called the Hollows of Naupactus, about
twenty stades from the town. Having pitched a camp there,
and having caused both it and his ships to be surrounded by
a palisade, he waited for the time fixed for the interview.
The Aetolians came en masse without arms; and keeping at a
distance of two stades from Philip's camp, interchanged
messages and discussions on the subjects in question. The
negotiation was begun by the king sending all the commissioners
of the allies, with instructions to offer the Aetolians peace, on
the condition of both parties retaining what they then held.
This preliminary the Aetolians readily agreed to; and then
there began a continuous interchange of messages between the
two, most of which I shall omit as containing no point of
interest: but I shall record the speech made by Agelaus of
Naupactus in the first conference before the king and the
assembled allies. It was this.
