Philip's Preparations
King Philip having returned, after the completion of
note
the treaty of peace, to Macedonia by sea, found
that Scerdilaidas on the same pretext of money
owed to him, on which he had treacherously
seized the vessels at Leucas, had now plundered
a town in Pelagonia called Pissaeum; had won
over by promises some cities of the Dassaretae, namely, Phibotides, Antipatria, Chrysondym, and Geston; and had overrun
much of the district of Macedonia bordering on these places.
He therefore at once started with his army in great haste to
recover the revolted cities, and determined to proclaim open
war with Scerdilaidas; for he thought it a matter of the most
vital importance to bring Illyria into a state of good order, with
a view to the success of all his projects, and above all of his
passage into Italy. For Demetrius was so assiduous in
keeping hot these hopes and projects in the king's mind, that
Philip even dreamed of them in his sleep, and thought of
nothing else but this Italian expedition. The motive of
Demetrius in so acting was not a consideration for Philip, for
he certainly did not rank higher than third in the calculations
of Demetrius. A stronger motive than that was his hatred of
Rome: but the strongest of all was the consideration of his
own prospects. For he had made up his mind that it was
only in this way that he could ever recover his principality in
Pharos. Be that as it may, Philip went on his expedition and
recovered the cities I have named, and took besides Creonium
-- 455 --
and Gerus in Dassaretis; Enchelanae, Cerax, Sation, Boei, round
the Lychnidian Lake; Bantia in the district of the Calicoeni;
and Orgyssus in that of the Pisantini. After completing these
operations he dismissed his troops to their winter quarters.
This was the winter in which Hannibal, after
plundering note
the fairest districts of Italy, intended to place his winter quarters near Gerunium in Daunia.
And it was then that at Rome Caius Terentius and Lucius Aemilius entered upon their Consulship.
