Philip Withdraws to Cephallenia
As he neared the mouth of the Aous, which flows
note
past Apollonia, a panic fell upon his fleet such
as happens to land forces. Certain galleys on
the rear of the fleet being anchored at an island
called Sason, which lies at the entrance to the
Ionian Sea, came by night to Philip with a
report that some men who had lately come from
the Sicilian Strait had been anchored with them at Sason, who
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reported that they left some Roman quinqueremes at Rhegium,
which were bound for Apollonia to support Scerdilaidas. Thinking this fleet must be all but upon him, Philip, in great alarm,
promptly ordered his ships to weigh anchor and sail back the
way they came. They started and got out to sea in great
disorder, and reached Cephallenia, after sailing two nights and
days without intermission. Having now partially recovered
his courage, Philip remained there, covering his flight under the
pretext of having returned for some operations in the Peloponnese. It turned out that it was a false alarm altogether.
The truth was that Scerdilaidas, hearing in the course of the
winter that Philip was having a number of galleys built, and
expecting him to come to attack him by sea, had sent
messages to Rome stating the facts and imploring help; and
the Romans had detached a squadron of ten ships from the
fleet at Lilybaeum, which were what had been seen at
Rhegium. But if Philip had not fled from them in such
inconsiderate alarm, he would have had the best opportunity
possible of attaining his objects in Illyria; because the thoughts
and resources of Rome were absorbed in the war with
Hannibal and the battle of Cannae, and it may fairly be presumed that he would have captured the ten Roman ships. As
it was, he was utterly upset by the news and returned to
Macedonia, without loss indeed, but with considerable dishonour.
