Asia and Egypt
While Philip was investing Echinus, and had
secured his position excellently on the side of the town, and
had strengthened the outer line of his camp with a trench and
wall, Publius Sulpicius, the Roman pro-consul,
and Dorimachus, Strategus of the Aetolians,
arrived in person,—Publius with a fleet, and
Dorimachus with an army of infantry and cavalry,—and
assaulted Philip's entrenchment. Their repulse led to greater
exertions on Philip's part in his attack upon the Echinaeans,
who in despair surrendered to him. For Dorimachus was
not able to reduce Philip by cutting off his supplies, as he
got them by sea. . . .
When Aegina was taken by the Romans, such of the note
inhabitants as had not escaped crowded together
at the ships, and begged the pro-consul to allow
them to send ambassadors to cities of their kinsmen to obtain ransom. Publius at first returned
a harsh answer, saying, that "When they were
their own masters was the time that they ought
to have sent ambassadors to their betters to ask for mercy,
not now when they were slaves. A little while ago they had
not thought an ambassador from him worthy of even a word;
now that they were captives they expected to be allowed to
send ambassadors to their kinsfolk: was that not sheer folly?"
So at the time he dismissed those who came to him with these
words. But next morning he called all the captives together
and said that, as to the Aeginetans, he owed them no favour;
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but for the sake of the rest of the Greeks he would allow
them to send ambassadors to get ransom, since that was the
custom of their country. . . .
