3.
Amynander, on recovering possession of his kingdom, sent ambassadors, both to the senate at Rome and to the Scipios in Asia, who, since the grand battle with Antiochus, stayed at Ephesus.
[2]
He requested a treaty of amity, and apologized for having had recourse to the Aetolians, for the recovery of his hereditary dominions.
[3]
He made many charges against Philip. The Aetolians from Athamania proceeded into Amphilochia, and, with the consent of the greater part of the inhabitants, reduced that nation under their power and dominion.
[4]
After the recovery of Amphilochia, for it had formerly belonged to the Aetolians, they passed on, with hopes of equal success, into Aperantia. That also, for the most part, surrendered to the Aetolians without a contest.
[5]
The Dolopians had never been subject to the Aetolians, but they were to Philip. These, at first, ran to arms; but when they were informed of the Amphilochians taking part with the Aetolians, of Philip's flight from Athamania, and the destruction of his detachment, they also revolted from Philip to the Aetolians.
[6]
Whilst the Aetolians believed that they were now secured against the Macedonians on all sides, by these nations surrounding them, the report is brought to them that Antiochus was conquered in Asia by the Romans. Not very long after, their ambassadors came home from Rome, without the prospect of peace, announcing that the consul Fulvius, with his army, had already crossed the sea.
[7]
Dismayed at these accounts, they send the chief men of the state to Rome to try the last hope, having previously solicited embassies from Rhodes and Athens, that, through the influence of those states, their petitions, lately rejected, might meet with a more favourable reception from the senate:
[8]
they took no kind of precaution to avert the war, before it was almost within sight. Marcus Fulvius, having brought over his army [p. 1725]to Apollonia, was, at this time, consulting with the Epirot chiefs where he should commence his operations.
[9]
It was the opinion of the Epirots that he should attack Ambracia, which had lately united itself to Aetolia;
[10]
alleging, that, “in case the Aetolians should come to its relief, there were open plains around it, to fight in; or that if they should avoid a battle, there would be no great difficulty in
[11??]
the siege, for there were at hand abundant materials for raising mounds and other works, while the Arachthus, a navigable river, well adapted to convey every thing requisite, flowed by the walls; besides, the summer was just approaching, the fittest season for the enterprise.” By these arguments they persuaded him to march on through Epirus.
Livy. History of Rome by Titus Livius, books thirty-seven to the end, with the epitomes and fragments of the lost books. literally translated, with notes and illustrations, by. William A. McDevitte. York Street, Covent Garden, London. Henry G. Bohn. John Child and son, printers, Bungay. 1850. 4.
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