35.18
There
was amongst those present an Acarnanian named Alexander. He had
formerly been one of Philip's friends, but had latterly attached himself to the
wealthier and more magnificent court of Antiochus. As he was thoroughly
familiar with the state of affairs in Greece and possessed some knowledge of
the Roman character he had come to be on such intimate terms with
Antiochus that he even took part in his private councils. As though the
question under discussion was not whether war should be declared or not,
but simply where and how it should be conducted, he said that he looked
forward to certain victory if the king would cross over into Europe and fix
the seat of war in some part of Greece. He would first of all find the
Aetolians, who live in the centre of Greece, in arms, ready to take their
places in the front and face all the dangers and hardships of war. Then, in
what might be called the right and left wing of Greece, Nabis was ready in
the Peloponnesus to do his utmost to recover Argos and the maritime cities
from which the Romans had expelled him and shut him up within his own
walls. In Macedonia Philip would take up arms the moment he heard the
war-trumpet sound; he knew his spirit, he knew his temper, he knew that he
had been revolving in his mind vast schemes of revenge, chafing like wild
beasts that are fastened up by bars or chains. He remembered, too, how
often during the war Philip had besought all the gods to give him the help of
Antiochus; if this prayer were now granted he would not lose an hour in
recommencing war. Only there must be no delay, no holding back, for
victory depended upon their being the first to secure allies and to seize the
most advantageous positions. Hannibal, too, ought to be sent to Africa at
once to create a diversion and divide the Roman forces.