31.38
There
have been some who blamed the king's rashness and the consul's want of
energy on that day. They said that Philip ought to have remained quiet, for
he knew that the enemy would in a few days have cleared all the country
round of corn and would have come to the extremity of want. The consul,
on the other hand, after routing the enemy's cavalry and light infantry and
almost capturing the king himself, ought to have marched at once to the
enemy's camp; the enemy were too much demoralised to make any stand and
the war could have been finished in a moment. As in most cases, this was
easier to say than to do. Had the king engaged with the whole of his infantry
it is possible that he might have lost his camp after they had been completely
defeated and fled from the field to their camp, and then continued their flight
as the enemy broke through their intrenchments. But as the infantry force in
camp remained intact and the outposts and guards were all at their stations,
what would the consul have gained beyond imitating the rashness of the king
in his wild pursuit of the routed horses? Nor could any fault be found with
the king in his plan of attacking the foragers whilst dispersed through the
fields, had he been contented with that success. That he should have tempted
fortune as he did is the less surprising since a report was current that
Pleuratus and the Dardanians had already invaded Macedonia with an
immense force. With this force assailing him in the rear he might well believe
that the Romans would finish the war without striking a blow. After the two
unsuccessful cavalry actions Philip thought that he would be running
considerable risk in remaining any longer in his standing camp. As he wanted
to conceal his departure from the enemy he sent a flag of truce just after
sunset to ask for an armistice for the purpose of burying the dead. Having
thus deceived the enemy he marched out at the second watch in perfect
silence, leaving numerous fires alight all through the camp.
