38.9
The
envoys felt these to be onerous terms, and as they knew the fierce and fickle
temper of their countrymen they left without giving any decided answer.
They wished to discuss the whole position thoroughly with the
captain-general and the national leaders and come to some decision as to
what ought to be done. They were received with clamorous protests and
reproaches. "How long," they were asked, "were they going to let matters
drag on after receiving definite orders to bring back peace at any price?"
Their return journey to Ambracia was a disastrous one. The Acarnanians
with whom they were at war had posted an ambush close to the road on
which they were travelling; they were made prisoners and conducted to
Tyrrhenum for safe keeping. This interrupted the peace negotiations. The
delegates who had been sent from Athens and Rhodes to support the
Aetolians were already with the consul, when Amynander, who had obtained
a safe-conduct, arrived in the Roman camp. He was more concerned for the
city of Ambracia, where he had passed most of his years of exile, than for the
Aetolians. When the consul learnt from them what had happened to the
Aetolian envoys, he sent orders for them to be brought from Tyrrhenum, and
on their arrival the negotiations commenced. Amynander, whose main
interest was in Ambracia, did his utmost to induce the place to surrender. He
approached the walls and held conversations with the leaders, but finding
that he was making no progress, he at last obtained the consul's permission
to enter the city and succeeded by argument and entreaty in persuading them
to place themselves in the hands of the Romans. The Aetolians found a
strong advocate also in C. Valerius, the son of the Valerius Laevinus who
was the first to establish friendly relations with them. He was also
half-brother of the consul.
After stipulating for the safe departure of their auxiliary troops, the
Ambracians opened their gates. Then the Aetolians accepted the following
conditions: They were to pay 500 Euboean talents; 200 at once, the
remaining 300 to be spread over six years; the prisoners and refugees were
to be restored to the Romans; they were not to retain within their League
any city which from the day when T. Quinctius landed in Greece had either
been taken by or entered into friendly relations with the Romans. Although
these conditions were much less onerous than they had expected, they asked
to be allowed to lay them before their council. Here there was a brief debate
on the question of the cities which had been confederated with them. They
felt their loss keenly; it was as though they were being torn from their living
body; nevertheless they were unanimous in deciding that the terms must be
accepted. The Ambracians gave the consul a gold crown 150 lbs. in weight.
The statues in bronze and marble and the paintings with which Ambracia, as
the royal residence of Pyrrhus, had been more richly adorned than any other
city in that part of the world were all carried away, but beyond these nothing
was injured or interfered with.
