29.12
Little
attention had been paid to affairs in Greece for the last two years. As a
result, Philip, finding that the Aetolians had been abandoned by the Romans
to whom alone they looked for help, compelled them to sue for peace and
accept whatever terms he chose. Had he not devoted all his strength to
secure this result as soon as possible, his operations against them would have
been interrupted by the proconsul P. Sempronius who had succeeded
Sulpicius and commanded a force of 10,000 infantry, 1000 cavalry and 35
ships of war, a considerable force to bring to the assistance of our allies.
Hardly had the peace been concluded when news reached the king that the
Romans were at Dyrrachium and that the Parthini and neighbouring tribes
had risen and were besieging Dimallum. The Romans had diverted their force
to this place, for as the Aetolians had concluded the treaty with the king
without their consent, they showed their resentment by refusing the help
which they were sent to give them. On receiving this intelligence Philip,
anxious to prevent the movement from spreading, hastened to Apollonia.
Sempronius had withdrawn to this place after sending Laetorius with a
portion of his force and fifteen ships to Aetolia to see how matters stood
there and, if possible, upset the peace. Philip ravaged the country round
Apollonia, and brought his forces up to the city in order to give the Romans
an opportunity of fighting. As, however, he saw that they kept within their
walls, and feeling doubtful as to his ability to attack the place, he withdrew
into his kingdom. An additional motive for his retirement was his desire to
establish peace with them as he had with the Aetolians, or if not peace at all
events a truce, and consequently he avoided irritating them by further
hostilities.
The Epirotes were by this time tired of the long-continued war and
after sounding the Romans sent envoys to Philip with proposals for a general
settlement and assuring him that there was no doubt as to its being arranged
if he would confer with Sempronius. The king was by no means averse from
the proposal, and readily consented to visit Epirus. Phoenice, an important
city in Epirus, was chosen as the place of meeting, and there the king, after a
preliminary interview with Aeropus, Dardas and Philip, the chief magistrates
of the Epirotes, met Sempronius. There were present at the conference
Amynander, king of the Athamanians, as well as the chief magistrates of the
Epirotes and Acarnanians. The Epirote magistrate, Philip, opened the
discussion by appealing to the king and the Roman general to put a stop to
the war out of consideration for the Epirotes. The conditions of peace as
stated by Sempronius were that the Parthini together with the towns of
Dimallum, Bargullum and Eugenium should belong to Rome, and Atintania
should be annexed by Macedon, if Philip obtained the sanction of the senate
to the arrangement. When the terms were settled the king included Prusias,
king of Bithynia, and also the Achaeaus, the Boeotians, the Thessalians, the
Acarnanians and the Epirotes as parties to the agreement. The Romans on
their side extended its provisions to the Ilienses, King Attalus, Pleuratus,
Nabis, tyrant of the Lacedaemonians, the Eleans, the Messenians and the
Athenians. The clauses were then reduced to writing and duly sealed. A two
months' armistice was agreed upon to allow of envoys being sent to Rome to
obtain from the Assembly the ratification of the treaty. All the tribes voted
for it; they were glad to be relieved for the time from the pressure of other
wars now that their efforts were directed towards Africa. After the
conclusion of peace, P. Sempronius left for Rome to take up the duties of his
consulship.