31.14
After
the recital of the customary prayers in the Capitol P. Sulpicius was invested
by his lictors with the paludamentum and left the City for Brundisium. Here
he incorporated into his legions the veterans who had volunteered out of the
African army, and also selected the vessels out of the fleet under Cn.
Cornelius. Then he set sail, and the next day he landed in, Greece. Here he
was met by an embassy from Athens who begged him to raise the siege
which that city was undergoing. C. Claudius Cento was at once despatched
thither with 20 warships and 1000 men. The king was not personally
directing the siege, he was just then attacking Abydos, after trying his
strength in naval encounters with the Rhodians and with Attalus, and in
neither battle had he been successful. But his was not a nature to accept
defeat quietly, and now that he had leagued himself with Antiochus, king of
Syria, he was more determined on war than ever. They had agreed to divide
the rich kingdom of Egypt between them, and on hearing of the death of
Ptolemy they both prepared to attack it. The Athenians, who retain nothing
of their ancient greatness but their pride, had become involved in hostilities
with Philip through a quite unimportant incident. During the celebration of
the Eleusinian Mysteries two young Acarnanians who had not been initiated
entered the temple of Ceres with the rest of the crowd, quite unaware of the
sacrilegious nature of their action. They were betrayed by the silly questions
which they asked, and were brought before the temple authorities. Though it
was quite evident that they had sinned in ignorance, they were put to death
as though guilty of a horrible crime. The Acarnanians reported this hostile
and barbarous act to Philip and obtained his consent to their making war on
Athens supported by a Macedonian contingent. Their army began by laying
the land of Attica waste with fire and sword, after which they returned to
Acarnania with plunder of every description. So far there was only anger and
exasperation on both sides, subsequently, by a decree of the citizens, Athens
made a formal declaration of war. For when King Attalus and the Rhodians
who were following up Philip in his retreat to Macedonia had reached
Aegina, the king sailed across to the Piraeus for the purpose of renewing and
confirming his alliance with the Athenians. The whole body of the citizens
came out to meet him with their wives and children; the priests in their
sacred robes received him as he entered the city; even the gods themselves
were almost summoned from their shrines to welcome him.
