32.36
All the
members of the council were loud in their protests and remonstrances, and
the noise reached Philip who was standing at some distance. He asked
Quinctius to postpone the whole business till the next day; he was quite
certain that either he would bring them over to his view, or fall in with theirs.
The sea-shore at Thronium was fixed upon for the conference and they
assembled there at an early hour. Philip began by urging Quinctius and all
who were present not to insist upon destroying all hopes of peace. He then
asked for time to enable him to send ambassadors to the Roman senate, he
would either obtain peace on the terms he proposed or accept whatever
conditions the senate offered. This suggestion met with no acceptance
whatever, they said that his only object was to gain time to collect his forces.
Quinctius observed that this might have been true it if had been summer, and
the season suitable for a campaign, but as winter was now closing in nothing
would be lost by allowing him sufficient time to send his ambassadors. No
agreement that he might have made with the king would be valid without the
ratification of the senate, and whilst the winter necessarily put a stop to
military operations, it would be possible to find what conditions of peace the
senate would sanction. The rest of the negotiators fell in with this view and a
two months' armistice was arranged. The different States decided to send
each one envoy to lay the facts before the senate so that they might not be
misled by Philip's false statements. It was further agreed that before the
armistice could come into force, the king's garrisons must be withdrawn
from Phocis and Locris. To give greater importance to the mission Quinctius
sent in company with them Amynander, king of the Athamanians, Q. Fabius,
his sister-in-law's son, Q. Fulvius and Appius Claudius.
