33.13
The
council broke up, and on the morrow Philip went to the spot fixed for the
conference, which was in the pass leading into Tempe. The day following a
meeting of the Romans and all their allies was convened, before which he
appeared. He showed great prudence in deliberately abstaining from any
allusion to those conditions which were regarded as essential, instead of
letting them be forced from him in the discussion. All the concessions which
in the former conference the Romans had insisted upon or the allies had
demanded he said he would agree to, everything else he would leave to the
decision of the senate. This would seem to have precluded any further
demands even from those most hostile to him, and yet Phaeneas broke the
general silence by asking, "What? Philip! Do you at last restore to us Larisa,
Cremaste, Echinus and Phthiotic Thebes?" On Philip replying that he placed
no difficulty in the way of their resuming possession of these places, a
dispute arose between Quinctius and the Aetolians over Thebes. Quinctius
asserted that it belonged to Rome by the right of war, for before the war
broke out he marched there and invited the citizens to enter into friendly
relations with him, and whilst they were at full liberty to abandon Philip they
preferred his allegiance to that of the Romans. Phaeneas retorted that it was
only just and equitable, considering the part they had taken in the war, that
all which the Aetolians possessed before the war should be restored to them.
It was provided by treaty from the very first that the spoils of war, including
all movable goods and all livestock and prisoners, should go to the Romans;
the conquered cities and territories to the Aetolians. "You yourselves,"
replied Quinctius, "broke that treaty when you left us and made peace with
Philip. If it were still in force, it would only apply to the cities which have
been captured; the cities of Thessaly have passed into our power of their
own free will." This declaration was approved by all the allies, but created a
bitter feeling amongst the Aetolians at the time, and soon led to a war which
proved most disastrous to them. It was agreed that Philip should give up his
son Demetrius and some of "the friends of the king" as hostages and also pay
an indemnity of 200 talents. With regard to the other matters, he was to send
an embassy to Rome and a four months' truce was granted him to enable him
to do so. In case the senate declined to grant terms of peace the agreement
was to be cancelled and the hostages and money returned to Philip. The main
reason for Quinctius desiring an early peace is alleged to have been the
warlike designs of Antiochus and his threatened invasion of Europe.
