Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/295

Rh PHILIPPUS. with the Aetolians, and he next proceeded to lay- siege to Cius, in Bithynia. Tiie Rhodians (who had not yet come to an open rupture with Philip, though his share in the perfidy of Heracleides could be no secret) in vain interposed their good offices in favour of Cius: their representations were treated with derision ; and the king having made himself master of the place, gave it up to plunder, sold all the inhabitants as slaves, and then consigned the empty city to his ally, Prusias, King of Bithynia. On his return to Macedonia, he inflicted a similar fate on Thasos, though it had surrendered on capitulation. (Polyb. xv. 21 — 24 ; Liv, xxxii. 33.) But these repeated injuries at length roused the Bhodians to open hostilities: they concluded a league with Attains (b. c. 201), and equipped a powerful fleet. Philip had taken Samos, and was besieging Chios, when the com- bined fleets of the allies presented themselves, and a general battle ensued, in which, after a severe and long- protracted struggle, the allies were vic- torious, although the Rhodian admiral, Theophi- liscus, was killed, and Attains himself narrowly escaped falling into the hands of the enemy. The advantage, however, was by no means decisive, and in a second action off Lade, Philip obtained the victory. This success appears to have left him almost free scope to carry on his operations on the coasts of Asia ; he took Chios, ravaged without opposition the dominions of Attains, up to the very walls of Pergamus, and afterwards reduced the whole of the district of Peraea held by the Rhodians on the main land, including the cities of lasus and Bargylia. But meanwhile the Rhodians and Attains had strengthened their fleet so much that they were greatly superior at sea, and Philip was, in consequence, compelled to take up his winter- quarters in Caria. It was not till the ensuing spring (b. c. 200), that he was able to elude, by a stratagem, the vigilance of his enemies, and effect his return to Europe, where the state of affairs imperiously demanded his presence. At- talus and the Rhodians having failed in their attempt to overtake him, repaired to Aegina, where they readily induced the Athenians, already on hostile terms with Philip, to join their alliance, and openly declare war against the Macedonian king. (Polyb. xvi. 11, 12, 24—26 ; Polyaen. iv. 17. § 2; Liv. xxxi. 14, 15.) But a more formidable enemy was now at hand. The Romans were no sooner free from their long- protracted contest with Carthage than they began to lend a favourable ear to the complaints that poured in on all sides from the Athenians, the Rhodians, Attalus, and Ptolemy, against the Macedonian monarch ; and notwithstanding some reluctance on the part of the people, war was declared against Philip, and the conduct of it assigned to the consul P. Sulpicius Galba, b. c. 200. But it was late in the season before he was able to set out for his province ; and after sending a small force, under C. Claudius Centho, to the assistance of the Athenians, he took up his quarters for the winter at ApoUonia. Meanwhile Attalus and the Rhodians neglected to prosecute the war, perhaps waiting for the arrival of the Roman forces. Philip, on his part, was not slow in avail- ing himself of the respite thus granted him. While he sent Nicanor to invade Attica, he himself turned his arms towards Thrace, where he reduced in succession the important towns of Aenus and PHILIPPUS. 283 Maroneia, and then advancing to the Chersonese, laid siege to Abydus. The desperate resistance of the inhabitants prolonged the defence of this place for so long a time that it would have been easy for their allies to have relieved them, but Attalus and the Rhodians neglected to send them assistance, the remonstrances of the Roman am- bassador, M. Aemilius Lepidus, were treated with derision by Philip, and the city ultimately fell into his hands, though not till almost the whole of the inhabitants had perished either by the sword of the enemy or by their own hands. (Liv. xxxi. 2—5, 6, 14, 16—18 ; Polyb. xvi. 27—34.) Immediately after the fall of Abydos, Philip learnt the arrival of Sulpicius in Epeirus, but finding that the consul had already taken up his winter- quarters, he took no farther measures to oppose him. Claudius, who had been sent to the support of the Athenians, was more enterprizing, and not content with guarding the coasts of Attica, he, by a bold stroke, surprised and plundered Chalcis. Philip, on this news, hastened to oppose him, but finding that Claudius had already quitted Chalcis, which he was not strong enough to hold, the king pushed on with great rapidity, in the hopes of surprising Athens itself, an object which, in fact, he narrowly missed. Foiled in this scheme, he avenged himself by laying waste the environs of the city, sparing in his fury neither the sepulchres of men, nor the sacred groves and temples of the gods. After this he repaired to Corinth, and took part in an assembly of the Achaeans, but failed in inducing that people to take part more openly in the war with the Romans ; and having a second time ravaged the territory of Atiica, returned once more into Macedonia. (Liv. xxxi. 18, 22 — 26.) The consul, Sulpicius, was now, at length, ready to take the field, B. c. 199. He had already gained some slight successes through his lieutenant, L. Apustius, and had been joined by the Illyrian prince Pleuratus, Amynander, king of Athamania, and the Dardanian, Bato. The Aetolians, on the contrary, though strongly solicited both by Philip and the Romans, as yet declined to take part in the war. Sulpicius advanced through Dassaretia, where Philip met him with his main army, and several unimportant actions ensued, in one of which, near Octolophus, the Romans gained the victory; and this advantage, though of little con- sequence in itself, had the effect of deciding the Aetolians to espouse the Roman cause, and they joined with Amynander in an inroad into Thes- saly. At the same time the Dardanians invaded Macedonia from the north, and Philip found it necessary to make head against these new enemies. He accordingly quitted his strong position near the camp of Sulpicius, and having eluded the vigilance of the Roman general, effected his retreat unmo- lested into Macedonia, from whence he sent Athenagoras against the Dardanians, while he himself hastened to attack the Aetolians, who were still in Thessaly, intent only upon plunder. Philip fell upon them by surprise, put many of them to the sword, and totally defeated their army, which would have been utterly destroyed, had it not been for their ally, Amynander. The Roman general meanwhile, after pushing on into Eordaea and Orestis, where he took the city of Celetrus, had fallen back again into Epeirus, with- out effecting anything of importance : the Darda- nians had been repulsed and defeated by Athena-