Ptolemy however immediately after these events
became involved in a war with his Egyptian
subjects. For in arming them for his campaign against Antiochus he had taken a step which, while it
served his immediate purpose sufficiently well, proved eventually disastrous. Elated with their victory at Rhaphia they
refused any longer to receive orders from the king; but looked
out for a leader to represent them, on the ground that they
were quite able to maintain their independence. And this
they succeeded in doing before very long.
Antiochus spent the winter in extensive preparations for
Winter of 217-216 B. C. B. C. 216. |
war; and when the next summer came, he crossed
Mount Taurus and after making a treaty of
alliance with King Attalus entered upon the
war against Achaeus.
At the time the Aetolians were delighted at the settlement
of peace with the Achaean league, because the war had not
answered to their wishes; and they accordingly
elected Agelaus of
Naupactus as their Strategus,
because he was believed to have contributed
more largely than any one to the success of the negotiations.
Discontent of the Aetolians with the peace. |
But this was scarcely arranged before they began to be discontented, and to find fault with Agelaus for having cut off all
their opportunities of plundering abroad, and all their hopes of
gain for the future, since the peace was not made with certain
definite states, but with all Greeks. But this statesman
patiently endured these unreasonable reproaches and succeeded
in checking the popular impulse. The Aetolians therefore were
forced to acquiesce in an inactivity quite alien to their nature.