Polybius, Histories, book 5, Philip's Preparations

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Philip's Preparations

King Philip having returned, after the completion of

Philip's war against Scerdilaidas of Illyria, autumn of 217 B. C.

the treaty of peace, to Macedonia by sea, found that Scerdilaidas on the same pretext of money owed to him, on which he had treacherously seized the vessels at Leucas, had now plundered a town in Pelagonia called Pissaeum; had won over by promises some cities of the Dassaretae, namely, Phibotides, Antipatria, Chrysondym, and Geston; and had overrun much of the district of Macedonia bordering on these places. He therefore at once started with his army in great haste to recover the revolted cities, and determined to proclaim open war with Scerdilaidas; for he thought it a matter of the most vital importance to bring Illyria into a state of good order, with a view to the success of all his projects, and above all of his passage into Italy. For Demetrius was so assiduous in keeping hot these hopes and projects in the king's mind, that Philip even dreamed of them in his sleep, and thought of nothing else but this Italian expedition. The motive of Demetrius in so acting was not a consideration for Philip, for he certainly did not rank higher than third in the calculations of Demetrius. A stronger motive than that was his hatred of Rome: but the strongest of all was the consideration of his own prospects. For he had made up his mind that it was only in this way that he could ever recover his principality in Pharos. Be that as it may, Philip went on his expedition and recovered the cities I have named, and took besides Creonium and Gerus in Dassaretis; Enchelanae, Cerax, Sation, Boei, round the Lychnidian Lake; Bantia in the district of the Calicoeni; and Orgyssus in that of the Pisantini. After completing these operations he dismissed his troops to their winter quarters.

This was the winter in which Hannibal, after plundering

B. C. 217-216. B. C. 216. Coss. Caius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paulus II.

the fairest districts of Italy, intended to place his winter quarters near Gerunium in Daunia. And it was then that at Rome Caius Terentius and Lucius Aemilius entered upon their Consulship.

Histories. Polybius. Evelyn S. Shuckburgh. translator. London, New York. Macmillan. 1889. Reprint Bloomington 1962.

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Commentary references to this page (3):
- Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 31-32, commentary, 31.27
- Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 31-32, commentary, 31.33
- Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 43-44, commentary, 43.1
Cross-references to this page (10):
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), BA´NTIA
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), CODRION
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), DASSARE´TAE
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), GERRU´NIUM
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), LYCHNI´TIS
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), PELAGO´NIA
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), PISSAEUM
- Smith's Bio, Deme'trius
- Smith's Bio, Philippus V. or Philippus V.
- Smith's Bio, Scerdilaidas

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Polybius, Histories