_--was furnished by an attack on
Athens by the Macedonian general, to avenge the murder of two Arcanians
for intruding upon the Eleusinan Mysteries, B.C. 201. Athens was an ally
of Rome. Two legions, under Publius Sulpicius Galba, embarked at
Brundusium for Macedonia, with one thousand Numidian cavalry and a number
of elephants. Nothing was accomplished this year of any historical
importance. The next spring Galba led his troops into Macedonia, and
encountered the enemy, under Philip, on a marshy plain on the northwest
frontier. But the Macedonians avoided battle, and after repeated
skirmishes and marches the Romans returned to Apollonia. Philip did not
disturb the army in its retreat, but turned against the AEtolians, who had
joined the league against him. At the end of the campaign the Romans stood
as they were in the spring, but would have been routed had not the
AEtolians interposed. The successes of Philip filled him with arrogance and
self-confidence, and the following spring he assumed the offensive. The
Romans, meantime, had been re-enforced by new troops, under the command of
Flaminius, who attacked Philip in his intrenched camp. The Macedonian king
lost his camp and two thousand men, and retreated to the Pass of Tempe,
the gate of Macedonia proper, deserted by many of his allies. The Achaeans
entered into alliance with Rome. The winter came on, and Philip sought
terms of peace. All he could obtain from Flaminius was an armistice of two
months. The Roman Senate refused all terms unless Philip would renounce
all Greece, especially Corinth, Chalcis, and Demetrias. These were
rejected, and Philip strained all his energies to meet his enemy in a
pitched battle. He brought into the field twenty-six thousand men, an
equal force to the Romans, and encountered them at Cynocephalae. The Romans
were victorious, and a great number of prisoners fell into their hands.
Philip escaped to Larissa, burned his papers, evacuated Thessaly, and
returned home. He was completely vanquished, and was obliged to accept
such a peace as the Romans were disposed to grant. But the Romans did not
abuse their power, but treated Philip with respect, and granted to him
such terms as had been given to Carthage. He lost all his foreign
possessions in Asia Minor, Thrace, Greece, and the islands of the AEgean,
but retained Macedonia. He was also bound not to conclude foreign
alliances without the consent of the Romans, nor send garrisons abroad,
nor