one of the Chalcian deputies, answered
that "he wondered who those people were, for the vindicating of whose
liberty Antiochus had left his own kingdom, and come over into Europe.
For his part he knew not any state in Greece which either contained
a garrison, or paid tribute to the Romans, or was bound by a
disadvantageous treaty, and obliged to submit to terms which it did
not like. The people of Chalcis, therefore, stood not in need, either
of any assertor of their liberty, which they already enjoyed, or of
any armed protector, since, through the kindness of the Roman people,
they were in possession of both liberty and peace. They did not slight
the friendship of the king, nor that of the Aetolians themselves. The
first instance of friendship, therefore, that they could give, would
be to quit the island and go home; for, as to themselves, they were
fully determined not only not to admit them within their walls, but
not even to agree to any alliance, but with the approbation of the
Romans."

47. When an account of this conference was brought to the king, at
the ships where he had staid, he resolved for the present to return to
Demetrias; for he had not come to them with a sufficient number of
men to attempt any thing by force. At Demetrias he held another
consultation with the Aetolians, to determine what was next to be
done, as their first effort had proved fruitless. It was agreed that
they should make trial of the Botians, Achaeans, and Amynander, king
of the Athamanians. The Boeotianan nation they believed to have been
disaffected to the Romans, ever since the death of Brachyllas, and the
consequences which followed it. Philopoemen, chief of the Achaeans,
they supposed to hate, and be hated by, Quinctius, in consequence of a
rivalship for fame in the war of Laconia. Amynander had married Apama,
daughter of a Megalopolitan, called Alexander, who, pretending to be
descended from Alexander the Great, had given the names of Philip and
Alexander to his two sons, and that of Apama to his daughter; and when
she was raised to distinction, by her marriage to the king, Philip,
the elder of her brothers had followed her into Athamania. This
man, who happened to be naturally vain, then Aetolians and Antiochus
persuaded to hope (as he was really of the royal family) for the
sovereignty of Macedonia, on condition of his prevailing on Amynander
and the Athamanians to join Antiochus; and these empty promises
produced the intended