The Acarnanians Enter the War
While Philip was thus engaged, the commissioners sent
The Acarnanians, B. C. 220.
out to the allies were performing their mission.
The first place they came to was Acarnania
and the Acarnanians, with a noble promptitude,
confirmed the decree and undertook to join the war against
the Aetolians with their full forces. And yet they, if any
one, might have been excused if they had put the matter
off, and hesitated, and shown fear of entering upon a
war with their neighbours; both because they lived upon the
frontiers of Aetolia
, and still more because they were peculiarly open to attack, and, most of all, because they had a short
time before experienced the most dreadful disasters from the
enmity of the Aetolians. But I imagine that men of noble
nature, whether in private or public affairs, look upon duty as
the highest consideration; and in adherence to this principle
no people in Greece
have been more frequently conspicuous
than the Acarnanians, although the forces at their command
were but slender. With them, above all others in Greece
alliance should be sought at a crisis, without any misgiving;
for they have, individually and collectively, an element of
stability and a spirit of liberality.
Duplicity of the Epirotes.
The conduct of the Epirotes was in strong contrast. When they
heard what the commissioners had to say,
indeed, they, like the Acarnanians, joined in
confirming the decree, and voted to go to war with the
Aetolians at such time as Philip also did the same; but
with ignoble duplicity they told the Aetolian envoys that they
had determined to maintain peace with them.
Ambassadors were despatched also to King Ptolemy, to
urge him not to send money to the Aetolians,
nor to supply them with any aid against Philip
and the allies.