In the next place they summoned an assembly and invited the king to attend.
But when he begged to be excused, saying that it would be in bad taste on his part to appear in person and recite to the recipients all the benefits he had conferred,
they did not insist on his presence, but begged him to write a public statement of what he thought advisable under present circumstances.
He agreed to this, and when he had written the letter the presidents laid it before the assembly.
The chief points in the letter were as follows. He first reminded them of the benefits he had formerly conferred on the people of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a>, in the next place he gave an account of his action against Philip at the present crisis, and finally he adjured them to take part in the war against Philip, giving them his sworn assurance that if they did not decide now upon nobly declaring that they shared the hostile sentiments of the Romans, the Rhodians and himself, but later, after neglecting this chance, wished to share in a peace due to the efforts of others, they would fail to obtain what lay in the interest of their country.
After this letter had been read the people were ready to vote for war, both owing to the tenour of what the king said and owing to their affection for him.
And, in fact, when the Rhodians came forward and spoke at length in the same sense, the Athenians decided to make war on Philip.
They gave the Rhodians also a magnificent reception, bestowing on the people a <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> a crown for conspicuous valour and on all citizens of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> equal political rights at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a> with her own citizens, in reward for their having in addition to other services returned to them the Athenian ships that had been captured and the prisoners of war.
The Rhodian ambassadors having accompanied this sailed back to Ceos with their fleet to look after the islands.
Walbank Commentary