<p rend="Plain Text">The conference in Locris and its aftermath</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">The Roman campaigns against Philip between autumn 200 and the end of the campaigning season of 198 were described in xvii; P.'s account was followed by Livy, xxxi. 22. 4–47. 3 (200–199), xxxii. 4. 1–6. 4 (autumn 199–spring 198), 9. 6–25. 12 (spring–autumn 198), who thus subdivided P.'s narrative for 199/8 so as to have three sections corresponding to the commands of P. Sulpicius Galba (cos. 200), P. Villius Tappulus (cos. 199), and T. Quinctius Flamininus (cos. 198); see Nissen, KU, 133. By autumn 198 Philip had retired behind <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tempe&groupId=1015&placeId=1786">Tempe</a> (Livy, xxxii. 15. 9) leaving <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thessaly&groupId=1028&placeId=1816">Thessaly</a> to the Romans, the Aetolians (allied to the Romans since September 199), and the Athamanians; he had lost most of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Euboea&groupId=584&placeId=1091">Euboea</a>, and much of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Phocis&groupId=892&placeId=1606">Phocis</a> and Locris, Epirus had half-defected and recently, in October 198, the Achaeans had gone over to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>. Philip therefore decided to treat and sent a caduceator to Flaminius requesting a conference (Livy, xxxii. 32. 5); and seeing in such a conference a useful manuvre to gain time when the question of his own succession was being debated at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, Flaminius granted Philip's request (Livy, xxxii. 32. 6–8).</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">The conference took place in November, as the following evidence makes clear:</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">(a) The Aetolian general for 198/7, Phaeneas, has already assumed office (1. 4).</p>
<p rend="Plain Text">(b) It is already the bad season, <w lang="el-GR">χειμών</w> (9. 10).</p>
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(c) Four events follow in close succession: Flamininus' capture of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elatea&groupId=558&placeId=1045">Elatea</a> (Livy, xxxii. 24. 1–7), the rising against Philip at Opus (Livy, xxxii. 32. 1–2), Flamininus' arrival at Opus (Livy, xxxii. 32. 3–4), the sending of Philip's caduceator (Livy, xxxii. 32. 5). About the same time that the siege of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elatea&groupId=558&placeId=1045">Elatea</a> began, attempts were made at a meeting at Sicyon to win over the Achaeans; and Aristaenus was still in office, i.e. it was not yet the autumn equinox of 198, for
<milestone unit="page" n="548">[548]</milestone>
Aristaenus was general in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Achaea&groupId=272&placeId=533">Achaea</a> 199/8 (Aymard, REA, 1928, 3–4). These negotiations were successful and were followed, probably still during Aristaenus' generalship, by an attack on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a> (Livy, xxxii. 19. 1, 21. 14, 23. 3); the Roman and Pergamene fleets then went into winter quarters (Livy, xxxii. 23. 13), a procedure which usually occurred in mid-September, but could be later. These dates are somewhat elastic and lead Aymard (PR, 80–81 n. 49) to date the meeting at Sicyon about the middle, and the fall of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elatea&groupId=558&placeId=1045">Elatea</a> about the end, of October, Holleaux (tudes, v. 77–79) a fortnight earlier. In either case a week or two would have to be allowed before the conference met; and this would therefore be in November. See further De Sanctis, iv. 1. 385; Walbank, Philip, 320–1.
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<p rend="Plain Text">P.'s account of the conference probably derives from the report brought back by the Achaean representatives; and since Xenophon also went on to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> (10. 11), he can also have brought back the story of Flamininus' intrigue (9. 5 n.). For secondary accounts cf. Livy, xxxii. 32. 5–36.10; Plut. Flam. 5. 6, 7. 1; App. Mac. 8; Iustin. xxx. 3. 8–10, 4. 5; Zon. ix. 16. 4; all derive ultimately from P. (cf. Holleaux, tudes, v. 29–30 n. 2). For recent discussion see Holleaux, tudes, v. 29–79; Aymard, PR, 114–27; F. M. Wood, TAPA, 1939, 93–103; ASP, 1941, 277–98 (defending Flamininus); Walbank, Philip, 159–62; Scullard, Pol. 101–4; Stier, 128–30.</p>
Walbank Commentary