Here again, upon the Aetolian Assembly meeting at Thermum they appeared before it and spoke in an encouraging and kind manner, the most important part of their speech being a request that the Aetolians should give them hostages.
When they descended from the tribune, Proandrus rose and expressed a wish to refer to certain good offices that he had done the Romans and to denounce those who traduced him.
Popilius now rose again, and, though he well knew that this man was ill-disposed to the Romans, still thanked him and concurred in all he had said.
The next speaker to come forward was Lyciscus, who accused no one by name but many by implication.For he said that the Romans had acted well in deporting the ringleaders (meaning Eupolemus and Nicander) to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>;
but that their supporters and abettors still remained in Aetolia, and should all meet with the same treatment, unless they gave up their children to the Romans as hostages.
He laid particular stress on the cases of Archedamus and Pantaleon,
and when he had left the tribune Pantaleon got up and, after a few reproachful words concerning Lyciscus, in which he said that his flattery of the ruling power was shameless and servile, went on to speak of Thoas who he considered was a man who had secured credence for the accusations he brought against Archedamus and himself owing to the fact that there was not supposed to be any quarrel between them. Reminding them of what had occurred during the war with Antiochus, and rebuking Thoas for his ingratitude, in that when he was given up to the Romans, he had been unexpectedly saved by the intervention of himself and Nicander as envoys, he soon incited the people not only to hoot down Thoas when he wished to speak, but to cast stones at him with one accord.
When this happened Popilius, after briefly rebuking the people for stoning Thoas, at once left with his colleague for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Acarnania&groupId=270&placeId=527">Acarnania</a>, saying nothing further about the hostages; Aetolia remaining full of mutual suspicion and utter disorder.
Walbank Commentary