At this time the envoys sent to Genthius returned, having achieved nothing more on their first visit, and having nothing further to report;
as Genthius maintained the same attitude, being ready to join Perseus, but saying that he stood in need of money.
Perseus, paying little heed to them, now sent Hippias to establish a definite agreement, but omitted the all-important matter, saying that if he . . . he would make Genthius well disposed.
One doubts if one should attribute such conduct to mere thoughtlessness or to bewitchment. I think it appears to have been bewitchment, when men who aspire to venture much and run the risk of their lives, neglect the all-important matter in their enterprises, although they clearly see it and have the power to do it.
For had Perseus at that period been willing to advance money to whole states and individually to kings and statesmen — I do not say on a lavish scale, as his resources enabled him to do, but only in moderate amounts — no intelligent man I suppose
would dispute that all the Greeks and all the kings, or at least the most of them, would have failed to withstand the temptation.
Instead of taking that course, by which either, if completely victorious, he would have created a splendid empire, or, if defeated, would have exposed many to the same ruin as himself,
he took the opposite one, owing to which quite a few of the Greeks went wrong in their calculations when the time for action came.
Walbank Commentary