What happened in regard to these two men is worth mentioning.
Leptines, after he had murdered Gnaeus, at once began to go about in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Laodicea&groupId=664&placeId=1215">Laodicea</a> quite openly, saying that he had done rightly and with the favour of Heaven.
Upon the accession of Demetrius he approached the king and begged him to have no fear owing to the murder of Gnaeus, and to take no vigorous steps against the Laodiceans.
"For I, myself," he said, "will go to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> and convince the senate that I did the deed by the will of the gods."
And finally, owing to his readiness and eagerness to go, he was brought to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> unfettered and without a guard.
But Isocrates, as soon as he found himself accused, completely lost his wits, and after the collar with its chain had been put on his neck, seldom took any food and entirely left off taking any care of his person.
So that when he arrived in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> he was a wonderful spectacle, and when one looked at him one could not but confess that there is nothing more terrible in body and soul than a man once he has become absolutely like a beast.
For both his aspect was strangely terrifying and beastlike, as for more than a year he had neither washed nor cut his nails and hair;
and the disorder of his mind, as was evident from the expression and rolling of his eyes, impressed one with such terror, that anyone who looked at him would have been readier to approach any beast than this man.
Leptines, however, maintaining his original attitude, was ready to appear before the senate, and confessed his crime quite simply to those who conversed with him, maintaining at the same time that the Romans would not deal severely with him.
And he proved to be quite right. For the senate, taking into consideration, as it seems to me, that the people would think that the murder was avenged, if those guilty of it were given up and punished, scarcely gave a reception to these envoys, but kept the grievance open so as to have the power to make use of the accusations when they wished.
The reply, therefore, that they gave to Demetrius was simply this, that he would meet with kindness from them, if his conduct during his reign was satisfactory to the senate.
There also came from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Achaea&groupId=272&placeId=533">Achaea</a> an embassy consisting of Xenon and Telecles to plead in favour of the accused Achaeans and chiefly on behalf of Polybius and Stratius.
For most of the rest, at least those of any note, had already paid their debt to time.
The envoys came with orders simply to present a request to avoid anything like a dispute with the senate.
They appeared before the house and addressed it in suitable language, but even this had no result, the senate deciding on the contrary to leave matters as they were.
Walbank Commentary