Aratus' term of office was now expiring, and his son Aratus who had been elected in his place was on the point of succeeding him as strategus.
Scopas was still the Aetolian strategus, his term of office being now about half through; for the Aetolians hold their elections after the autumn equinox, but the Achaeans in early summer at about the time of the rising of the Pleiades.
The date at which the younger Aratus assumed office, summer being than well advanced, marked the commencement of activity in all quarters.
As I narrated in the previous Book, Hannibal at this date was opening the siege of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Saguntum&groupId=938&placeId=1673">Saguntum</a> and the Romans were dispatching Lucius Aemilius to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Illyria&groupId=647&placeId=1186">Illyria</a> against Demetrius of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pharos&groupId=879&placeId=1586">Pharos</a>.
Simultaneously Antiochus, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ptolemais&groupId=918&placeId=271">Ptolemais</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tyre&groupId=1053&placeId=1855">Tyre</a> having been surrendered to him by Theodotus, was about to invade <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Coele-Syria&groupId=484&placeId=908">Coele-Syria</a>, Ptolemy was preparing for the war against Antiochus, Lycurgus, wishing to rival Cleomenes at the outset of his campaign, had encamped before the Athenaeum in the territory of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Megalopolis&groupId=745&placeId=1360">Megalopolis</a> and was investing it, the Achaeans were collecting mercenaries both horse and foot for the war which threatened them, and finally Philip was moving out of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> with his forces consisting of ten thousand heavy-armed infantry, five thousand peltasts, and eight hundred horse, all the above being Macedonians.
Such were the projects and preparations on all sides, and at the same time the Rhodians went to war with the Byzantines for the following reasons.
Walbank Commentary