But while he was thus employed, Scopas raised a general levy of the Aetolians and marching through <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thessaly&groupId=1028&placeId=1816">Thessaly</a> invaded <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a>, where he destroyed the crops in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pieria&groupId=902&placeId=1622">Pieria</a> and after collecting a quantity of booty, turned back and marched towards <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Dium&groupId=542&placeId=1019">Dium</a>.
On its inhabitants deserting this place he entered it and demolished the walls, houses, and gymnasium, burning also the colonnade round the sanctuary and destroying all the other monuments of piety which served for adornment or for the convenience of those who frequented the festival. He also threw down all the royal statues.
Having thus at the very outset of the war and by his first action made war not only on men but on the gods, he now returned,
and on reaching Aetolia, just as if he had not been guilty of an impious outrage, but had done a great public service, he was universally honoured and admired, having succeeded in filling the Aetolians with empty hopes and foolish arrogance.
For henceforth they had the notion that no one would ever date even to approach Aetolia, but that they themselves might pillage unhindered not only the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Peloponnese&groupId=861&placeId=1552">Peloponnese</a>, as had been their constant practice, but <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thessaly&groupId=1028&placeId=1816">Thessaly</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> also.
Walbank Commentary