Apelles, thinking that he had succeeded so far in his plan, by the election of the Achaean strategus through his influence, renewed his attack on Aratus with the view of entirely alienating Philip from him. He devised the following plan for trumping up a false accusation against him.
<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Amphidamus&groupId=319&placeId=621">Amphidamus</a>, the Elean strategus, had been captured at Thalamae together with the other fugitives, as I above narrated, and when he was brought to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a> with the rest of the prisoners begged urgently through certain persons for an interview with Philip, and on this being granted,
he discoursed at some length stating that it was in his power to gain over the Eleans to the king's side and persuade them to enter into alliance with him.
Philip, believing this, sent back <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Amphidamus&groupId=319&placeId=621">Amphidamus</a> without ransom, bidding him promise the Eleans that if they joined him he would return all captured men and animals without ransom, would assure the future safety of the country from any outside attack,
and would maintain the Eleans in freedom without garrison or tribute and in the enjoyment of their own form of government.
Attractive and generous as these offers seemed, the Eleans refused to listen to them,
and Apelles, founding his false accusation on this circumstance, brought it before Philip, telling him that Aratus was not sincere in his friendship for the Macedonians or really attached to the king; for it was to him on the present occasion that the coldness of the Eleans was due:
for he had when <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Amphidamus&groupId=319&placeId=621">Amphidamus</a> was sent from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a> to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elis&groupId=560&placeId=1048">Elis</a> taken him apart and set him against the project, saying that it was by no means in the interest of the Peloponnesians that Philip should become master of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elis&groupId=560&placeId=1048">Elis</a>;
this was why the Eleans had ignored all the king's offers and remaining faithful to their alliance with the Aetolians, chosen to persist in the war against the Macedonians.
Walbank Commentary