About the same time Lycurgus had marched out to invade <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a>, and Dorimachus with half the Aetolian forces had attacked <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thessaly&groupId=1028&placeId=1816">Thessaly</a>, both under the belief that they would draw away Philip from the siege of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Palus&groupId=830&placeId=1500">Palus</a>.
Embassies reached the king on the matter from the Acarnanians and Messenians; those from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Acarnania&groupId=270&placeId=527">Acarnania</a> pressing him to invade Aetolia and thus force Dorimachus to abandon his attack on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a>, at the same time overrunning and plundering unhindered the whole of Aetolia,
while the Messenians implored him to come and help them, pointing out to him that now that the Etesian winds had set in, he could easily cross from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cephallenia&groupId=450&placeId=838">Cephallenia</a> to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a> in a single day.
In consequence, as Gorgus the Messenian urged, his attack on Lycurgus would be unexpected and sure of success.
Leontius, still in pursuit of his plan, vigorously supported Gorgus, seeing that thus the summer would be entirely wasted by Philip.
For it was an easy enough thing to sail to Messene, but to sail back again during the period of the Etesian winds was impossible.
The evident result would be that Philip would be shut up in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a> with his army and have to spend the rest of the summer in idleness, while the Aetolians would overrun and plunder unmolested both <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thessaly&groupId=1028&placeId=1816">Thessaly</a> and Epirus.
Such were Leontius' pernicious motives in tendering this advice. But Aratus, who was present, spoke in support of the opposite view,
advising Philip to set sail to Aetolia and give his whole attention to operations there; for as the Aetolians had left with Dorimachus on his expedition, it was an excellent opportunity for invading and pillaging Aetolia.
The king had already entertained suspicions of Leontius owing to his deliberate cowardice at the siege, and perceiving now his treachery from the advice he gave to sail south, decided to yield to the opinion of Aratus.
He therefore wrote to Eperatus the strategus of the Achaeans to give assistance to the Messenians with Achaean forces, and himself sailing from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cephallenia&groupId=450&placeId=838">Cephallenia</a> reached Leucas in the night after a two days\' voyage.
Having cleared the canal called <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Dioryctus&groupId=540&placeId=1015">Dioryctus</a> he brought his ships through it and sailed up the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ambracian Gulf&groupId=316&placeId=615">Ambracian Gulf</a>.
This gulf, as I previously stated, runs up from the Sicilian sea for a long distance into the interior.
Having passed up it he anchored a little before daylight at the place called <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Limnaea&groupId=691&placeId=1263">Limnaea</a>, where ordering his men to take their breakfast and then to get rid of the greater part of their encumbrances and lighten themselves for the march,
he himself collected the local guides and made inquiries about the district and neighbouring cities.
Walbank Commentary