<head>III. Affairs of Greece, Philip, and Messenia</head>Upon arriving at Messene Philip proceeded to devastate the country like an enemy acting from passion rather than from reason.
For he expected, apparently, that while he continued to inflict injuries, the sufferers would never feel any resentment or hatred towards him.
What induced me to give a more explicit account of these matters in this and the previous Book, was, in addition to the reasons I above stated, the fact that while some authors have left the occurrences in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a> unnoticed
others, owing either to their regard for the kings or their fear of them, have explained to us unreservedly, that not only did the outrages committed by Philip against the Messenians in defiance of divine or human law deserve no censure, but that on the contrary all his acts were to be regarded as praiseworthy achievements.
It is not only with regard to the Messenians that we find the historians of Philip's life to be thus biased but in other cases,
the result being that their works much more resemble panegyrics than histories.
My own opinion is that we should neither revile nor extol kings falsely, as has so often been done, but always give an account of them consistent with our previous statements and in accord with the character of each.
It may be said that it is easy enough to say this but exceedingly difficult to do it, because there are so many and various conditions and circumstances in life, yielding to which men are prevented from uttering or writing their real opinions.
Bearing this in mind we must pardon these writers in some cases, but in others we should not.
Walbank Commentary