Acilius, are you unapprized of what is passing; or do you know it, and think it immaterial to the interest of the commonwealth?” This inflamed the consul with curiosity, and he replied, “But explain what is your meaning.”  Quinctius then said,—­“Do you not see that, since the defeat of Antiochus, you have been wasting time in besieging two cities, though the year of your command is near expiring; but that Philip, who never faced the enemy, or even saw their standards, has annexed to his dominions such a number, not only of cities, but of nations,—­Athamania, Perrhaebia, Aperantia, Dolopia?  But, surely, we are not so deeply interested in diminishing the strength and resources of the Aetolians, as in hindering those of Philip from being augmented beyond measure; and in you, and your soldiers, not having yet gained, to reward your victory, as many towns as Philip has gained Grecian states.”

35.  The consul assented to these remarks, but a feeling of shame suggested itself to him—­if he should abandon the siege with his purpose unaccomplished.  At length the matter was left entirely to the management of Quinctius.  He went again to that part of the wall whence the Aetolians had called to him a little before; and on their entreating him now, with still greater earnestness, to take compassion on the nation of the Aetolians, he desired that some of them might come out to him.  Accordingly, Phaeneas himself, with some others of the principal men, instantly came and threw themselves at his feet.  He then said,—­“Your condition causes me to restrain my resentment and my reproofs.  The events which I foretold have come to pass, and you have not even this reflection left you, that they have fallen upon you undeservedly.  Nevertheless, since fate has, in some manner, destined me to the office of cherishing the interests of Greece, I will not cease to show kindness even to the unthankful.  Send intercessors to the consul, and let them petition him for a suspension of hostilities, for so long a time as will allow you to send ambassadors to Rome, to surrender yourselves to the will of the senate.  I will intercede, and plead in your favour with the consul.”  They did as Quinctius directed; nor did the consul reject their application.  He granted them a truce for a certain time, until the embassy might bring a reply from Rome; and then, raising the siege, he sent his army into Phocis.  The consul, with Titus Quinctius, crossed over thence to Aegium, to confer with the council of the Achaeans about the Eleans, and also the restoration of the Lacedaemonian exiles.  But neither was carried into execution, because the Achaeans chose to reserve to themselves the merit of effecting the latter; and the Eleans preferred being united to the Achaean confederacy by a voluntary act of their own, rather than through the mediation of the Romans.  Ambassadors came hither to the consul from the Epirots, who, it was well known, had not with honest fidelity maintained