§18.11.1οὗτοι δὲ παρεγενήθησαν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην πρὸ τοῦ τὴν σύγκλητον διαλαβεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰς τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν καθεσταμένων ὑπάτων, πότερον ἀμφοτέρους εἰς τὴν Γαλατίαν ἢ τὸν ἕτερον αὐτῶν δεήσει πέμπειν ἐπὶ Φίλιππον. §18.11.2πεπεισμένων δὲ τῶν τοῦ Τίτου φίλων μένειν τοὺς ὑπάτους ἀμφοτέρους κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν Κελτῶν φόβον, εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν σύγκλητον πάντες κατηγόρουν ἀποτόμως τοῦ Φιλίππου. §18.11.3τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα παραπλήσια τοῖς καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα πρότερον εἰρημένοις ἦν· §18.11.4τοῦτο δʼ ἐπιμελῶς ἐντίκτειν ἐπειρῶντο τῇ συγκλήτῳ πάντες, διότι τῆς Χαλκίδος καὶ τοῦ Κορίνθου καὶ τῆς Δημητριάδος ὑπὸ τῷ Μακεδόνι ταττομένων οὐχ οἷόν τε τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἔννοιαν λαβεῖν ἐλευθερίας. §18.11.5ὃ γὰρ αὐτὸς Φίλιππος εἶπε, τοῦτο καὶ λίαν ἀληθὲς ἔφασαν ὑπάρχειν· ὃς ἔφη τοὺς προειρημένους τόπους εἶναι πέδας Ἑλληνικάς, ὀρθῶς ἀποφαινόμενος. §18.11.6οὔτε γὰρ Πελοποννησίους ἀναπνεῦσαι δυνατὸν ἐν Κορίνθῳ βασιλικῆς φρουρᾶς ἐγκαθημένης, οὔτε Λοκροὺς καὶ Βοιωτοὺς καὶ Φωκέας θαρρῆσαι Φιλίππου Χαλκίδα κατέχοντος καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Εὔβοιαν, §18.11.7οὐδὲ μὴν Θετταλοὺς οὐδὲ Μάγνητας δυνατὸν ἐπαύρασθαι τῆς ἐλευθερίας οὐδέποτε, Δημητριάδα Φιλίππου κατέχοντος καὶ Μακεδόνων. §18.11.8διὸ καὶ τὸ παραχωρεῖν τῶν ἄλλων τόπων τὸν Φίλιππον φαντασίαν εἶναι χάριν τοῦ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν ἐκφυγεῖν· ᾗ δʼ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ βουληθῇ, ῥᾳδίως πάλιν ὑφʼ αὑτὸν ποιήσεσθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἐὰν κρατῇ τῶν προειρημένων τόπων. §18.11.9διόπερ ἠξίουν τὴν σύγκλητον ἢ τούτων τῶν πόλεων ἀναγκάσαι τὸν Φίλιππον ἐκχωρεῖν ἢ μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων καὶ πολεμεῖν ἐρρωμένως πρὸς αὐτόν. §18.11.10καὶ γὰρ ἠνύσθαι τὰ μέγιστα τοῦ πολέμου, τῶν τε Μακεδόνων προηττημένων δὶς ἤδη καὶ κατὰ γῆν πλείστων αὐτοῖς χορηγιῶν ἐκδεδαπανημένων. §18.11.11ταῦτα δʼ εἰπόντες παρεκάλουν μήτε τοὺς Ἕλληνας ψεῦσαι τῶν περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐλπίδων μήθʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερῆσαι τῆς καλλίστης ἐπιγραφῆς. §18.11.12οἱ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων πρέσβεις ταῦτα καὶ τούτοις παραπλήσια διελέχθησαν, οἱ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου παρεσκευάσαντο μὲν ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖον ποιησόμενοι τοὺς λόγους, ἐν ἀρχαῖς δʼ εὐθέως ἐκωλύθησαν· §18.11.13ἐρωτηθέντες γὰρ εἰ παραχωροῦσι Χαλκίδος καὶ Κορίνθου καὶ Δημητριάδος, ἀπεῖπαν μηδεμίαν ἔχειν περὶ τούτων ἐντολήν. §18.11.14οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐπιτμηθέντες οὕτως κατέπαυσαν
And these arrived in Rome before the Senate had decided concerning the consuls appointed for this year, whether it would be necessary to send both to Gaul or one of them against Philip. Since the friends of Titus were convinced that both consuls would remain in Italy owing to the fear of the Celts, they all entered the Senate and vehemently accused Philip. Now, other points were very similar to what had been said before to the king himself; but they all endeavored to impress this carefully upon the Senate: that as long as Chalcis, Corinth, and Demetrias were stationed under the Macedonian, it was impossible for the Greeks to conceive any idea of liberty. For what Philip himself said, they declared to be only too true; who said that the aforementioned places were the "fetters of Greece," declaring so rightly. For neither was it possible for the Peloponnesians to draw breath while a royal garrison was stationed in Corinth, nor for the Locrians, Boeotians, and Phocians to feel secure while Philip held Chalcis and the rest of Euboea, nor indeed was it ever possible for the Thessalians or Magnetes to enjoy liberty while Philip and the Macedonians held Demetrias. Therefore, Philip's yielding of other places was a mere show for the sake of escaping the present crisis; and on whatever day he wished, he would easily bring the Greeks under his power again, if he remained master of the aforementioned places. Wherefore they requested the Senate either to compel Philip to evacuate these cities, or to abide by their undertaking and carry on the war against him with vigor. For indeed the greatest part of the war had been accomplished, since the Macedonians had already been twice defeated on land, and most of their resources had been exhausted. Having said this, they entreated them neither to disappoint the Greeks of their hopes of liberty, nor to deprive themselves of the fairest title. The ambassadors from the Greeks, then, spoke to this and similar effect; but those from Philip had prepared themselves to make a longer speech, but were immediately cut short at the very beginning. For on being asked whether they would evacuate Chalcis, Corinth, and Demetrias, they replied that they had no instructions regarding these matters. These, then, having been thus silenced, ceased speaking.