§20.9.1ὅτι οἱ περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν τὸν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγὸν μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν Ἡράκλειαν ὑποχείριον τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, ὁρῶντες τὸν περιεστῶτα καιρὸν τὴν Αἰτωλίαν καὶ λαμβάνοντες πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ συμβησόμενα ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν, ἔκριναν διαπέμπεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Μάνιον ὑπὲρ ἀνοχῶν καὶ διαλύσεως.
The associates of Phaneas, the general of the Aetolians, after Heraclea had fallen into the hands of the Romans, seeing the critical situation surrounding Aetolia and keeping before their eyes what was about to happen to the other cities, decided to send envoys to Manius to treat for an armistice and a settlement.
§20.9.2ταῦτα δὲ διαλαβόντες ἐξαπέστειλαν Ἀρχέδαμον καὶ Πανταλέοντα καὶ Χάλεπον·
Having come to this conclusion, they dispatched Archidamus, Pantaleon, and Chalepus.
§20.9.3οἳ συμμίξαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων προέθεντο μὲν καὶ πλείους ποιεῖσθαι λόγους, μεσολαβηθέντες δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἔντευξιν ἐκωλύθησαν.
When they met with the Roman general, they intended to make a lengthier speech, but they were cut short during the interview and prevented from doing so.
§20.9.4ὁ γὰρ Μάνιος κατὰ μὲν τὸ παρὸν οὐκ ἔφασκεν εὐκαιρεῖν, περισπώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἡρακλείας λαφύρων οἰκονομίας·
For Manius said that for the present he had no leisure, being distracted by the disposal of the spoils from Heraclea.
§20.9.5δεχημέρους δὲ ποιησάμενος ἀνοχὰς ἐκπέμψειν ἔφη μετʼ αὐτῶν Λεύκιον, πρὸς ὃν ἐκέλευε λέγειν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἂν δέοιντο.
But having granted a ten days' truce, he said he would send Lucius with them, to whom he ordered them to state what they required.
§20.9.6γενομένων δὲ τῶν ἀνοχῶν, καὶ τοῦ Λευκίου συνελθόντος εἰς τὴν Ὑπάταν, ἐγένοντο λόγοι καὶ πλείους ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων.
When the truce had been made and Lucius had met them at Hypata, further discussions took place concerning the current situation.
§20.9.7οἱ μὲν οὖν Αἰτωλοὶ συνίσταντο τὴν δικαιολογίαν ἀνέκαθεν προφερόμενοι τὰ προγεγονότα σφίσι φιλάνθρωπα πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους·
The Aetolians, then, began to construct their defense, bringing up from the very beginning the kind services they had previously rendered to the Romans.
§20.9.8ὁ δὲ Λεύκιος ἐπιτεμὼν αὐτῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν οὐκ ἔφη τοῖς παροῦσι καιροῖς ἁρμόζειν τοῦτο τὸ γένος τῆς δικαιολογίας· λελυμένων γὰρ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς φιλανθρώπων διʼ ἐκείνους, καὶ τῆς ἐνεστώσης ἔχθρας διʼ Αἰτωλοὺς γεγενημένης, οὐδὲν ἔτι συμβάλλεσθαι τὰ τότε φιλάνθρωπα πρὸς τοὺς νῦν καιρούς.
But Lucius, cutting short their eagerness, said that this kind of defense did not suit the present circumstances; for since the original friendly relations had been dissolved through their own fault, and the present hostility had arisen because of the Aetolians, those former kind services no longer contributed anything to the present situation.
§20.9.9διόπερ ἀφεμένους τοῦ δικαιολογεῖσθαι συνεβούλευε τρέπεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἀξιωματικὸν λόγον καὶ δεῖσθαι τοῦ στρατηγοῦ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις.
Therefore, advising them to abandon their self-defense, he counseled them to turn to the language of entreaty and to beg to obtain pardon from the general for their offenses.
§20.9.10οἱ δʼ Αἰτωλοὶ καὶ πλείω λόγον ποιησάμενοι περὶ τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων ἔκριναν ἐπιτρέπειν τὰ ὅλα Μανίῳ, δόντες αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν, §20.9.11οὐκ εἰδότες τίνα δύναμιν ἔχει τοῦτο, τῷ δὲ τῆς πίστεως ὀνόματι πλανηθέντες, ὡς ἂν διὰ τοῦτο τελειοτέρου σφίσιν ἐλέους ὑπάρξοντος.
The Aetolians, after discussing the circumstances at greater length, decided to entrust the whole matter to Manius, committing themselves to the faith of the Romans, not knowing what power this had, but being misled by the word "faith", as if on this account more complete mercy would be shown to them.
§20.9.12παρὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίοις ἰσοδυναμεῖ τό τʼ εἰς τὴν πίστιν αὑτὸν ἐγχειρίσαι καὶ τὸ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν δοῦναι περὶ αὑτοῦ τῷ κρατοῦντι.
But among the Romans, to commit oneself to their faith is equivalent to giving the victor full power of decision over oneself.