§21.31.1οὗτοι μὲν οὖν παραλαβόντες τούς τε Ῥοδίους καὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἔπλεον ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον· §21.31.2παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ Μάρκος ἐξαπέστειλε Γάιον τὸν Οὐαλέριον καί τινας ἑτέρους τῶν φίλων πράξοντας τὰ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης. §21.31.3ἀφικομένων δʼ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, πάλιν ἐκαινοποιήθη τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς διὰ Φιλίππου τοῦ βασιλέως· §21.31.4ἐκεῖνος γὰρ δοκῶν ἀδίκως ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἀφῃρῆσθαι τὴν Ἀθαμανίαν καὶ τὴν Δολοπίαν διεπέμψατο πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, ἀξιῶν αὐτοὺς συνοργισθῆναι καὶ μὴ προσδέξασθαι τὰς διαλύσεις. §21.31.5διὸ καὶ τῶν μὲν Αἰτωλῶν εἰσπορευθέντων παρήκουεν ἡ σύγκλητος, τῶν δὲ Ῥοδίων καὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀξιούντων ἐνετράπη καὶ προσέσχε τὸν νοῦν. §21.31.6καὶ γὰρ ἐδόκει μετὰ Δάμωνʼ ὁ Κιχησίου λέων ἄλλα τε καλῶς εἰπεῖν καὶ παραδείγματι πρὸς τὸ παρὸν οἰκείῳ χρήσασθαι κατὰ τὸν λόγον. §21.31.7ἔφη γὰρ ὀργίζεσθαι μὲν εἰκότως τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς· πολλὰ γὰρ εὖ πεπονθότας τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων οὐ χάριν ἀποδεδωκέναι τούτων, ἀλλʼ εἰς μέγαν ἐνηνοχέναι κίνδυνον τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν ἐκκαύσαντας τὸν πρὸς Ἀντίοχον πόλεμον· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ διαμαρτάνειν τὴν σύγκλητον, §21.31.8ἐν ᾧ τὴν ὀργὴν φέρειν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολλούς. §21.31.9εἶναι γὰρ τὸ συμβαῖνον ἐν ταῖς πολιτείαις περὶ τὰ πλήθη παραπλήσιον τῷ γινομένῳ περὶ τὴν θάλατταν. §21.31.10καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνην κατὰ μὲν τὴν αὑτῆς φύσιν ἀεί ποτʼ εἶναι γαληνὴν καὶ καθεστηκυῖαν καὶ συλλήβδην τοιαύτην ὥστε μηδέποτʼ ἂν ἐνοχλῆσαι μηδένα τῶν προσπελαζόντων αὐτῇ καὶ χρωμένων· §21.31.11ἐπειδὰν δʼ ἐμπεσόντες εἰς αὐτὴν ἄνεμοι βίαιοι ταράξωσι καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἀναγκάσωσι κινεῖσθαι, τότε μηθὲν ἔτι δεινότερον εἶναι μηδὲ φοβερώτερον θαλάττης· ὃ καὶ νῦν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Αἰτωλίαν συμπεσεῖν. §21.31.12"ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἦσαν ἀκέραιοι, πάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὑπῆρχον ὑμῖν εὐνούστατοι καὶ βεβαιότατοι συνεργοὶ πρὸς τὰς πράξεις· §21.31.13ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς Ἀσίας πνεύσαντες Θόας καὶ Δικαίαρχος, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Εὐρώπης Μενεστᾶς καὶ Δαμόκριτος συνετάραξαν τοὺς ὄχλους καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἠνάγκασαν πᾶν καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν, §21.31.14τότε δὴ κακῶς φρονοῦντες ἐβουλήθησαν μὲν ὑμῖν, ἐγένοντο δʼ αὑτοῖς αἴτιοι κακῶν. §21.31.15ἀνθʼ ὧν ὑμᾶς δεῖ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἔχειν ἀπαραιτήτως, ἐλεεῖν δὲ τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ διαλύεσθαι πρὸς αὐτούς, εἰδότας ὅτι γενόμενοι πάλιν ἀκέραιοι, καὶ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔτι νῦν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν σωθέντες, εὐνούστατοι πάλιν ἔσονται πάντων Ἑλλήνων. §21.31.16"ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀθηναῖος ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἔπεισε τὴν σύγκλητον διαλύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς Αἰτωλούς.
These men, then, taking the Rhodians and the Athenians with them, sailed for their proposed destination. In like manner, Marcus also sent out Gaius Valerius and some others of his friends to negotiate the terms of peace. When they arrived in Rome, the anger against the Aetolians was once again rekindled because of King Philip. For he, believing that Athamania and Dolopia had been unjustly taken from him by the Aetolians, sent messages to his friends, requesting them to share his anger and not to accept the peace treaty. Therefore, when the Aetolians entered, the Senate disregarded them, but when the Rhodians and the Athenians made their entreaties, the Senate relented and paid attention. For it was felt that, after Damon, Leon the son of Cichesias spoke well on other points and, in the course of his speech, made use of an appropriate comparison for the present situation. For he said that they were naturally angry with the Aetolians; for though the Aetolians had received many benefits from the Romans, they had returned no gratitude for these, but had brought the Roman supremacy into great danger by kindling the war against Antiochus; but that the Senate was making a mistake in this, namely, in carrying their anger against the common people. For what happened to the masses in states was very similar to what occurred on the sea. For the sea, according to its own nature, was always calm and stable, and on the whole of such a character that it would never trouble any of those who approached and used it; but when violent winds fall upon it and disturb it, forcing it to move contrary to its nature, then nothing is more terrible or more fearful than the sea; which indeed had now happened to the people in Aetolia. "For as long as they were uncorrupted, they were of all the Greeks the most well-disposed to you and your most steadfast helpers in your undertakings; but when Thoas and Dicaearchus blowing from Asia, and Menestas and Damocritus from Europe, threw the multitudes into confusion and forced them contrary to their nature to say and do everything, then indeed, being ill-advised, they wished you ill, but became the authors of evils to themselves. In return for which, you ought to be implacable toward those men, but to pity the common people and make peace with them, knowing that when they become uncorrupted again, and in addition to other things are now saved by you, they will again be the most well-disposed of all the Greeks." The Athenian, then, having said this, persuaded the Senate to make peace with the Aetolians.