§4.3.1Αἰτωλοὶ πάλαι μὲν δυσχερῶς ἔφερον τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὑπαρχόντων δαπάνας, ὡς ἂν εἰθισμένοι μὲν ζῆν ἀπὸ τῶν πέλας, δεόμενοι δὲ πολλῆς χορηγίας διὰ τὴν ἔμφυτον ἀλαζονείαν, ᾗ δουλεύοντες ἀεὶ πλεονεκτικὸν καὶ θηριώδη ζῶσι βίον, οὐδὲν οἰκεῖον, πάντα δʼ ἡγούμενοι πολέμια.
The Aetolians had long been dissatisfied with peace and with spending from their own resources, as they were accustomed to live at the expense of their neighbours, and needed large supplies because of their innate arrogance; enslaved to which, they always led a greedy and beast-like life, regarding nothing as friendly, but everything as hostile.
§4.3.2οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τὸν πρὸ τοῦ χρόνον, ἕως Ἀντίγονος ἔζη, δεδιότες Μακεδόνας ἦγον ἡσυχίαν.
Nevertheless, in the preceding period, as long as Antigonus lived, they kept quiet out of fear of the Macedonians.
§4.3.3ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἐκεῖνος μετήλλαξε τὸν βίον, παῖδα καταλιπὼν Φίλιππον, καταφρονήσαντες ἐζήτουν ἀφορμὰς καὶ προφάσεις τῆς εἰς Πελοπόννησον ἐπιπλοκῆς, ἀγόμενοι κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν ἔθος ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκ ταύτης ἁρπαγάς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ νομίζοντες ἀξιόχρεως εἶναι σφᾶς πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν αὐτοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς.
But when he departed this life, leaving behind his son Philip, who was still a child, they looked down on him and sought opportunities and pretexts for intervention in the Peloponnese, being drawn by their ancient custom to plundering from it, and at the same time believing themselves to be a match for the Achaeans themselves in war.
§4.3.4ὄντες δʼ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς προθέσεως, βραχέα ταὐτομάτου σφίσι συνεργήσαντος ἔλαβον ἀφορμὰς πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τοιαύτας.
While they were of this intention, chance co-operated with them slightly, and they obtained the following opportunities for their enterprise.
§4.3.5Δωρίμαχος ὁ Τριχωνεὺς ἦν μὲν υἱὸς Νικοστράτου τοῦ παρασπονδήσαντος τὴν τῶν Παμβοιωτίων πανήγυριν, νέος δʼ ὢν καὶ πλήρης Αἰτωλικῆς ὁρμῆς καὶ πλεονεξίας ἐξαπεστάλη κατὰ κοινὸν εἰς τὴν τῶν Φιγαλέων πόλιν, §4.3.6ἥτις ἐστὶ μὲν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ, κεῖται δὲ πρὸς τοῖς τῶν Μεσσηνίων ὅροις, ἐτύγχανε δὲ τότε συμπολιτευομένη τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς, §4.3.7λόγῳ μὲν παραφυλάξων τήν τε χώραν καὶ τὴν πόλιν τῶν Φιγαλέων, ἔργῳ δὲ κατασκόπου τάξιν ἔχων τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ πραγμάτων.
Dorimachus of Trichonium was the son of Nicostratus, who had violated the treaty of the Pamboeotian festival; being young and full of Aetolian impulse and greed, he was sent on a public mission to the city of the Phigalians, which is in the Peloponnese and lies on the borders of the Messenians, and happened at that time to be in political alliance with the Aetolians, ostensibly to guard the territory and the city of the Phigalians, but in reality holding the position of a spy on the affairs in the Peloponnese.
§4.3.8συνδραμόντων δὲ πειρατῶν, καὶ παραγενομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν Φιγάλειαν, οὐκ ἔχων τούτοις ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου συμπαρασκευάζειν ὠφελείας, διὰ τὸ μένειν ἔτι τότε τὴν κοινὴν εἰρήνην τοῖς Ἕλλησι τὴν ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου συντελεσθεῖσαν, §4.3.9τέλος ἀπορούμενος ἐπέτρεψε τοῖς πειραταῖς λῄζεσθαι τὰ τῶν Μεσσηνίων θρέμματα, φίλων ὄντων καὶ συμμάχων.
When pirates flocked there and joined him at Phigalia, as he was unable to provide them with plunder by lawful means because the general peace among the Greeks, concluded by Antigonus, was still in force at that time, at last in his embarrassment he permitted the pirates to drive off the cattle of the Messenians, although they were friends and allies.
§4.3.10τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἠδίκουν τὰ περὶ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς ποίμνια, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, προβαινούσης τῆς ἀπονοίας, ἐνεχείρησαν καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν οἰκίας ἐκκόπτειν, ἀνυπονοήτως τὰς νύκτας ἐπιφαινόμενοι.
At first, then, they only injured the flocks near the border, but afterwards, as their lawlessness advanced, they attempted even to plunder the houses in the fields, appearing unexpectedly by night.
§4.3.11τῶν δὲ Μεσσηνίων ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀγανακτούντων καὶ διαπρεσβευομένων πρὸς τὸν Δωρίμαχον, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς παρήκουε, βουλόμενος τὰ μὲν ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ὑπʼ αὐτὸν ταττομένους, τὰ δʼ αὐτὸς ὠφελεῖσθαι, μερίτης γινόμενος τῶν λαμβανομένων.
When the Messenians became indignant at this and sent embassies to Dorimachus, at first he ignored them, wishing on the one hand to benefit those under his command, and on the other hand to benefit himself by taking a share of the plunder.
§4.3.12πλεοναζούσης δὲ τῆς παρουσίας τῶν πρεσβειῶν διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν ἀδικημάτων, αὐτὸς ἥξειν ἐπὶ τὴν Μεσσήνην ἔφη, δικαιολογησόμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς.
But when, owing to the continuity of the outrages, the visits of the embassies became frequent, he said that he would come to Messene in person to plead his cause against those who accused the Aetolians.
§4.3.13ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρεγένετο, προσπορευομένων αὐτῷ τῶν ἠδικημένων, τοὺς μὲν διέσυρε χλευάζων, τῶν δὲ κατανίστατο, τοὺς δʼ ἐξέπληττε λοιδορῶν.
When he arrived, and the victims of the injuries came to him, he treated some with mocking derision, browbeat others, and terrified yet others with abusive language.