but a few days before he had returned from Sicily. These were directed
to convey a message to the consul, to the effect, that if he could not
himself go to Rome to hold the election, he should nominate a dictator
within the Roman territory for that purpose. If the consul should have
gone to Tarentum, that it was the pleasure of the senate that Marcus
Claudius, the praetor, should march off his legions to that quarter
in which he could protect the greatest number of the cities of the
allies. The same summer Marcus Valerius crossed over from Sicily into
Africa with a fleet of a hundred ships, and making a descent near the
city Clupea, devastated the country to a wide extent, scarcely meeting
with a single person in arms. Afterwards the troops employed in making
these depredations were hastily led back to their ships, and a report
had suddenly reached them that a Carthaginian fleet was drawing near.
It consisted of eighty-three ships. With these the Romans fought
successfully, not far from the city Clupea, and after taking eighteen
and putting the rest to flight, returned to Lilybaeum with a great
deal of booty gained both by land and sea. The same summer also Philip
gave assistance to the suppliant Achaeans. They were harassed
by Machanidas, tyrant of the Lacedaemonians, with a war in their
immediate neighbourhood; and the Aetolians, having passed over an army
in ships through the strait which runs between Naupactus and Patrae,
called by the neighbouring people Rhion, had devastated their country.
It was reported also, that Attalus, king of Asia, would pass over into
Europe, because the Aetolians, in their last council, had offered to
him the office of chief magistrate of their nation.

30. Philip, when marching down into Greece, for these reasons, was met
at the city Lamia by the Aetolians, under the command of Pyrrhias,
who had been created praetor that year jointly with Attalus, who was
absent. They had with them also auxiliaries from Attalus, and about a