been defeated at the Lake of Thrasymenus: he instantly formed the plan of
invading Illyrium, and then crossing over to Italy. But the latter step
could not be taken, nor, indeed, could he expect to cope with the Romans,
till he had formed a fleet, and trained his subjects to the management of
it. At this period the Macedonians seem to have had some merchant ships;
for we are informed that a petty king of Illyria seized some of them in the
port of Leucas, and also all that his squadron met with on the coast of
Greece, as far as Malea. This insult and attack afforded Philip an
excellent reason for declaring war against Illyricum: he began by
exercising the Macedonians in the art of navigation; he built ships after
the Illyrian manner, and he was the first king of Macedonia that put to
sea 100 small vessels at one time.

He was urged still more strongly to go on with his plan of invading Italy,
when he learnt the result of the battle of Cannæ; he immediately formed an
alliance with Hannibal, and engaged to invade Italy with 200 sail of ships,
and plunder its eastern coasts: in return for this service he was to retain
all the islands in the Adriatic, lying near the coast of Macedonia, that he
might subdue.

His first naval enterprize was the siege of Oricum on the coast of Epirus,
and of Apollonia on the coast of Macedonia, both of which he carried on at
the same time, with 120 ships of two banks of oars. He was, however,
successfully opposed by the Roman consul Laevinus, who obliged him to burn
great part of his fleet, and raise the siege of Doth the places.

About twelve years afterwards, or about 200 years before Christ, Philip
engaged in a maritime war with Attalus, king of Pergamus, and the Rhodians,
near the isle of Chio: the fleet of Philip consisted of fifty-three decked
vessels and 150 gallies; besides these he had several ships called pristis,