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Dorimachus and Scopas waited until Timoxenus had a very short time of office left, and when Aratus, though elected by the Achaeans for the coming year, would not yet be in office;The Achaean Strategus was elected in the middle of May, the Aetolian in the autumn. Aratus would be elected May 12, B. C. 220, and come into office some time before midsummer; Ariston’s Aetolian office would terminate in September B. C. 220. See v. 1. and then collecting a general levy of Aetolians at
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Rhium, and preparing means of transport, with some Cephallenian ships ready to convoy them, they gotBefore midsummer B. C. 220. Invasion of Messenia by Dorimachus and Scopas. their men across to the Peloponnese, and led them against Messenia. While marching through the territories of Patrae, Pharae, and Tritaea they pretended that they did not wish to do any injury to the Achaeans; but their forces, from their inveterate passion for plunder, could not be restrained from robbing the country; and consequently they committed outrages and acts of violence all along their line of march, till they arrived at Phigalea. Thence, by a bold and sudden movement, they entered Messenia; and without any regard for their ancient friendship and alliance with the Messenians, or for the principles of international justice common to all mankind, subordinating every consideration to their selfish greed, they set about plundering the country without resistance, the Messenians being absolutely afraid to come out to attack them.
