Rhodians and Eumenes, son of Attalus.  Nabis was consequently in despair and despatched a herald to Flamininus about peace.  The latter listened to his proposals but did not immediately cease hostilities.  For Nabis did not dare to refuse the arrangements which he was asked to make, nor yet would he consent to make them.  And the populace prevented him from coming to an agreement.  So temporarily Nabis did not come to terms, but when the Romans attacked again and captured almost all of Sparta (it was in part destitute of a wall), he would wait no longer, but made a truce with Flamininus and by sending an embassy to Rome effected a settlement.

Flamininus hereupon set all the Greeks free; [Sidenote:  B.C. 194 (a.u. 560)] later he convened them in session and after reminding them of the benefits they had received urged them to maintain a kindly attitude toward the Romans:  he then withdrew all their garrisons and departed with his entire army.

Upon the arrival of Flamininus at Rome Nabis rebelled.  And straightway the whole Greek world, so to speak, was thrown into a turmoil which the AEtolians did their best to increase.  They were making ready for war and were sending embassies to Philip and Antiochus.  They persuaded the latter to assume a position of hostility to the Romans, promising him that he should be king of both Greece and Italy.  Roman interests were so upset that they had no hope of overcoming Antiochus, but were satisfied if they could preserve their former conquests.  Antiochus was regarded as a mighty personage both in the light of his own power, through which he had performed distinguished exploits and above all had subjugated Media, [Sidenote:  B.C. 193 (a.u. 561)] and he loomed far mightier still for having attached to his cause Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and Ariarathes, monarch of Cappadocia, as a kinsman by marriage.

Antiochus being so esteemed, the Romans as long as they were at war with Philip were careful to court his favor, keeping up friendly relations with him through envoys and sending him gifts.  But when they had vanquished their other enemy, they despised also this king whom they had formerly feared.  Antiochus himself crossed over into Thrace and gained control of many districts. [Sidenote:  B.C. 192 (a.u. 562)] He helped colonize Lysimachia, which had been depopulated, intending to use it as a base.  It was Philip and Nabis who had invited his assistance.  Hannibal, too, had been with him and had caused him to hope that he might sail to Carthage and from there to Italy, and further that he could subjugate the races along the Ionian Gulf and with them set out against Rome.  Twice before, indeed, Antiochus had crossed into Europe and had reached Greece.  This time he learned that Ptolemy was dead, and deeming it all important that he should obtain the sovereignty of Egypt he left his son Seleucus with a force at Lysimachia and himself set out on the march.  He found out, however, that Ptolemy was alive, and so kept away from Egypt and made an attempt to sail to Cyprus.  Baffled by a storm he returned home.  The Romans and he both despatched envoys to each other submitting mutual complaints that they might get an excuse for the war and inspect conditions on each side betimes.