That these, by their own act, had made a declaration of war against themselves, when they seized, by force, Demetrias, a city in alliance with Rome; when they laid siege to Chalcis by land and sea; and brought king Antiochus into Europe, to make war on the Romans." Every preparatory measure being now completed, the consul, Manius Acilius, issued an edict, that the "soldiers enlisted, or raised from among the allies by Titus Quinctius, and who were under orders to go with him to his province; as, likewise, the military tribunes of the first and third legions, should assemble at Brundusium, on the ides of May.[1]" He himself, on the fifth before the nones of May,[2] set out from the city in his military robe of command.

At the same time the praetors, likewise, departed for their respective provinces.
[Footnote 1: 15th May.] [Footnote 2: 3rd May.] 4.

A little before this time, ambassadors came to Rome from the two kings, Philip of Macedonia and Ptolemy of Egypt, offering aid of men, money, and corn towards the support of the war.

From Ptolemy was brought a thousand pounds' weight of gold, and twenty thousand pounds' weight of silver.

None of this was accepted.