Just before the consul's arrival Antiochus left Chalcis and directed his course first to Tenos and from there to Ephesus. [2] As the consul drew near to Chalcis the king's commandant, Aristoteles, left the city and the gates were thrown open to the consul. [3] All the other cities in Euboea were delivered up without any fighting, and in a few days peace was established everywhere in the island and the army returned to Thermopylae without injuring a single city. [4] This moderation displayed after the victory was much more deserving of praise than even the victory itself. In order that the senate and people might receive an authoritative report of the operations the consul sent M. Cato to Rome. [5] He set sail from Creusa, the emporium of Thespia, situated in the innermost part of the Gulf of Corinth, and made for Patrae in Achaia; from Patrae he went on to Corcyra, skirting the shores of Aetolia and Acarnania, and so made his passage to Hydruntum in Italy. [6] From there he journeyed by land, and by rapid travelling reached Rome in five days. [7] Entering the City before it was light he went straight to the praetor, M. Junius, who summoned a meeting of the senate at daybreak. L. Cornelius Scipio had been sent on by the consul some days previously, and on his arrival found that Cato had outstripped him. [8] He went into the senate house while Cato was making his report and the two generals were conducted by order of the senate to the Assembly, where they gave the same details of the Aetolian campaign as had been given to the senate. [9] A decree was made that there should be thanksgivings for three days, and the praetor was to sacrifice forty full-grown victims to such of the gods as he thought fit. [10] M. Fulvius Nobilior, who had gone to Spain as praetor two years previously, entered the City about this time in ovation. [11] He had carried before him 130,000 silver denarii and 12,000 pounds of other silver, as well as 127 pounds of gold.
