He was urged still more strongly to go on with his plan of invading Italy,
when he learnt the result of the battle of Cannae; 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,
from the figure of a large fish which was affixed to, or engraved on their
bows, either to distinguish them, or as a mark of their swift sailing.
