Il re Filippo V, Messene e il sogno panellenico di Arato

Messene 215 BC internal strife is among the Hellenistic history most commented episodes by both ancient and modern historians. The involvement of the Macedonian king, Philip V, the leader of the Achaean league, Aratus of Sicyon with his son, and the Illyrian Demetrius of Pharos drew attention to the internal city politics. The opposite advice of the friends of the Macedonian king about the Messenian civil war became a case study on the instruction of the good king already in Polybius’s fragments. By collecting and analyzing the literary accounts of the episode delivered by Polybius, Plutarch, and Pausanias, the paper reconsiders the causes and impact of the Messenian internal conflict on Greek politics. The personal and familial link that both Polybius and Plutarch had with the event affected their account and masqueraded the role of Aratus and the Achaean League in the episode. The study shows that the Messenian loyalty and stability were crucial to Aratus’ dream of a united Peloponnese led by the Achaean League. By weakening Aratus’ allies in Messene and threatening to strengthen the Antigonid presence in Greece, the internal war compromised the Achaean hegemony he had devoted his life to building.