12. A native of Tarentum, and one of the chief counsellors of Philip V. king of Macedonia.
He is said to have been by profession an architect, and having in this capacity been entrusted
with some repairs of the walls of Tarentum (at that time in the hands of Hannibal), he was
accused of intending to betray the city to the Romans. In consequence of this charge he fled
from Tarentum, and took refuge in the Roman camp, but was soon suspected of having opened
secret negotiations with Hannibal and the Carthaginian garrison. After this double treachery
he thought it prudent to quit Italy, and repaired to the court of Philip, where, by his
ability and cunning, he made himself at first useful to the king as a convenient tool for
carrying into execution the most nefarious schemes, and ultimately rose to a high place in his
favour and confidence. He is said to have especially gained these by the address with which,
pretending to have been ill-used and driven into banishment by Philip, he ingratiated himself
with the Rhodians, and succeeded in setting fire to their arsenal, and burning great part of
their fleet. It is not difficult to believe that a man who had risen to power by such arts as
these should have abused it when attained: and we are told that he made use of his influence
with the king to get rid of all those that were opposed to his views, and even induced him to
put to death five of the leading members of his council of state at once. But by these and
other such measures he rendered Philip so obnoxious to his subjects, that the king at length
found himself obliged to yield to the popular clamour, displaced Heracleides, whom he had not
long before employed in the command of his fleet, and threw him into prison, Exc. Vales. xxviii. pp. 572, 573;