 The Athenian commander Xenophanes, leader of the expedition, improvised by declaring that the delegation had been sent by king Philip to secure an agreement of "amicitiam societatemque" (friendship and alliance) with the Roman people.The praetor welcomed the delegation and sent it on its way to Rome, providing an escort and key tactical information on where the Carthaginians were camped.Armed with this knowledge, the Macedonians reached Hannibal's camp with little effort completing their assigned mission.