[2] In the following year (198 BC), his praetorial imperium was prorogued by the Senate, initially to take on the task of allocating land in Italy for veterans who had served in Hispania.
[3] However, his brother Titus ensured that he was given a propraetoral command in charge of a fleet around Greece, and made responsible for securing the Italian coastal regions during the Second Macedonian War.
[4][5] Flamininus initially sailed to Corcyra, and having the fleet handed over to him by his predecessor Lucius Apustius near the island of Zama, he travelled slowly from Cape Maleas to Piraeus, to join the ships which had been stationed there for the protection of Athens.
[citation needed] Having secured possession of the two principal towns of the island of Euboea, Flamininus set sail for Cenchreae, and began to prepare for the siege of Corinth.
Just prior to the Battle of Cynoscephalae, Flamininus learned of the decision of Acarnania to join up with Philip V of Macedon, and so he set sail to blockade the city of Leucas.
Flamininus captured a number of coastal towns by force, whilst some others voluntarily opened their gates to him, before he started to blockade Gythium by sea, while his brother eventually arrived to begin the landward siege.
[11] In the vicinity of Pisa he defeated them in battle, reportedly killing around 9,000 of the enemy, as the rest retreated to their fortified camp, which Flamininus proceeded to besiege.
[7][15] Everitt goes on to explain, on page 448, "There are variations on this story, one being that the boy was a girl, another that the man killed was a condemned criminal rather than a distinguished Celt, a third that the prostitute requested the execution and, finally, that the deed was done by the lictor, not the consul himself.
"[16] Regardless of the theatrical accusations, the reality was that Flamininus' removal from the Senate was a part of a larger struggle between the oligarchic party of the Scipios and their opponents, led by Cato.
Initially, once news of his removal had circulated, a contio (public meeting) was held to discuss the matter, where Cato gave a speech defending his actions in expelling Flamininus.
The people proceeded to loudly protest this indignity to a former consul, and they only quieted down when he agreed to move and take a seat among the senators of consular rank.