by Polybius
76. But now a difficulty arose which was created by Apelles. Apelles was one of those who had been left by Antigonus as guardians of his son, and had, as it happened, more influence than any one else with the king. He conceived the wish to bring the Achaeans into the same position as the Thessalians; and adopted for that purpose a very offensive line of conduct. The Thessalians were supposed to enjoy their own constitution, and to have quite a different status to the Macedonians; but in fact they had exactly the same, and obeyed every order of the royal ministers. It was with the purpose of bringing about the same state of things, that this officer now set himself to test the subservience of the Achaean contingent. At first he confined himself to giving the Macedonian soldiers leave to eject Achaeans from their quarters, who on any occasion had taken possession of them first, as well as to wrest from them any booty they might have taken; but he afterwards treated them with actual violence, through the agency of his subordinates, on any trifling pretext; while such as complained of this treatment, or took the part of those who were being beaten, he personally arrested and put into confinement: being convinced that by this method he would gradually and imperceptibly bring them into the habit of submitting, without remonstrance, to any thing which the king might choose to inflict. And this opinion he deduced from his previous experience in the army of Antigonus, when he had seen the Achaeans willing to endure any hardship, on the one condition of escaping from the yoke of Cleomenes. However, certain young Achaeans held a meeting, and going to Aratus explained to him the policy which was being pursued by Apelles: whereupon Aratus at once went to Philip, feeling that a stand must be made on this point at once and without delay. He made his statement to the king; who, being informed of the facts, first of all encouraged the young men by a promise that nothing of the sort should happen to them again; and then commanded Apelles not to impose any orders upon the Achaeans without consulting their own Strategus.
[1] Φίλιππος μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν ὁμιλίαν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις συνδιατρίβοντας καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς πρᾶξιν καὶ τόλμαν οὐ μόνον παρὰ τοῖς στρατευομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσι Πελοποννησίοις εὐδοκίμει. [2] βασιλέα γὰρ πλείοσιν ἀφορμαῖς ἐκ φύσεως κεχορηγημένον πρὸς πραγμάτων κατάκτησιν οὐκ εὐμαρὲς εὑρεῖν: [3] καὶ γὰρ ἀγχίνοια καὶ μνήμη καὶ χάρις ἐπῆν αὐτῷ διαφέρουσα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπίφασις βασιλικὴ καὶ δύναμις, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, πρᾶξις καὶ τόλμα πολεμική. [4] καὶ τί δή ποτ᾽ ἦν τὸ ταῦτα πάντα καταγωνισάμενον καὶ ποιῆσαν ἐκ βασιλέως εὐφυοῦς τύραννον ἄγριον οὐκ εὐχερὲς διὰ βραχέων δηλῶσαι. διὸ καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων σκέπτεσθαι καὶ διαπορεῖν ἄλλος ἁρμόσει καιρὸς μᾶλλον τοῦ νῦν ἐνεστῶτος: [5] ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐκ τῆς Ὀλυμπίας ἀναζεύξας τὴν ἐπὶ Φαραίαν παρῆν εἰς Τέλφουσαν κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Ἡραίαν. καὶ τὴν μὲν λείαν ἐλαφυροπώλει, τὴν δὲ γέφυραν ἐπεσκεύαζε τὴν κατὰ τὸν Ἀλφειόν, βουλόμενος ταύτῃ ποιήσασθαι τὴν εἰς τὴν Τριφυλίαν εἰσβολήν. [6] κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Δωρίμαχος ὁ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγός, δεομένων τῶν Ἠλείων σφίσι βοηθεῖν πορθουμένοις, ἑξακοσίους Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ στρατηγὸν Φιλλίδαν αὐτοῖς ἐξέπεμψεν. [7] ὃς παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἠλείαν, καὶ παραλαβὼν τοὺς μισθοφόρους τῶν Ἠλείων, ὄντας εἰς πεντακοσίους, καὶ πολιτικοὺς χιλίους, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις τοὺς Ταραντίνους, ἧκε βοηθῶν εἰς τὴν Τριφυλίαν, [8] ἣ τῆς μὲν προσηγορίας τέτευχε ταύτης ἀπὸ Τριφύλου τῶν Ἀρκάδος παίδων ἑνός, κεῖται δὲ τῆς Πελοποννήσου παρὰ θάλατταν μεταξὺ τῆς Ἠλείων καὶ Μεσσηνίων χώρας, τέτραπται δ᾽ εἰς τὸ Λιβυκὸν πέλαγος, ἐσχατεύουσα τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ὡς πρὸς χειμερινὰς δύσεις, [9] ἔχει δ᾽ ἐν αὑτῇ πόλεις ταύτας, Σαμικόν, Λέπρεον, Ὕπαναν, Τυπανέας, Πύργον, Αἴπιον, Βώλακα, Στυλάγγιον, Φρίξαν. [10] ὧν ὀλίγοις χρόνοις πρότερον ἐπικρατήσαντες Ἠλεῖοι προσελάβοντο καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἀλιφειρέων πόλιν, οὖσαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπ᾽ Ἀρκαδίαν [καὶ Μεγαλόπολιν], Λυδιάδου τοῦ Μεγαλοπολίτου κατὰ τὴν τυραννίδα πρός τινας ἰδίας πράξεις ἀλλαγὴν δόντος τοῖς Ἠλείοις.
77. Philip, then, was acquiring a great reputation, not only among those actually in his army, but among the other Peloponnesians also, for his behaviour to the allies serving with him, as well as for his ability and courage in the field. Indeed it would not be easy to find a king endowed with more natural qualities requisite for the acquisition of power. He had in an eminent degree a quick understanding, a retentive memory, and a winning grace of manner, joined to a look of royal dignity and authority; and most important of all, ability and courage as a general. What neutralised all these excellent qualities, and made a cruel tyrant of a naturally well-disposed king, it is not easy to say in a few words: and therefore that inquiry must be reserved for a more suitable time than the present.
Starting from Olympia by the road leading to Pharae, Philip came first to Telphusa, and thence to Heraea. There he had the booty sold by auction, and repaired the bridge over the Alpheus, with the view of passing over it to the invasion of Triphylia.
Just at that time the Aetolian Strategus, Dorimachus, in answer to a request of the Eleans for protection against the devastation they were enduring, despatched six hundred Aetolians, under the command of Phillidas, to their aid. Having arrived in Elis, and taken over the Elean mercenaries, who were five hundred in number, as well as a thousand citizen soldiers and the Tarentine cavalry, he marched to the relief of Triphylia. This district is so called from Triphylus, one of the sons of Arcas, and lies on the coast of the Peloponnese between Elis and Messenia, facing the Libyan Sea, and touching the south-west frontier of Arcadia. It contains the following towns, Samicum, Lepreum, Hypana, Typaneae, Pyrgos, Aepium, Bolax, Stylangium, Phrixa; all of which, shortly before this, the Eleans had conquered and annexed, as well as the city of Alipheira, which had originally been subject to Arcadia and Megalopolis, but had been exchanged with the Eleans, for some private object of his own, by Lydiadas when tyrant of Megalopolis.
[1] πλὴν ὅ γε Φιλλίδας τοὺς μὲν Ἠλείους εἰς Λέπρεον, τοὺς δὲ μισθοφόρους εἰς Ἀλίφειραν ἀποστείλας, αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ἔχων ἐν Τυπανέαις ἐκαραδόκει τὸ συμβησόμενον. [2] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀποθέμενος τὴν ἀποσκευὴν καὶ διαβὰς τῇ γεφύρᾳ τὸν Ἀλφειὸν ποταμόν, ὃς ῥεῖ παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν τῶν Ἡραιέων πόλιν, [3] ἧκε πρὸς τὴν Ἀλίφειραν, ἣ κεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ λόφου κρημνώδους πανταχόθεν, ἔχοντος πλεῖον ἢ δέκα σταδίων πρόσβασιν, ἔχει δ᾽ ἄκραν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ κορυφῇ τοῦ σύμπαντος λόφου καὶ χαλκοῦν Ἀθηνᾶς ἀ�
�δριάντα, κάλλει καὶ μεγέθει διαφέροντα. [4] οὗ τὴν μὲν αἰτίαν, ἀπὸ ποίας προθέσεως ἢ χορηγίας ἔλαβε τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς κατασκευῆς, ἀμφισβητεῖσθαι συμβαίνει καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις — οὔτε γὰρ πόθεν οὔτε τίς ἀνέθηκεν εὑρίσκεται τρανῶς — [5] τὸ μέντοι γε τῆς τέχνης ἀποτέλεσμα συμφωνεῖται παρὰ πᾶσι, διότι τῶν μεγαλομερεστάτων καὶ τεχνικωτάτων ἔργων ἐστίν, Ὑπατοδώρου καὶ Σωστράτου κατεσκευακότων. [6] οὐ μὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιγενομένης ἡμέρας αἰθρίου καὶ λαμπρᾶς, διατάξας ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς κατὰ πλείους τόπους τούς τε τὰς κλίμακας φέροντας καὶ τὰς τῶν μισθοφόρων ἐφεδρείας πρὸ τούτων, [7] ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς προειρημένοις τοὺς Μακεδόνας διῃρημένους κατόπιν ἑκάστοις ἐπιστήσας, ἅμα τῷ τὸν ἥλιον ἐπιβάλλειν πᾶσι προσέταξε προσβαίνειν πρὸς τὸν λόφον. [8] ποιούντων δὲ τὸ παραγγελθὲν ἐκθύμως καὶ καταπληκτικῶς τῶν Μακεδόνων, συνέβαινε τοὺς Ἀλιφειρεῖς πρὸς τούτους ὁρμᾶν ἀεὶ καὶ συντρέχειν τοὺς τόπους, οἷς μάλιστα τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἑώρων προσπελάζοντας. [9] κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔχων τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους διά τινων κρημνῶν ἔλαθε πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἄκρας προάστειον ἀναβάς. [10] ἀποδοθέντος δὲ τοῦ συνθήματος, πάντες ἅμα προσερείσαντες τὰς κλίμακας κατεπείραζον τῆς πόλεως. [11] πρῶτος μὲν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς κατέσχε τὸ προάστειον τῆς ἄκρας, ἔρημον καταλαβών: τούτου δ᾽ ἐμπιπραμένου, προϊδόμενοι τὸ μέλλον οἱ τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐπαμύνοντες, καὶ περιδεεῖς γενόμενοι μὴ τῆς ἄκρας προκαταληφθείσης στερηθῶσι καὶ τῆς τελευταίας ἐλπίδος, ὥρμησαν ἀπολιπόντες τὰ τείχη φεύγειν πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν. οἱ δὲ Μακεδόνες, [12] γενομένου τούτου, παραχρῆμα καὶ τῶν τειχῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐκυρίευσαν. [13] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαπρεσβευσαμένων τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον, δοὺς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν παρέλαβε καὶ ταύτην καθ᾽ ὁμολογίαν.
78. Phillidas, then, sent his Elean troops to Lepreum, and his mercenaries to Aliphera; while he himself went with the Aetolian troops to Typaneae, and waited to see what would happen. Meanwhile the king, having got rid of his heavy baggage, and crossed the bridge over the river Alpheus, which flows right under Heraea, came to Alipheira, which lies on a hill precipitous on every side, and the ascent of which is more than ten stades. The citadel is on the very summit of this hill, adorned with a colossal statue of Athene, of extraordinary size and beauty. The origin and purpose of this statue, and at whose expense it was set up, are doubtful questions even among the natives; for it has never been clearly discovered why or by whom it was dedicated: yet it is universally allowed that its skilful workmanship classes it among the most splendid and artistic productions of Hecatodorus and Sostratus.
The next morning being fine and bright, the king made his dispositions at daybreak. He placed parties of men with scaling ladders at several points, and supported each of them with bodies of mercenaries, and detachments of Macedonian hoplites, on the rear of these several parties. His orders being fulfilled with enthusiasm and a formidable display of power, the garrison of Alipheira were kept continually rushing and rallying to the particular spots to which they saw the Macedonians approaching: and while this was going on, the king himself took some picked men, and mounted unobserved over some steep hills up to the suburb of the citadel; and then, at a given signal, all at once put the scaling ladders to the walls and began attempting the town. The king was the first to take the suburb of the acropolis, which had been abandoned by the garrison; and when this was set on fire, those who were defending the town walls, foreseeing what must happen, and afraid that by the fall of the citadel they would be deprived of their last hope, abandoned the town walls, and fled into it: whereupon the Macedonians at once took the walls and the town. Subsequently the garrison on the citadel sent an embassy to Philip, who granted them their lives, and received possession of it also by formal surrender.
[1] συντελεσθέντων δὲ τούτων, καταπλαγεῖς γεγονότες πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Τριφυλίαν ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων πατρίδων. [2] ὁ δὲ Φιλλίδας ἐκλιπὼν τὰς Τυπανέας, προσδιαρπάσας τινὰς τῶν οἰκιῶν, ἀπεχώρησεν εἰς τὸ Λέπρεον: [3] ταῦτα γὰρ ἐπίχειρα τότε τοῖς Αἰτωλῶν ἐγίνετο συμμάχοις, τὸ μὴ μόνον ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις καιροῖς ἐγκαταλείπεσθαι προφανῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαρπαγέντας ἢ προδοθέντας τούτοις περιπίπτειν ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων, ἃ τοῖς κρατηθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ὀφείλεται πάσχειν. [4] οἱ δὲ Τυπανεᾶται παρέδοσαν τῷ Φιλίππῳ τὴν πόλιν. τούτοις δὲ τὸ παραπλήσιον ἐποίησαν οἱ τὴν Ὕπαναν κατοικοῦντες. [5] ἅμα δὲ τούτοις Φιαλεῖς, ἀκούοντες τὰ περὶ τὴν Τριφυλίαν καὶ δυσαρεστούμενοι τῇ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν συμμαχίᾳ, κατέλαβον μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων τὸν περὶ τὸ πολεμάρχιον τόπον. [6] οἱ δὲ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν πειραταί, διατρίβοντες ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει διὰ τὰς ἐκ τῆς Μεσσηνίας ὠφελείας, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον οἷοί τ᾽ ἦσαν ἐγχειρεῖν καὶ κατατολμᾶν τῶν Φιαλέων, [7] ὁρῶντες δὲ τοὺς πολίτας ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἁθροιζομένους πρὸς τὴν βοήθειαν, ἀπέστησαν τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, σπεισάμενοι δὲ καὶ λαβόντες τὰς αὑτῶν ἀποσκευὰς ἀπῆλθον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως. [8] οἱ δὲ Φιαλεῖς διαπρεσβευσάμενοι πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον ἐνεχείρισαν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν.
79. These achievements of the king alarmed the whole people of Triphylia, and made them take counsel severally for the safety of themselves and their respective cities: while Phillidas left Typaneae, after plundering some of the houses there, and retired to Lepreum. This was the reward which the allies of the Aetolians at that time usually got: not only to be deserted at the hour of utmost need in the most barefaced way, but, by being plundered as well as betrayed, to suffer at the hands of their allies exactly what they had a right to expect from a victorious enemy. But the people of Typaneae surrendered their city to Philip; as also did the inhabitants of Hypana. And the people of Phigalia, hearing of what had taken place in Triphylia, and disliking the alliance with the Aetolians, rose in arms and seized the space round the Polemarchium. The Aetolian pirates who were residing in this city, for the purpose of plundering Messene, were able at first to keep down and overawe the people; but when they saw that the whole town was mustering to the rescue, they desisted from the attempt. Having made terms with them, they took their baggage an
d evacuated the town; whereupon the inhabitants sent an embassy to Philip, and delivered themselves and their town into his hands.
[1] ἔτι δὴ τούτων πραττομένων οἱ Λεπρεᾶται καταλαβόμενοι τόπον τινὰ τῆς πόλεως ἠξίουν ἐκχωρεῖν τῆς ἄκρας καὶ τῆς πόλεως τοὺς Ἠλείους καὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλούς, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίων: ἧκε γὰρ καὶ παρ᾽ ἐκείνων αὐτοῖς βοήθεια. [2] τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον οἱ περὶ τὸν Φιλλίδαν οὐ προσεῖχον, ἀλλ᾽ ἔμενον, ὡς καταπληξόμενοι τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει: [3] τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰς μὲν τὴν Φιγάλειαν Ταυρίωνα μετὰ στρατιωτῶν ἐξαποστείλαντος, αὐτοῦ δὲ προάγοντος εἰς τὸ Λέπρεον καὶ συνεγγίζοντος ἤδη τῇ πόλει, συνέντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Φιλλίδαν ἐταπεινώθησαν, οἱ δὲ Λεπρεᾶται προσεπερρώσθησαν ταῖς ὁρμαῖς. [4] καλὸν γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο Λεπρεάταις ἔργον πέπρακται, τὸ χιλίων μὲν ἔνδον ὄντων Ἠλείων, χιλίων δὲ σὺν τοῖς πειραταῖς Αἰτωλῶν, πεντακοσίων δὲ μισθοφόρων, διακοσίων δὲ Λακεδαιμονίων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῆς ἄκρας κατεχομένης, ὅμως ἀντιποιήσασθαι τῆς ἑαυτῶν πατρίδος καὶ μὴ προέσθαι τὰς σφετέρας ἐλπίδας. [5] ὁ δὲ Φιλλίδας, ὁρῶν τοὺς Λεπρεάτας ἀνδρωδῶς ὑφισταμένους καὶ τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἐγγίζοντας, ἐξεχώρησε τῆς πόλεως ἅμα τοῖς Ἠλείοις καὶ τοῖς παρὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων. [6] οἱ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν Κρῆτες διὰ τῆς Μεσσηνίας εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπανῆλθον, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Φιλλίδαν ἐποιοῦντο τὴν ἀπόλυσιν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ Σαμικόν. τὸ δὲ τῶν Λεπρεατῶν πλῆθος, [7] ἐγκρατὲς γεγονὸς τῆς πατρίδος, ἐξαπέστελλε πρεσβευτάς, ἐγχειρίζον τῷ Φιλίππῳ τὴν πόλιν. [8] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀκούσας τὰ γεγονότα, τὴν μὲν λοιπὴν δύναμιν εἰς τὸ Λέπρεον ἀπέστειλε, τοὺς δὲ πελταστὰς καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους ἀναλαβὼν ἡγεῖτο, συνάψαι σπεύδων τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φιλλίδαν. [9] καταλαβὼν δὲ τῆς μὲν ἀποσκευῆς ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο πάσης, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Φιλλίδαν κατετάχησαν εἰς τὸ Σαμικὸν παραπεσόντες. [10] προσστρατοπεδεύσας δὲ τῷ χωρίῳ, καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ἐπισπασάμενος ἐκ τοῦ Λεπρέου δύναμιν, ἔμφασιν ἐποίει τοῖς ἔνδον ὡς πολιορκήσων τὸ χωρίον. [11] οἱ δ᾽ Αἰτωλοὶ μετὰ τῶν Ἠλείων οὐδὲν ἔχοντες ἕτοιμον πρὸς πολιορκίαν πλὴν χερῶν, καταπλαγέντες τὴν περίστασιν ἐλάλουν περὶ ἀσφαλείας πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον. [12] λαβόντες δὲ συγχώρημα μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀπόλυσιν, οὗτοι μὲν ὥρμησαν εἰς τὴν Ἠλείαν: ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῦ μὲν Σαμικοῦ παραυτίκα κύριος ἐγένετο, [13] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, παραγενομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μεθ᾽ ἱκετηρίας, παρέλαβε Φρίξαν, Στυλάγγιον, Αἴπιον, Βώλακα, Πύργον, Ἐπιτάλιον. [14] ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενος ἐπανῆλθε πάλιν εἰς τὸ Λέπρεον, πᾶσαν ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν πεποιημένος τὴν Τριφυλίαν ἐν ἡμέραις ἕξ. [15] παρακαλέσας δὲ τοὺς Λεπρεάτας τὰ πρέποντα τῷ καιρῷ, καὶ φυλακὴν εἰσαγαγὼν εἰς τὴν ἄκραν, ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐφ᾽ Ἡραίας, ἀπολιπὼν ἐπιμελητὴν τῆς Τριφυλίας Λάδικον τὸν Ἀκαρνᾶνα. [16] παραγενόμενος δ᾽ εἰς τὴν προειρημένην πόλιν τὴν μὲν λείαν διένειμε πᾶσαν, τὴν δ᾽ ἀποσκευὴν ἀναλαβὼν ἐκ τῆς Ἡραίας ἦλθε μέσου χειμῶνος εἰς Μεγάλην πόλιν.