by Polybius
3. Just at that time the Aetolian Strategus Dorimachus sent Agelaus and Scopas with five hundred Neo-Cretans into Elis; while the Eleans, in fear of Philip’s attempting the siege of Cyllene, were collecting mercenaries, preparing their own citizens, and carefully strengthening the defences of Cyllene. When Philip saw what was going on, he stationed a force at Dyme, consisting of the Achaean mercenaries, some of the Cretans serving with him, and some of the Gallic horse, together with two thousand picked Achaean infantry. These he left there as a reserve, as well as an advance guard to prevent the danger of an attack from Elis; while he himself, having first written to the Acarnanians and Scerdilaidas, that each of their towns should man such vessels as they had and meet him at Cephallenia, put to sea from Patrae at the time arranged, and arrived off Pronni in Cephallenia. But when he saw that this fortress was difficult to besiege, and its position a contracted one, he coasted past it with his fleet and came to anchor at Palus. Finding that the country there was full of corn and capable of supporting an army, he disembarked his troops and encamped close to the city: and having beached his ships close together, secured them with a trench and palisade, and sent out his Macedonian soldiers to forage. He himself made a personal inspection of the town, to see how he could bring his siege-works and artillery to bear upon the wall. He wished to be able to use the place as a rendezvous for his allies; but he was also desirous of taking it: first, because he would thereby deprive the Aetolians of their most useful support, — for it was by means of Cephallenian ships that they made their descents upon the Peloponnese, and ravaged the seaboards of Epirus and Acarnania, — and, secondly, that he might secure for himself and his allies a convenient base of operations against the enemy’s territory. For Cephallenia lies exactly opposite the Corinthian Gulf, in the direction of the Sicilian Sea, and commands the north-western district of the Peloponnese, and especially Elis; as well as the south-western parts of Epirus, Aetolia, and Acarnania.
[1] διὸ καὶ πρός τε τὴν συναγωγὴν τῶν συμμάχων εὐφυῶς ἐχούσης καὶ κατὰ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων καὶ πρὸ τῆς τῶν φίλων χώρας εὐκαίρως κειμένης, ἔσπευδε χειρωσάμενος ὑφ᾽ αὑτὸν ποιήσασθαι τὴν νῆσον. [2] συνθεωρῶν δὲ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα μέρη τῆς πόλεως τὰ μὲν θαλάττῃ, τὰ δὲ κρημνοῖς περιεχόμενα, βραχὺν δέ τινα τόπον ἐπίπεδον αὐτῆς ὑπάρχοντα, τὸ πρὸς τὴν Ζάκυνθον ἐστραμμένον, τῇδε διενοεῖτο προσάγειν ἔργα καὶ τῇδε τὴν ὅλην συνίστασθαι πολιορκίαν. [3] ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς περὶ ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἦν. κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον πεντεκαίδεκα μὲν ἧκον λέμβοι παρὰ Σκερδιλαΐδου — τοὺς γὰρ πλείστους ἐκωλύθη πέμψαι διὰ τὰς γενομένας ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ ταραχὰς περὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα πολιδυνάστας — [4] ἧκον δὲ καὶ παρ᾽ Ἠπειρωτῶν καὶ παρ᾽ Ἀκαρνάνων ἔτι δὲ Μεσσηνίων οἱ διαταχθέντες σύμμαχοι: [5] τῆς γὰρ τῶν Φιαλέων πόλεως ἐξαιρεθείσης ἀπροφασίστως τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη μετεῖχον Μεσσήνιοι τοῦ πολέμου. [6] τῶν δὲ πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν ἡτοιμασμένων, διαθεὶς τὰ βέλη καὶ τοὺς πετροβόλους κατὰ τοὺς ἁρμόζοντας τόπους πρὸς τὸ κωλύειν τοὺς ἀμυνομένους, παρακαλέσας τοὺς Μακεδόνας ὁ βασιλεὺς προσῆγε τὰς μηχανὰς τοῖς τείχεσι καὶ διὰ τούτων τοῖς ὀρύγμασιν ἐνεχείρει. [7] ταχὺ δὲ τοῦ τείχους ἐπὶ δύο πλέθρα κρεμασθέντος διὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις προθυμίαν τῶν Μακεδόνων, ἐγγίσας τοῖς τείχεσιν ὁ βασιλεὺς παρῄνει τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει τίθεσθαι πρὸς αὑτὸν τὴν εἰρήνην. [8] τῶν δὲ παρακουόντων, ἐμβαλὼν πῦρ τοῖς ἐρείσμασιν ὁμοῦ πᾶν τὸ διεστυλωμένον κατέβαλε τεῖχος. [9] οὗ γενομένου, πρώτους ἐφῆκε τοὺς πελταστὰς τοὺς ὑπὸ Λεόντιον ταττομένους, σπειρηδὸν τάξας καὶ παραγγείλας βιάζεσθαι διὰ τοῦ πτώματος. [10] οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον, τηροῦντες τὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀπελλῆν συγκείμενα, τρὶς ἑξῆς τοὺς νεανίσκους ὑπερβάντας τὸ πτῶμα διέτρεψαν τοῦ μὴ τελεσιουργῆσαι τὴν κατάληψιν τῆς πόλεως: [11] καὶ προδιεφθαρκότες μὲν τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἡγεμόνων, ἐθελοκακοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρ᾽ ἕκαστον ἀποδειλιῶντες αὐτοί, [12] τέλος ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως πολλὰς πληγὰς λαβόντες, καίπερ εὐχερῶς δυνάμενοι κρατῆσαι τῶν πολεμίων. [13] ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ὁρῶν ἀποδειλιῶντας μὲν τοὺς ἡγεμόνας, τραυματίας δὲ καὶ πλείους γεγονότας τῶν Μακεδόνων, τῆς μὲν πολιορκίας ἀπέστη, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐβουλεύετο μετὰ τῶν φίλων.
4. The excellent position, therefore, of the island, both as a rendezvous for the allies and as a base of attack against the hostile, or of defence for the friendly, territory, made the king very anxious to get it into his power. His survey of the town showed him that it was entirely defended by the sea and steep hills, except for a short distance in the direction of Zacynthus, where the ground was flat; and he accordingly resolved to erect his works and concentrate his attack at that spot.
While the king was engaged in these operations fifty galleys arrived from Scerdilaidas, who had been prevented from sending more by the plots and civil broils throughout Illyria, caused by the despots of the various cities. There arrived also the appointed contingents of allies from Epirus, Acarnania, and even Messenia; for the Messenians had ceased to excuse themselves from taking part in the war ever since the capture of Phigalia. Having now made his arrangements for the siege, and having got his catapults and ballistae in position to annoy the defenders on the walls, the king harangued his Macedonian troops, and, bringing his siege-machines up to the walls, began under their protection to sink mines. The Macedonians worked with such enthusiastic eagerness that in a short time two hundred feet of the wall were undermined and underpinned: and the king then approached the walls and invited the citizens to come to terms. Upon their refusal, he set fire to the props, and thus brought down the whole part of the wall that rested upon them simultaneously. Into this breach he first sent his peltasts under the command of Leontius, divided into cohorts, and with orders to force their way over the ruin. But Leontius, in fulfilment of his compact with Apelles, three times running prevented the soldiers, even after they had carried the breach, from effecting the capture of the town. He had corrupted beforehand the most important officers of the several cohorts; and he himself deliberately affected fear, and shrunk from every service of danger; and finally they were ejected from the town with considerable loss, although they could have mastered the enemy with ease. When the king saw that the officers were behaving with cowardice, and that a considerable number of the Macedonian soldiers were wounded, he abandoned the siege, and deliberated with his friends on the next step to be taken.
[1] κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Λυκοῦργος μὲν εἰς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν ἐξεστρατεύκει, Δωρίμαχος δὲ
τοὺς ἡμίσεις ἔχων Αἰτωλῶν εἰς Θετταλίαν ἐπεποίητο τὴν ὁρμήν, ἀμφότεροι πεπεισμένοι τὸν Φίλιππον ἀποσπάσειν τῆς τῶν Παλαιέων πολιορκίας. [2] ὑπὲρ ὧν ἧκον πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα παρά τ᾽ Ἀκαρνάνων καὶ παρὰ Μεσσηνίων, οἱ μὲν παρὰ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων παρακαλοῦντες αὐτὸν ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν χώραν καὶ τόν τε Δωρίμαχον ἀποστῆσαι τῆς εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν ὁρμῆς καὶ τὴν χώραν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἐπελθεῖν καὶ πορθῆσαι πᾶσαν ἀδεῶς, [3] οἱ δὲ παρὰ τῶν Μεσσηνίων δεόμενοι σφίσι βοηθεῖν καὶ διδάσκοντες ὅτι τῶν ἐτησίων ἤδη στάσιν ἐχόντων δυνατόν ἐστι τὴν παρακομιδὴν ἐκ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας εἰς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ποιήσασθαι μιᾷ: [4] διόπερ οἱ περὶ Γόργον τὸν Μεσσήνιον αἰφνίδιον καὶ πραγματικὴν ἐσομένην συνίστασαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Λυκοῦργον ἐπίθεσιν. [5] οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον, τηροῦντες τὴν αὑτῶν ὑπόθεσιν, συνήργουν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Γόργον ἐκτενῶς, θεωροῦντες ὅτι συμβήσεται τὴν θερείαν εἰς τέλος ἄπρακτον γενέσθαι τῷ Φιλίππῳ. πλεῦσαι μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν ῥᾴδιον ἦν, [6] ἀναπλεῦσαι δ᾽ ἐκεῖθεν τῶν ἐτησίων ἐπεχόντων ἀδύνατον: [7] ἐξ οὗ δῆλον ἦν ὡς ὁ μὲν Φίλιππος ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως συγκλεισθεὶς ἀναγκασθήσεται τὸ λοιπὸν μέρος τοῦ θέρους ἄπρακτος μένειν, οἱ δ᾽ Αἰτωλοὶ τὴν Θετταλίαν καὶ τὴν Ἤπειρον ἐπιπορευόμενοι κατασύρουσι καὶ πορθοῦσι πᾶσαν ἀδεῶς. [8] οὗτοι μὲν οὖν λυμεωνευόμενοι ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευον. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἄρατον συμπαρόντες τῆς ἐναντίας προέστασαν γνώμης. [9] δεῖν γὰρ ἔφασαν εἰς τὴν Αἰτωλίαν ποιεῖσθαι τὸν πλοῦν καὶ τούτων ἔχεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων: ἐξεστρατευκότων γὰρ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν μετὰ Δωριμάχου κάλλιστον εἶναι καιρὸν ἐπελθεῖν καὶ πορθῆσαι τὴν Αἰτωλίαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, [10] τὰ μὲν ἀπιστῶν ἤδη τοῖς περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν ἐθελοκακήσεως, συναισθανόμενος δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τὸν πλοῦν αὐτῶν διαβουλίου τὴν κακοπραγμοσύνην, ἔκρινε χρῆσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι κατὰ τὴν Ἀράτου γνώμην. [11] διόπερ Ἐπηράτῳ μὲν ἔγραψε τῷ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν στρατηγῷ βοηθεῖν τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις, ἀναλαβόντι τοὺς Ἀχαιούς, αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἀναχθεὶς ἐκ τῆς Κεφαλληνίας παρῆν δευτεραῖος εἰς Λευκάδα μετὰ τοῦ στόλου νυκτός. [12] εὐτρεπισάμενος δὲ τὰ περὶ τὸν Διόρυκτον, καὶ ταύτῃ διακομίσας τὰς ναῦς, ἐποιεῖτο τὸν ἀπόπλουν κατὰ τὸν Ἀμβρακικὸν καλούμενον κόλπον. [13] ὁ δὲ προειρημένος κόλπος ἐπὶ πολὺ προτείνων ἐκ τοῦ Σικελικοῦ πελάγους εἰς τοὺς μεσογαίους ἀνήκει τόπους τῆς Αἰτωλίας, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον ἡμῖν εἴρηται. [14] διανύσας δὲ καὶ καθορμισθεὶς βραχὺ πρὸ ἡμέρας πρὸς τῇ καλουμένῃ Λιμναίᾳ, τοῖς μὲν στρατιώταις ἀριστοποιεῖσθαι παρήγγειλε καὶ τὸ πολὺ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς ἀποθεμένους εὐζώνους σφᾶς παρασκευάζειν πρὸς ἀναζυγήν, [15] αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς ὁδηγοὺς ἁθροίσας τά τε περὶ τοὺς τόπους καὶ τὰς παρακει
5. Meanwhile Lycurgus had invaded Messenia; and Dorimachus had started for Thessaly with half the Aetolian army, — both with the idea that they would thus draw off Philip from the siege of Palus. Presently ambassadors arrived at the court to make representations on these subjects from Acarnania and Messenia: the former urging Philip to prevent Dorimachus’s invasion of Macedonia by himself invading Aetolia, and traversing and plundering the whole country while there was no one to resist him; the latter begged him to come to their assistance, representing that in the existing state of the Etesian winds the passage from Cephallenia to Messenia could be effected in a single day, whereby, so Gorgus of Messenia and his colleagues argued, a sudden and effective attack would be made upon Lycurgus. In pursuance of his policy Leontius eagerly supported Gorgus, seeing that by this means Philip would absolutely waste the summer. For it was easy enough to sail to Messenia; but to sail back again, while the Etesian winds prevailed, was impossible. It was plain therefore that Philip would get shut up in Messenia with his army, and remain inactive for what remained of the summer; while the Aetolians would traverse Thessaly and Epirus and plunder them at their pleasure. Such was the insidious nature of the advice given by Gorgus and Leontius. But Aratus, who was present, advocated an exactly opposite policy, urging the king to sail to Aetolia and devote himself to that part of the campaign: for as the Aetolians had gone on an expedition across the frontier under Dorimachus, it was a most excellent opportunity for invading and plundering Aetolia. The king had begun to entertain distrust of Leontius since his exhibition of cowardice in the siege; and had detected his dishonesty in the course of the discussions held about Palus: he therefore decided to act in the present instance in accordance with the opinion of Aratus. Accordingly he wrote to the Achaean Strategus Eperatus, bidding him take the Achaean levies, and go to the aid of the Messenians; while he himself put to sea from Cephallenia, and arrived at night after a two days’ voyage at Leucas: and having managed by proper contrivances to get his ships through the channel of Dioryctus, he sailed up the Ambracian Gulf, which, as I have already stated, stretches from the Sicilian Sea a long distance into the interior of Aetolia. Having made the whole length of this gulf, and anchored a short time before daybreak at Limnaea, he ordered his men to get their breakfast, and leaving the greater part of their baggage behind them, to make themselves ready in light equipment for a march; while he himself collected the guides, and made careful inquiries of them about the country and neighbouring towns.
[1] μένας πόλεις ἐπυνθάνετο καὶ διηρεύνα. κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἧκεν ἔχων Ἀριστόφαντος ὁ στρατηγὸς πανδημεὶ τοὺς Ἀκαρνᾶνας: πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ δεινὰ πεπονθότες ἐν τοῖς ἀνώτερον χρόνοις ὑπ᾽ Αἰτωλῶν ἐκθύμως εἶχον πρὸς τὸ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἀμύνασθαι καὶ βλάψαι τοὺς Αἰτωλούς. [2] διόπερ ἀσμένως ἐπιλαβόμενοι τότε τῆς Μακεδόνων ἐπαρκείας, ἧκον ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, οὐ μόνον ὅσοις ὁ νόμος ἐπέταττε στρατεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τινές. [3] οὐκ ἐλάττω δὲ τούτων ὁρμὴν εἶχον Ἠπειρῶται διὰ τὰς παραπλησίους αἰτίας: διὰ δὲ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς χώρας καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς παρουσίας αἰφνίδιον τῆς τοῦ Φιλίππου κα�
�υστέρουν τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν καιρῶν. [4] τῶν δ᾽ Αἰτωλῶν τοὺς μὲν ἡμίσεις ἔχων Δωρίμαχος ἐπεποίητο τὴν ἔξοδον, καθάπερ εἶπον, τοὺς δ᾽ ἡμίσεις ἀπολελοίπει, νομίζων ἀξιόχρεων πρὸς τὰ παράδοξα ταύτην τὴν ἐφεδρείαν ὑπάρχειν τῶν τε πόλεων καὶ τῆς χώρας. [5] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀπολιπὼν φυλακὴν ἱκανὴν τῆς ἀποσκευῆς, τότε μὲν ἀναζεύξας ἐκ τῆς Λιμναίας δείλης καὶ προελθὼν ὡς ἑξήκοντα στάδια κατεστρατοπέδευσε. [6] δειπνοποιησάμενος δὲ καὶ βραχὺ διαναπαύσας τὴν δύναμιν αὖθις ὥρμα, καὶ συνεχῶς νυκτοπορήσας ἧκε πρὸς τὸν Ἀχελῷον ποταμὸν ἄρτι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιφαινούσης, μεταξὺ Κωνώπης καὶ Στράτου, σπεύδων ἄφνω καὶ παραδόξως ἐπὶ τὸν ἐν τοῖς Θέρμοις τόπον ἐπιβαλεῖν.