by Polybius
48. But the soldiers, filled with confidence, and enriched with every kind of provisions, eagerly turned to feasting and wine and the demoralisation which always accompanies such excesses. But Molon, after marching a considerable distance, caused his army to get their dinner, and then wheeling round reappeared at the camp. He found all the enemy scattered about and drunk, and attacked their palisade just before daybreak. Dismayed by this unexpected danger, and unable to awake his men from their drunken slumber, Xenoetas and his staff rushed furiously upon the enemy and were killed. Of the sleeping soldiers most were killed in their beds, while the rest threw themselves into the river and endeavoured to cross to the opposite camp. The greater part however even of these perished; for in the blind hurry and confusion which prevailed, and in the universal panic and dismay, seeing the camp on the other side divided by so narrow a space, they all forgot the violence of the stream, and the difficulty of crossing it, in their eagerness to reach a place of safety. In wild excitement therefore, and with a blind instinct of self-preservation, they not only hurled themselves into the river, but threw their beasts of burden in also, with their packs, as though they thought that the river by some providential instinct would take their part and convey them safely to the opposite camp. The result was that the stream presented a truly pitiable and extraordinary spectacle, — horses, beasts of burden, arms, corpses, and every kind of baggage being carried down the current along with the swimmers.
Having secured the camp of Xenoetas, Molon crossed the river in perfect safety and without any resistance, as Zeuxis also now fled at his approach; took possession of the latter’s camp, and then advanced with his whole army to Seleucia; carried it at the first assault, Zeuxis and Diomedon the governor of the place both abandoning it and flying; and advancing from this place reduced the upper Satrapies to submission without a blow. That of Babylon fell next, and then the Satrapy which lay along the Persian Gulf. This brought him to Susa, which he also carried without a blow; though his assaults upon the citadel proved unavailing, because Diogenes the general had thrown himself into it before he could get there. He therefore abandoned the idea of carrying it by storm, and leaving a detachment to lay siege to it, hurried back with his main army to Seleucia on the Tigris. There he took great pains to refresh his army, and after addressing his men in encouraging terms he started once more to complete his designs, and occupied Parapotamia as far as the city Europus, and Mesopotamia as far as Dura.
[1] ἐλπίδας ὥρμησε πρὸς ταύτας τὰς ἐπιβολάς. ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ πάλιν ἁθροισθέντος τοῦ συνεδρίου, καὶ κελεύσαντος λέγειν τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πῶς δεῖ χρῆσθαι ταῖς ἐπὶ τὸν Μόλωνα παρασκευαῖς, αὖτις Ἐπιγένους καταρξαμένου καὶ λέγοντος περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων, [2] ὡς ἔδει μὲν πάλαι μὴ μέλλειν κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ συμβουλίαν πρὸ τοῦ τηλικαῦτα προτερήματα λαβεῖν τοὺς ἐχθρούς, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν ἔτι φάσκοντος δεῖν ἔχεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων, [3] πάλιν Ἑρμείας ἀκρίτως καὶ προπετῶς ἐξοργισθεὶς ἤρξατο λοιδορεῖν τὸν εἰρημένον. [4] ἅμα δὲ φορτικῶς μὲν αὑτὸν ἐγκωμιάζων, ἀστόχους δὲ καὶ ψευδεῖς ποιούμενος κατηγορίας Ἐπιγένους, μαρτυρόμενος δὲ τὸν βασιλέα μὴ παριδεῖν οὕτως ἀλόγως μηδ᾽ ἀποστῆναι τῶν περὶ Κοίλης Συρίας ἐλπίδων, [5] προσέκοπτε μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἐλύπει δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον, μόλις δὲ κατέπαυσε τὴν ἁψιμαχίαν, πολλὴν ποιησαμένου τοῦ βασιλέως σπουδὴν εἰς τὸ διαλύειν αὐτούς. [6] δόξαντος δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς Ἐπιγένους ἀναγκαιότερα καὶ συμφορώτερα λέγειν, ἐκυρώθη τὸ διαβούλιον στρατεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν Μόλωνα καὶ τούτων ἔχεσθαι τῶν πράξεων. [7] ταχὺ δὲ συνυποκριθεὶς καὶ μεταπεσὼν Ἑρμείας, καὶ φήσας δεῖν ἅπαντας τὸ κριθὲν ἀπροφασίστως συμπράττειν, οὗτος αὐτὸς ἕτοιμος ἦν
49. When news of these events was brought to Antiochus, as I have said before, he gave up all idea of the Coele-Syrian campaign, and turned all his attention to this war. Another meeting of his council was thereupon summoned: and on the king ordering the members of it to deliver their opinions as to the tactics to be employed against Molon, the first to speak on the business was again Epigenes: who said that “his advice should have been followed all along, and measures have been promptly taken before the enemy had obtained such important successes: still even at this late hour they ought to take it in hand resolutely.” Thereupon Hermeias broke out again into an unreasonable and violent fit of anger and began to heap abuse upon Epigenes; and while belauding himself in a fulsome manner, brought accusations against Epigenes that were absurd as well as false. He ended by adjuring the king not to be diverted from his purpose without better reason, nor to abandon his hopes in Coele-Syria. This advice was ill-received by the majority of the council, and displeasing to Antiochus himself; and, accordingly, as the king showed great anxiety to reconcile the two men, Hermeias was at length induced to put an end to his invectives. The council decided by a majority that the course recommended by Epigenes was the most practical and advantageous, and a resolution was come to that the king should go on the campaign against Molon, and devote his attention to that. Thereupon Hermeias promptly made a hypocritical pretence of having changed his mind and remarking that it was the duty of all to acquiesce loyally in the decision, made a great show of readiness and activity in pushing on the preparations.
[1] καὶ πολὺς πρὸς ταῖς παρασκευαῖς. ἁθροισθεισῶν δὲ τῶν δυνάμεων εἰς Ἀπάμειαν, καί τινος ἐγγενομένης στάσεως τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν προσοφειλομένων ὀψωνίων, [2] λαβὼν ἐπτοημένον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ δεδιότα τὸ γεγονὸς κίνημα διὰ τὸν καιρόν, ἐπηγγείλατο διαλύσειν πᾶσι τὰς σιταρχίας, ἐὰν αὐτῷ συγχωρήσῃ μὴ στρατεύειν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν τὸν Ἐπιγένην: [3] οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τ᾽ εἶναι τῶν κατὰ λόγον οὐδὲν πράττεσθαι κατὰ τὴν στρατείαν τηλικαύτης ἐν αὐτοῖς ὀργῆς καὶ στάσεως ἐγγεγενημένης. [4] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς δυσχερῶς μὲν ἤκουσε καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο σπουδάζων διὰ τὴν ἐμπειρίαν τῶν πολεμικῶν συστρατεύειν αὑτῷ τὸν Ἐπιγένην, [5] περιεχόμενος δὲ καὶ προκατειλημμένος οἰκονομίαις καὶ φυλακαῖς καὶ θεραπείαις ὑπὸ τῆς Ἑρμείου κακοηθείας οὐκ ἦν αὑτοῦ κύριος: διὸ καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν εἴκων συνεχώρησε τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις. [6] τοῦ δ᾽ Ἐπιγένους κατὰ τὸ προσταχθὲν ἀναχωρήσαντος εἰς ἱμάτιον ... , οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ κατεπλάγησαν τὸν φθόνον, [7] αἱ δὲ δυνάμεις τυχοῦσαι τῶν ἀξιουμένων ἐκ μεταβολῆς εὐνοϊκῶς διέκειντο πρὸς τὸν αἴτιον τῆς τῶν ὀψωνίων διορθώσεως πλὴν τῶν Κυρρηστῶν: [8] οὗτοι δ᾽ ἐστασίασαν καὶ σχεδὸν εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους ὄντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀπέστησαν, καὶ πολλὰς δή τινας ἀηδίας ἐπ
ὶ χρόνον ἱκανὸν παρέσχον: τέλος δὲ μάχῃ κρατηθέντες ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως στρατηγῶν οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ περιλειφθέντες παρέδοσαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πίστιν. [9] ὁ δ᾽ Ἑρμείας τοὺς μὲν φίλους διὰ τὸν φόβον, τὰς δὲ δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν εὐχρηστίαν ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν πεποιημένος, ἀναζεύξας προῆγε μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως. [10] περὶ δὲ τὸν Ἐπιγένην πρᾶξιν συνεστήσατο τοιαύτην, λαβὼν συνεργὸν τὸν ἀκροφύλακα τῆς Ἀπαμείας Ἄλεξιν. [11] γράψας ὡς παρὰ Μόλωνος ἀπεσταλμένην ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην πείθει τινὰ τῶν ἐκείνου παίδων ἐλπίσι μεγάλαις ψυχαγωγήσας εἰσενέγκαντα πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην καταμῖξαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν. [12] οὗ γενομένου παρῆν εὐθέως Ἄλεξις, καὶ διηρώτα τὸν Ἐπιγένην μή τινας ἐπιστολὰς κεκόμισται παρὰ τοῦ Μόλωνος. [13] τοῦ δ᾽ ἀπειπομένου πικρῶς ἐρευνᾶν ᾔτει. ταχὺ δὲ παρεισελθὼν εὗρε τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ᾗ χρησάμενος ἀφορμῇ παραχρῆμα τὸν Ἐπιγένην ἀπέκτεινεν. [14] οὗ συμβάντος ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐπείσθη δικαίως ἀπολωλέναι τὸν Ἐπιγένην, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν ὑπώπτευον μὲν τὸ γεγονός, ἦγον δὲ τὴν ἡσυχίαν διὰ τὸν φόβον.
50. The forces, however, having been mustered at Apameia, upon a kind of mutiny arising among the common soldiers, on account of some arrears of pay, Hermeias, observing the king to be in a state of anxiety, and to be alarmed at the disturbance at so critical a moment, offered to discharge all arrears, if the king would only consent to Epigenes not accompanying the expedition; on the ground that nothing could be properly managed in the army when such angry feelings, and such party spirit, had been excited. The proposal was very displeasing to the king, who was exceedingly anxious that Epigenes should accompany him on the campaign, owing to his experience in the field; but he was bound so completely hand and foot, and entangled by the craft of Hermeias, his skilful finance, constant watchfulness, and designing flattery, that he was not his own master; and accordingly he yielded to the necessity of the moment and consented to his demand. When Epigenes thereupon retired, as he was bidden, the members of the council were too much afraid of incurring displeasure to remonstrate; while the army generally, by a revulsion of feeling, turned with gratitude to the man to whom they owed the settlement of their claims for pay. The Cyrrhestae were the only ones that stood out: and they broke out into open mutiny, and for some time occasioned much trouble; but, being at last conquered by one of the king’s generals, most of them were killed, and the rest submitted to the king’s mercy. Hermeias having thus secured the allegiance of his friends by fear, and of the troops by being of service to them, started on the expedition in company with the king; while in regard to Epigenes he elaborated the following plot, with the assistance of Alexis, the commander of the citadel of Apameia. He wrote a letter purporting to have been sent from Molon to Epigenes, and persuaded one of the latter’s servants, by holding out the hope of great rewards, to take it to the house of Epigenes, and mix it with his other papers. Immediately after this had been done, Alexis came to the house and asked Epigenes whether he had not received certain letters from Molon; and, upon his denial, demanded in menacing terms to be allowed to search. Having entered, he quickly discovered the letter, which he availed himself of as a pretext for putting Epigenes to death on the spot. By this means the king was persuaded to believe that Epigenes had justly forfeited his life; and though the courtiers had their suspicions, they were afraid to say anything.
[1] Ἀντίοχος δὲ παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην καὶ προσαναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν αὖτις ἐξώρμα, καὶ διανύσας εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν τὴν ἐν Μυγδονίᾳ περὶ τροπὰς χειμερινὰς ἐπέμεινε, θέλων ἀποδέξασθαι τὴν ἐπιφορὰν καὶ τὴν ἀκμὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος. [2] μείνας δὲ περὶ τετταράκονθ᾽ ἡμέρας προῆγεν εἰς Λίββαν. [3] ἀποδοθέντος δ᾽ ἐκεῖσε διαβουλίου ποίᾳ δεῖ προάγειν ἐπὶ τὸν Μόλωνα καὶ πῶς πόθεν κεχρῆσθαι ταῖς εἰς τὰς πορείας χορηγίαις — ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ὁ Μόλων ἐν τοῖς περὶ Βαβυλῶνα τόποις ὑπάρχων — [4] Ἑρμείᾳ μὲν ἐδόκει παρὰ τὸν Τίγριν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πορείαν, προβαλλομένους τοῦτόν τε καὶ τὸν Λύκον ποταμὸν καὶ τὸν Κάπρον, [5] Ζεῦξις δὲ λαμβάνων πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν ἀπώλειαν τὴν Ἐπιγένους τὰ μὲν ἠγωνία λέγειν τὸ φαινόμενον, τὰ δὲ προδήλου τῆς ἀγνοίας οὔσης τῆς κατὰ τὸν Ἑρμείαν μόλις ἐθάρρησε συμβουλεύειν ὅτι διαβατέον εἴη τὸν Τίγριν, [6] ἀπολογιζόμενος τήν τε λοιπὴν δυσχέρειαν τῆς παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν πορείας καὶ διότι δέοι διανύσαντας ἱκανοὺς τόπους, μετὰ ταῦτα διελθόντας ὁδὸν ἔρημον ἡμερῶν ἕξ, παραγενέσθαι πρὸς τὴν Βασιλικὴν διώρυχα καλουμένην: [7] ἧς προκαταληφθείσης ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἀδύνατον μὲν γενέσθαι τὴν διάβασιν αὐτῆς, ἐπισφαλῆ δὲ προφανῶς τὴν διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου πάλιν ἀποχώρησιν, καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τὴν ἐσομένην ἔνδειαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων. [8] ἐκ δὲ τοῦ διαβῆναι τὸν Τίγριν πρόδηλον μὲν ἀπεδείκνυε τὴν μετάνοιαν καὶ πρόσκλισιν τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀπολλωνιᾶτιν χώραν ὄχλων διὰ τὸ καὶ νῦν αὐτοὺς μὴ κατὰ προαίρεσιν, ἀνάγκῃ δὲ καὶ φόβῳ ποιεῖν Μόλωνι τὸ προσταττόμενον, [9] πρόδηλον δὲ τὴν δαψίλειαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τοῖς στρατοπέδοις διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς χώρας. [10] τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ἀπέφαινε διακλεισθησόμενον τὸν Μόλωνα τῆς εἰς τὴν Μηδίαν ἐπανόδου καὶ τῆς ἐξ ἐκείνων τῶν τόπων ἐπαρκείας, [11] ἐξ ὧν ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι διακινδυνεύειν αὐτόν, ἢ μὴ θέλοντος τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐκείνου μεταβαλέσθαι τὰς δυνάμεις ταχέως