by Polybius
51. When Antiochus had reached the Euphrates, and had taken over the force stationed there, he once more started on his march and got as far as Antioch, in Mygdonia, about mid-winter, and there remained until the worst of the winter should be over. Thence after a stay of forty days he advanced to Libba. Molon was now in the neighbourhood of Babylon: and Antiochus consulted his council as to the route to be pursued, the tactics to be adopted, and the source from which provisions could best be obtained for his army on the march in their expedition against Molon. The proposal of Hermeias was to march along the Tigris, with this river, and the Lycus and Caprus, on their flank. Zeuxis, having the fate of Epigenes before his eyes, was in a state of painful doubt whether to speak his real opinion or no; but as the mistake involved in the advice of Hermeias was flagrant, he at last mustered courage to advise that the Tigris should be crossed; alleging as a reason the general difficulty of the road along the river: especially from the fact that, after a considerable march, the last six days of which would be through a desert, they would reach what was called the “King’s Dyke,” which it would be impossible to cross if they found it invested by the enemy; while a retirement by a second march through the wilderness would be manifestly dangerous, especially as their provisions would be sure to be running short. On the other hand he showed that if they crossed the Tigris it was evident the Apolloniates would repent of their treason and join the king; for even as it was they had submitted to Molon, not from choice, but under compulsion and terror; and the fertility of their soil promised abundance of provisions for the troops. But his most weighty argument was that by their thus acting Molon would be cut off from a return to Media, and from drawing supplies from that country, and would thereby be compelled to risk a general action: or, if he refused to do so, his troops would promptly fix their hopes upon the king.
[1] πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας. κριθείσης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Ζεύξιδος γνώμης, παραυτίκα διελόντες τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τρία μέρη κατὰ τριττοὺς τόπους τοῦ ποταμοῦ διεπεραίουν τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὰς ἀποσκευάς. [2] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Δούρων ταύτης μὲν τῆς πόλεως ἔλυσαν ἐξ ἐφόδου τὴν πολιορκίαν — ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ Μόλωνος ἡγεμόνων πολιορκουμένη — [3] χρησάμενοι δὲ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐντεῦθεν ταῖς ἀναζυγαῖς ὀγδοαῖοι τὸ καλούμενον Ὀρεικὸν ὑπερέβαλον καὶ κατῆραν εἰς Ἀπολλωνίαν. [4] Μόλων δὲ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς πυθόμενος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως παρουσίαν, καὶ διαπιστῶν τοῖς περὶ τὴν Σουσιανὴν καὶ Βαβυλωνίαν ὄχλοις διὰ τὸ προσφάτως καὶ παραδόξως αὐτῶν ἐγκρατὴς γεγονέναι, φοβούμενος δὲ καὶ τῆς εἰς Μηδίαν ἐπανόδου μὴ διακλεισθῇ, διέγνω ζευγνύειν τὸν Τίγριν καὶ διαβιβάζειν τὰς δυνάμεις, [5] σπεύδων, εἰ δύναιτο, προκαταλαβέσθαι τὴν τραχεῖαν τῆς Ἀπολλωνιάτιδος διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν τῷ πλήθει τῶν σφενδονητῶν τῶν προσαγορευομένων Κυρτίων. [6] πράξας δὲ τὸ κριθὲν ταχεῖαν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ σύντονον τὴν πορείαν. [7] ἅμα δὲ τοῦ τε Μόλωνος συνάπτοντος τοῖς προειρημένοις τόποις καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκ τῆς Ἀπολλωνίας ὁρμήσαντος μετὰ πάσης δυνάμεως, συνέβη τοὺς ὑπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων προαποσταλέντας εὐζώνους ἅμα συμπεσεῖν ἐπί τινας ὑπερβολάς: [8] οἳ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον συνεπλέκοντο καὶ κατεπείραζον ἀλλήλων, ἐν δὲ τῷ συνάψαι τὰς παρ᾽ ἀμφοῖν δυνάμεις ἀπέστησαν. καὶ τότε μὲν ἀναχωρήσαντες εἰς τὰς ἰδίας παρεμβολὰς ἐστρατοπέδευσαν τετταράκοντα σταδίους ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων διεστῶτες: [9] τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης συλλογισάμενος ὁ Μόλων ὡς ἐπισφαλὴς γίνεται καὶ δύσχρηστος τοῖς ἀποστάταις πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς ὁ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον κίνδυνος, ἐπεβάλετο νυκτὸς ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον. [10] ἐπιλέξας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ στρατοπέδου περιῄει κατά τινας τόπους, θέλων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν. [11] γνοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν πορείαν δέκα νεανίσκους ἁθρόους ἀποκεχωρηκότας πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐπινοίας ἀπέστη, [12] ταχὺ δ᾽ ἐκ μεταβολῆς ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀποχώρησιν καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ χάρακα περὶ τὴν ἑωθινήν, πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐνέπλησε θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς: [13] δείσαντες γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ὕπνων οἱ κατὰ τὸν χάρακα διὰ τὴν τῶν προσιόντων ἔφοδον μικροῦ δεῖν ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς. [14] Μόλων μὲν οὖν, καθ᾽ ὅσον ἐδύνατο, κατεπράϋνε τὴν
52. The suggestion of Zeuxis being approved, the army was immediately arranged in three divisions, and got across with the baggage at three points in the river. Thence they marched in the direction of Dura, where they quickly caused the siege of the citadel to be raised, which was being invested at the time by some of Molon’s officers; and thence, after a march of eight successive days, they crossed the mountain called Oreicum and arrived at Apollonia.
Meanwhile Molon had heard of the king’s arrival, and not feeling confidence in the inhabitants of Susiana and Babylonia, because he had conquered them so recently and by surprise, fearing also to be cut off from a retreat to Media, he determined to throw a bridge over the Tigris and get his army across; being eager if it were possible to secure the mountain district of Apollonia, because he had great confidence in his corps of slingers called Cyrtii. He carried out his resolution, and was pushing forward in an unbroken series of forced marches. Thus it came about that, just as he was entering the district of Apollonia, the king at the head of his whole army was marching out. The advanced guard of skirmishers of the two armies fell in with each other on some high ground, and at first engaged and made trial of each other’s strength; but upon the main armies on either side coming on to the ground, they separated. For the present both retired to their respective entrenchments, and encamped at a distance of forty stades from each other. When night had fallen, Molon reflected that there was some risk and disadvantage in a battle by broad daylight and in the open field between rebels and their sovereign, and he determined therefore to attack Antiochus by night. Selecting the best and most vigorous of his soldiers, he made a considerable détour, with the object of making his attack from higher ground. But having learnt during his march that ten young men had deserted in a body to the king, he gave up his design, and facing right about returned in haste to his own entrenchment where he arrived about daybreak. His arrival caused a panic in the army; for the troops in the camp, startled out of their sleep by the arrival of the returning men, were very near rushing out of the lines.
[1] γεγενημένην ἐν αὐτοῖς ταραχήν: ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἕτοιμος ὢν πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ τ
ὴν δύναμιν ἐκίνει πᾶσαν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος. [2] ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρως ἔταξε πρώτους τοὺς ξυστοφόρους ἱππεῖς, ἐπιστήσας Ἄρδυν, κεκριμένον ἄνδρα περὶ τὰς πολεμικὰς πράξεις: [3] τούτοις δὲ παρέθηκε τοὺς συμμαχικοὺς Κρῆτας, ὧν εἴχοντο Γαλάται Ῥιγόσαγες: παρὰ δὲ τούτους ἔθηκε τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ξένους καὶ μισθοφόρους, οἷς ἑπόμενον παρενέβαλε τὸ τῆς φάλαγγος σύστημα. [4] τὸ δ᾽ εὐώνυμον κέρας ἀπέδωκε τοῖς Ἑταίροις προσαγορευομένοις, οὖσιν ἱππεῦσι. τὰ δὲ θηρία πρὸ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐν διαστήμασι κατέστησε, δέκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὄντα. [5] τὰ δ᾽ ἐπιτάγματα τῶν πεζῶν καὶ τῶν ἱππέων ἐπὶ τὰ κέρατα μερίσας κυκλοῦν παρήγγειλε τοὺς πολεμίους, ἐπειδὰν συμβάλωσι. [6] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρεκάλει τὰς δυνάμεις ἐπιπορευόμενος διὰ βραχέων τὰ πρέποντα τοῖς καιροῖς. καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐώνυμον κέρας Ἑρμείᾳ καὶ Ζεύξιδι παρέδωκε, τὸ δὲ δεξιὸν αὐτὸς εἶχε. Μόλων δὲ δύσχρηστον μὲν ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἐξαγωγήν, [7] ταραχώδη δὲ καὶ τὴν ἔκταξιν διὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ προγεγενημένην ἀλογίαν: [8] οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερον ἐμερίσατο κέρας, στοχαζόμενος τῆς τῶν ὑπεναντίων παρατάξεως, τοὺς δὲ θυρεαφόρους καὶ Γαλάτας καὶ καθόλου τὰ βαρέα τῶν ὅπλων εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον ἔθηκε τῶν ἱππέων. [9] ἔτι δὲ τοὺς τοξότας καὶ σφενδονήτας καὶ συλλήβδην τὸ τοιοῦτο γένος ἐκτὸς τῶν ἱππέων παρ᾽ ἑκάτερα παρενέβαλε, [10] τὰ δὲ δρεπανηφόρα τῶν ἁρμάτων προεβάλετο τῆς δυνάμεως ἐν διαστάσει. [11] καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐώνυμον κέρας Νεολάῳ παρέδωκε τἀδελφῷ, τὸ δὲ
53. But while Molon was doing his best to calm the panic, the king, fully prepared for the engagement, was marching his whole army out of their lines at daybreak. On his right wing he stationed his lancers under the command of Ardys, a man of proved ability in the field; next to them the Cretan allies, and next the Gallic Rhigosages. Next these he placed the foreign contingent and mercenary soldiers from Greece, and next to them he stationed his phalanx: the left wing he assigned to the cavalry called the “Companions.” His elephants, which were ten in number, he placed at intervals in front of the line. His reserves of infantry and cavalry he divided between the two wings, with orders to outflank the enemy as soon as the battle had begun. He then went along the line and addressed a few words of exhortation to the men suitable to the occasion; and put Hermeias and Zeuxis in command of the left wing, taking that of the right himself.
On the other side, owing to the panic caused by his rash movement of the previous night, Molon was unable to get his men out of camp, or into position without difficulty and confusion. He did however divide his cavalry between his two wings, guessing what the disposition of the enemy would be; and stationed the scutati and Gauls, and in short all his heavy-armed men in the space between the two bodies of cavalry. His archers, slingers, and all such kind of troops he placed on the outer flank of the cavalry on either wing; while his scythed chariots he placed at intervals in front of his line. He gave his brother Neolaus command of the left wing, taking that of the right himself.
[1] δεξιὸν αὐτὸς εἶχε. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησαμένων τῶν δυνάμεων τὴν ἐπαγωγήν, τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν κέρας τοῦ Μόλωνος διετήρησε τὴν πίστιν καὶ συνέβαλε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ζεῦξιν ἐρρωμένως, τὸ δ᾽ εὐώνυμον ἅμα τῷ συνιὸν εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ μετεβάλετο πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους: [2] οὗ γενομένου συνέβη τοὺς μὲν περὶ τὸν Μόλωνα διατραπῆναι, τοὺς δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιρρωσθῆναι διπλασίως. [3] ὁ δὲ Μόλων συννοήσας τὸ γεγονὸς καὶ πανταχόθεν ἤδη κυκλούμενος, λαβὼν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὰς ἐσομένας περὶ αὑτὸν αἰκίας, ἐὰν ὑποχείριος γένηται καὶ ζωγρίᾳ ληφθῇ, προσήνεγκε τὰς χεῖρας ἑαυτῷ. [4] παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ πάντες οἱ κοινωνήσαντες τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, φυγόντες εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους ἕκαστοι τόπους, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐποιήσαντο τοῦ βίου καταστροφήν. [5] ὁ δὲ Νεόλαος, ἀποφυγὼν ἐκ τῆς μάχης καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Περσίδα πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν τοῦ Μόλωνος ἀδελφόν, τὴν μὲν μητέρα καὶ τὰ τοῦ Μόλωνος τέκνα κατέσφαξε, μετὰ δὲ τὸν τούτων θάνατον ἐπικατέσφαξεν αὑτόν, πείσας τὸ παραπλήσιον ποιῆσαι καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον. [6] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διαρπάσας τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν πολεμίων, τὸ μὲν σῶμα τοῦ Μόλωνος ἀνασταυρῶσαι προσέταξε κατὰ τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τόπον τῆς Μηδίας. [7] ὃ καὶ παραχρῆμα συνετέλεσαν οἱ πρὸς τούτοις τεταγμένοι: διακομίσαντες γὰρ εἰς τὴν Καλλωνῖτιν πρὸς αὐταῖς ἀνεσταύρωσαν ταῖς εἰς τὸν Ζάγρον ἀναβολαῖς: [8] μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐπιτιμήσας διὰ πλειόνων καὶ δοὺς δεξιὰν συνέστησε τοὺς ἀποκομιοῦντας αὐτοὺς εἰς Μηδίαν καὶ καταστησομένους τὰ κατὰ τὴν χώραν. [9] αὐτὸς δὲ καταβὰς εἰς Σελεύκειαν καθίστατο τὰ κατὰ τὰς πέριξ σατραπείας, ἡμέρως χρώμενος πᾶσι καὶ νουνεχῶς. [10] Ἑρμείας δὲ τηρῶν τὴν αὑτοῦ προαίρεσιν ἐπέφερε μὲν αἰτίας τοῖς ἐν τῇ Σελευκείᾳ καὶ χιλίοις ἐζημίου ταλάντοις τὴν πόλιν, ἐφυγάδευε δὲ τοὺς καλουμένους Ἀδειγάνας, ἀκρωτηριάζων δὲ καὶ φονεύων καὶ στρεβλῶν πολλοὺς διέφθειρε τῶν Σελευκέων. [11] ἃ μόλις βασιλεύς, τὰ μὲν πείθων τὸν Ἑρμείαν, ἃ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην χειρίζων, τέλος ἐπράϋνε καὶ κατέστησε τὴν πόλιν, ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα τάλαντα μόνον ἐπιτίμιον αὐτοὺς πραξάμενος τῆς ἀγνοίας. [12] ταῦτα δὲ διοικήσας Διογένην μὲν στρατηγὸν ἀπέλιπε Μηδίας, Ἀπολλόδωρον δὲ τῆς Σουσιανῆς: Τύχωνα δὲ τὸν ἀρχιγραμματέα τῆς δυνάμεως στρατηγὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλατταν τόπους ἐξαπέστειλε. [13] τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν Μόλωνος ἀπόστασιν καὶ τὸ διὰ ταῦτα γενόμενον κίνημα περὶ τὰς ἄνω σατραπείας τοιαύτης ἔτυχε διορθώσεως καὶ καταστάσεως.
54. When the two armies advanced to the battle, Molon’s right wing remained faithful to him, and vigorou
sly engaged the division of Zeuxis; but the left wing no sooner came within sight of the king than it deserted to the enemy: the result of which was that Molon’s army was thrown into consternation, while the king’s troops were inspired with redoubled confidence. When Molon comprehended what had taken place, and found himself surrounded on every side, reflecting on the tortures which would be inflicted upon him if he were taken alive, he put an end to his own life. So too all who had taken part in the plot fled severally to their own homes, and terminated their lives in the same way. Neolaus escaped from the field and found his way into Persis, to the house of Molon’s brother Alexander; and there first killed his mother and Molon’s children and afterwards himself, having previously persuaded Alexander to do the same to himself. After plundering the enemy’s camp, the king ordered the body of Molon to be impaled on the most conspicuous spot in Media: which the men appointed to the work immediately did; for they took it to Callonitis and impaled it close to the pass over Mount Zagrus. The king, after plundering the enemy’s camp, rebuked the rebel army in a long speech; and finally receiving them back into favour by holding out his right hand to them, appointed certain officers to lead them back to Media and settle the affairs of that district; while he himself went down to Seleucia and made arrangements for the government of the Satrapies round it, treating all with equal clemency and prudence. But Hermeias acted with his usual harshness: he got up charges against the people of Seleucia, and imposed a fine of a thousand talents upon the city; drove their magistrates, called Adeiganes, into exile; and put many Seleucians to death with various tortures, by mutilation, the sword and the rack. With great difficulty, sometimes by dissuading Hermeias, and sometimes by interposing his own authority, the king did at length put an end to these severities; and, exacting only a fine of a hundred and fifty talents from the citizens for the error they had committed, restored the city to a state of order. This being done, he left Diogenes in command of Media, and Apollodorus of Susiana; and sent Tychon, his chief military secretary, to command the district along the Persian Gulf.