by Polybius
96. About the same time Agetas, the Strategus of the Aetolian league, proclaimed a general levy of Aetolians, and went on a foraging expedition into the territory of the Acarnanians. He marched through all Epirus, plundering as he went without let or hindrance; after doing which he returned home, and dismissed the Aetolian levy to their own cities. But the Acarnanians, upon making a retaliatory invasion of the territory of Stratus, were seized with a panic: and returned with disgrace, though without loss; because the people of Stratus did not venture to pursue them, believing that their retreat was a ruse to cover an ambuscade.
An instance of counter-treachery occurred also at Phanoteus. Alexander who had been appointed governor of Phocis by Philip, entered into a plot against the Aetolians, through the agency of a certain Jason, who had been appointed by himself to command the city of Phanoteus. This man sent a message to Agetas, the Strategus of the Aetolian league, agreeing to hand over to him the citadel of Phanoteus; and he confirmed his offer by a regularly sworn treaty. On the appointed day Agetas came with his Aetolian levy to Phanoteus under cover of night; and concealing the rest at some little distance, he selected a hundred of the most active men and sent them towards the citadel. Jason had Alexander all ready with his soldiers, but duly received the Aetolians as he had sworn into the citadel. Immediately Alexander and his men threw themselves into the citadel also: the Aetolian hundred picked soldiers were made prisoners; and when daylight showed Agetas what had taken place, he drew off his troops, — baffled by a ruse very like what he had on many occasions practised himself.
[1] κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Φίλιππος ὁ βασιλεὺς κατελάβετο Βυλάζωρα, μεγίστην οὖσαν πόλιν τῆς Παιονίας καὶ λίαν εὐκαίρως κειμένην πρὸς τὰς εἰσβολὰς τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς Δαρδανικῆς εἰς Μακεδονίαν, ὥστε διὰ τῆς πράξεως ταύτης σχεδὸν ἀπολελύσθαι τοῦ φόβου τοῦ κατὰ Δαρδανίους: [2] οὐ γὰρ ἔτι ῥᾴδιον ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν κρατοῦντος Φιλίππου τῶν εἰσόδων διὰ τῆς προειρημένης πόλεως. [3] ἀσφαλισάμενος δὲ ταύτην Χρυσόγονον μὲν ἐξαπέστειλε κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐπισυνάξοντα τοὺς ἄνω Μακεδόνας, [4] αὐτὸς δὲ παραλαβὼν τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Βοττίας καὶ τῆς Ἀμφαξίτιδος ἧκεν ἔχων εἰς Ἔδεσσαν. προσδεξάμενος δ᾽ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς μετὰ Χρυσογόνου Μακεδόνας ἐξώρμησε μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ παρῆν ἑκταῖος εἰς Λάρισαν. [5] κατὰ δὲ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐνεργῷ νυκτοπορίᾳ χρησάμενος ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν ἧκε πρὸς Μελίτειαν, καὶ προσθεὶς τὰς κλιμακίδας τοῖς τείχεσι κατεπείραζε τῆς πόλεως. [6] τῷ μὲν οὖν αἰφνιδίῳ καὶ παραδόξῳ κατεπλήξατο τοὺς Μελιταιεῖς, ὥστε ῥᾳδίως ἂν κρατῆσαι τῆς πόλεως: τῷ δὲ παρὰ πολὺ γενέσθαι τὰς κλίμακας ἐλάττους τῆς χρείας διεψεύσθη τῆς
97. About this same period King Philip captured Bylazora, the largest town of Paeonia, and very favourably situated for commanding the pass from Dardania to Macedonia: so that by this achievement he was all but entirely freed from any fear of the Dardani, it being no longer easy for them to invade Macedonia, as long as this city gave Philip the command of the pass. Having secured this place, he despatched Chrysogonus with all speed to summon the upper Macedonians to arms; while he himself, taking on the men of Bottia and Amphaxitis, arrived at Edessa. Waiting there until he was joined by the Macedonians under Chrysogonus, he started with his whole army, and on the sixth day’s march arrived at Larisa; and thence by a rapid night march he came before daybreak to Meliteia, and placing scaling ladders against the walls, attempted to take the town by escalade. The suddenness and unexpectedness of the attack so dismayed the people of Meliteia, that he would easily have taken the town; but he was baffled by the fact of the ladders proving to be far too short.
[1] πράξεως. ἐν ᾧ δὴ γένει μάλιστ᾽ ἄν τις ἐπιτιμήσειε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις. [2] εἴτε γάρ τινες μηδεμίαν πρόνοιαν ποιησάμενοι μηδ᾽ ἐκμετρησάμενοι τείχη, κρημνούς, ἕτερα τῶν τοιούτων, δι᾽ ὧν ἐπιβάλλονται ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἴσοδον, αὐτόθεν ἀσκέπτως παραγίνονται πόλιν καταληψόμενοι, τίς οὐκ ἂν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιτιμήσειεν; [3] εἴτ᾽ ἐκμετρησάμενοι τὸ καθ᾽ αὑτούς, κἄπειτα τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν κλιμάκων καὶ καθόλου τῶν τοιούτων ὀργάνων, ἃ μικρὰν ἔχοντα τὴν ἀσχολίαν ἐν μεγάλῳ δίδωσι τὴν αὑτῶν πεῖραν, εἰκῇ καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐγχειρίζουσι, πῶς οὐκ ἄξιον ἐγκαλεῖν; [4] οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων πράξεων ἢ ποιῆσαί τι τῶν δεόντων ἢ μηδὲν παθεῖν δεινόν, [5] ἀλλ᾽ ἅμα ταῖς ἀποτυχίαις ἕπεται βλάβη κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους, κατ᾽ αὐτὸν μὲν τὸν τοῦ πράττειν καιρὸν κίνδυνος περὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον κατὰ τὰς ἀπολύσεις, ὅταν ἅπαξ καταφρονηθῶσι. [6] πολλὰ δὲ καὶ λίαν τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶ παραδείγματα: πλείους γὰρ ἂν εὕροι τις τῶν ἀποτυγχανόντων ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐπιβολαῖς τοὺς μὲν ἀπολωλότας, τοὺς δ᾽ εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον παραγεγονότας κίνδυνον, τῶν ἀβλαβῶς ἀπολελυμένων. [7] πρός γε μὴν τὸ μέλλον ὁμολογουμένως ἀπιστίας καὶ μῖσος ἐξεργάζονται καθ᾽ αὑτῶν, ἔτι δὲ φυλακὴν παραγγέλλουσι πᾶσιν: [8] οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῖς παθοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς συνεῖσι τὸ γεγονὸς τρόπον τινὰ παράγγελμα δίδοται προσέχειν αὑτοῖς καὶ φυλάττεσθαι. [9] διόπερ οὐδέποτε ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐπινοίαις εἰκῇ χρηστέον τοὺς ἐπὶ πραγμάτων ταττομένους. [10] ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἐκμετρήσεως καὶ κατασκευῆς τῶν τοιούτων εὐχερὴς καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος, ἐὰν λαμβάνηται μεθοδικῶς. [11] νῦν μὲν οὖν τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς διηγήσεως ἀποδοτέον: περὶ δὲ τοῦ τοιούτου γένους πάλιν μεταλαβόντες ἁρμόζοντα καιρὸν καὶ τόπον κατὰ τὴν πραγματείαν πειρασόμεθα συνυποδεικνύειν πῶς ἄν τις ἥκιστα περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιβολὰς ἁμαρτάνοι.
98. This is the kind of mistake which above all others reflects discredit on the commanders. For what can be more culpable than to arrive at a town which they mean to carry, in an entirely unprovided state, without having taken the precaution of measuring walls, cliffs, and the like, by which they intend to effect their entrance? Or again, while satisfying themselves as to these measurements, to entrust the construction of ladders and all such machinery, which, though taking little time to make, have to stand the test of a very critical service, without consideration, and to incompetent persons, — is not this deserving of censure? For in such actions it is not a question of succeeding or failing without ill consequences
; but failure is followed by positive damage in manifold respects: danger to the bravest of the men at the actual time, and still greater danger during their retreat, when they have once incurred the contempt of the enemy. The examples of such disasters are numerous; for you will find that of those who have failed in such attempts, many more have perished, or have been reduced to the last extremity of danger, than have come off scatheless. Moreover, no one can deny that they arouse distrust and hatred against themselves for the future, and give all men warning to be on their guard. For it is not only the persons attacked, but all who know what has happened, who are thereby bidden to look out for themselves and be on the watch. Wherefore it is never right for men in places of trust to conduct such enterprises inconsiderately. The method also of taking such measurements, and constructing machines of this kind, is easy and liable to no mistakes, if they are taken in hand scientifically.
For the present, however, I must resume the thread of my narrative, but I shall take another fitting opportunity in the course of my work to speak of these matters, and will endeavour to show how mistakes may best be avoided in such undertakings.
[1] ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος διαψευσθεὶς τῆς πράξεως, καὶ καταστρατοπεδεύσας περὶ τὸν Ἐνιπέα ποταμόν, συνῆγε τὰς παρασκευὰς ἔκ τε τῆς Λαρίσης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων, ἃς ἐπεποίητο κατὰ χειμῶνα πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν: [2] ἡ γὰρ ὅλη πρόθεσις ἦν αὐτῷ τῆς στρατείας ἐξελεῖν τὰς Φθιώτιδας καλουμένας Θήβας. [3] ἡ δὲ πόλις αὕτη κεῖται μὲν οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης, ἀπέχουσα Λαρίσης ὡς τριακοσίους σταδίους, ἐπίκειται δ᾽ εὐκαίρως τῇ τε Μαγνησίᾳ καὶ τῇ Θετταλίᾳ, καὶ μάλιστα τῆς μὲν Μαγνησίας τῇ τῶν Δημητριέων χώρᾳ, τῆς δὲ Θετταλίας τῇ τῶν Φαρσαλίων καὶ Φεραίων. [4] ἐξ ἧς καὶ τότε, κατεχόντων αὐτὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν καὶ συνεχεῖς ποιουμένων τὰς ἐπιδρομάς, μεγάλα συνέβαινε βλάπτεσθαι τούς τε Δημητριεῖς καὶ τοὺς Φαρσαλίους, ἔτι δὲ Λαρισαίους: [5] πολλάκις γὰρ ἐποιοῦντο τὰς καταδρομὰς ἕως ἐπὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ἀμυρικὸν πεδίον. [6] διόπερ ὁ Φίλιππος οὐκ ἐν μικρῷ τιθέμενος μεγάλην ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατὰ κράτος ἐξελεῖν αὐτήν. [7] συναχθέντων δὲ καταπελτῶν μὲν ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα, πετροβολικῶν δ᾽ ὀργάνων πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι, προσῆλθε ταῖς Θήβαις, καὶ διελὼν τὸ στρατόπεδον εἰς τρία μέρη διέλαβε τοὺς πέριξ τόπους τῆς πόλεως, [8] καὶ τῷ μὲν ἑνὶ περὶ τὸ Σκόπιον ἐστρατοπέδευσε, τῷ δ᾽ ἄλλῳ περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ἡλιοτρόπιον, τὸ δὲ τρίτον εἶχε κατὰ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ὑπερκείμενον ὄρος, [9] τὰ δὲ μεταξὺ τῶν στρατοπέδων τάφρῳ καὶ διπλῷ χάρακι διαλαβὼν ὠχυρώσατο, πρὸς δὲ καὶ πύργοις ξυλίνοις ἠσφαλίσατο, κατὰ πλέθρον στήσας αὐτοὺς μετὰ φυλακῆς τῆς ἀρκούσης. [10] ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις τὰς παρασκευὰς ἁθροίσας ὁμοῦ πάσας ἤρξατο προσάγειν τὰ μηχανήματα πρὸς τὴν ἄκραν.
99. Thus baffled in his attempt upon Meliteia, Philip encamped upon the bank of the Enipeus, and collected from Larisa and the other cities the siege train which he had caused to be constructed during the winter. For the chief object of his campaign was the capture of the city called Phthiotid Thebes. Now this city lies no long way from the sea, about thirty stades from Larisa, and is conveniently situated in regard both to Magnesia and Thessaly; but especially as commanding the district of Demetrias in Magnesia, and of Pharsalus and Pherae in Thessaly. From it, at that very time, much damage was being inflicted upon the Demetrians, Pharsalians, and Larisaeans; as the Aetolians were in occupation of it, and made continual predatory expeditions, often as far as to the plain of Amyrus. Philip did not regard the matter as at all of small importance, but was exceedingly bent on taking the town. Having therefore got together a hundred and fifty catapults, and twenty-five stone-throwing ballistae, he sat down before Thebes. He distributed his forces between three points in the vicinity of the city; one was encamped near Scopium; a second near a place called Heliotropium; and the third on the hill overhanging the town. The spaces between these camps he fortified by a trench and double palisade, and further secured them by towers of wood, at intervals of a hundred feet, with an adequate guard. When these works were finished, he collected all his siege train together and began to move his engines towards the citadel.
[1] ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν ἡμέρας τρεῖς τὰς πρώτας οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο προβιβάζειν τῶν ἔργων διὰ τὸ γενναίως καὶ παραβόλως ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως. [2] ἐπειδὴ δὲ διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν ἀκροβολισμῶν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βελῶν οἱ προκινδυνεύοντες τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως οἱ μὲν ἔπεσον, οἱ δὲ κατετραυματίσθησαν, τότε βραχείας ἐνδόσεως γενομένης ἤρξαντο τῶν ὀρυγμάτων οἱ Μακεδόνες. [3] τῇ δὲ συνεχείᾳ, καίπερ ἀντιβαίνοντος τοῦ χωρίου, μόλις ἐναταῖοι πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος ἐξίκοντο. [4] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιούμενοι τὴν ἐργασίαν ἐκ διαδοχῆς, ὥστε μήθ᾽ ἡμέρας μήτε νυκτὸς διαλείπειν, ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις δύο πλέθρα τοῦ τείχους ὑπώρυξαν καὶ διεστύλωσαν. [5] τῶν δ᾽ ἐρεισμάτων οὐ δυναμένων ὑποφέρειν τὸ βάρος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνδόντων, πεσεῖν συνέβη τὸ τεῖχος πρὸ τοῦ πῦρ ἐμβαλεῖν τοὺς Μακεδόνας. [6] ἐνεργὸν δὲ ποιησαμένων τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν τοῦ πτώματος, καὶ παρασκευασαμένων πρὸς τὴν εἴσοδον καὶ μελλόντων ἤδη βιάζεσθαι, καταπλαγέντες παρέδοσαν οἱ Θηβαῖοι τὴν πόλιν. [7] ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος διὰ τῆς πράξεως ταύτης ἀσφαλισάμενος τὰ κατὰ τὴν Μαγνησίαν καὶ Θετταλίαν ἀφείλετο τὰς μεγάλας ὠφελείας τῶν Αἰτωλῶν, ἀπεδείξατο δὲ καὶ ταῖς αὑτοῦ δυνάμεσιν ὅτι δικαίως ἐπανείλετο τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον, ἐθελοκακήσαντας πρότερον ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς Παλαιεῖς πολιορκίᾳ. [8] γενόμενος δὲ κύριος τῶν Θηβῶν τοὺς μὲν ὑπάρχοντας οἰκήτορας ἐξηνδραποδίσατο, Μακεδόνας δ᾽ εἰσοικίσας Φιλίππου τὴν πόλιν ἀντὶ Θηβῶν κατωνόμασεν. [9] ἤδη δ᾽ αὐτοῦ συντετελεσμένου τὰ κατὰ τὰς Θήβας, πάλιν ἧκον ὑπὲρ τῶν διαλύσεων παρά τε Χίων καὶ Ῥοδίων καὶ Βυζαντίων πρέσβεις καὶ παρὰ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ βασιλέως: [10] οἷς παραπλησίους ἀποκρίσεις δοὺς ταῖς πρότερον, καὶ φήσας οὐκ ἀλλότριος εἶναι διαλύσεως, ἔπεμψε κελεύσας αὐτοὺς πεῖραν λαμβάνειν καὶ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν. [11] αὐτὸς δὲ �
�ῆς μὲν διαλύσεως ὠλιγώρει, τοῦ δὲ πράττειν τι τῶν ἑξῆς ἀντείχετο.
100. For the first three days the king was unable to make any progress in bringing his machines against the town, owing to the gallant and even desperate defence which the garrison opposed to him. But when the continual skirmishing, and the volleys of missiles, had began to tell upon the defenders, and some of them were killed and others disabled by wounds; the defence becoming a little slacker, the Macedonians began sinking mines, and at last after nine days’ work reached the walls. They then carried on the work by relays, so as never to leave it off day or night: and thus in three days had undermined and underpinned two hundred feet of the wall. The props, however, proved too weak to support the weight, and gave way; so that the wall fell without the Macedonians having the trouble of setting fire to them. When they had worked energetically at clearing the debris, and had made every preparation for entering by the breach, and were just on the point of carrying it, the Thebans in a panic surrendered the town. The security which this achievement of Philip’s gave to Magnesia and Thessaly deprived the Aetolians of a rich field for plunder; and demonstrated to his army that he had been justified in putting Leontius to death, for his deliberate treachery in the previous siege of Palae. Having thus become master of Thebes he sold its existing inhabitants into slavery, and drafting in some Macedonian settlers changed its name to Philippopolis.