64. Meanwhile the Achaeans, being hard pressed by the war, and ascertaining that the king was not far off, sent ambassadors to him begging for help. They found Philip still in his camp near Stratus, and there delivered their commission: and besides the message with which they were charged, they pointed out to him the richness of the booty which his army would get from the enemy’s country, and tried to persuade him to cross to Rhium and invade Elis. The king listened to what they had to say, and kept the ambassadors with him, alleging that he must consider of their request; and meanwhile broke up his camp, and marched in the direction of Metropolis and Conope. The Aetolians kept possession of the citadel of Metropolis but abandoned the town: whereupon Philip set fire to Metropolis, and continued his advance against Conope. But when the Aetolian horse rallied and ventured to meet him at the ford of the Achelous, which is about twenty stades before you reach the town, believing that they would either stop his advance altogether, or inflict much damage on the Macedonians while crossing the river; the king, fully understanding their tactics, ordered his light-armed troops to enter the river first and to cross it in close order, keeping to their regular companies, and with shields interlocked. His orders were obeyed: and as soon as the first company had effected the crossing, the Aetolian cavalry attacked it; but they could make no impression upon it, standing as it did in close order, and being joined in similar close order, shield to shield, by a second and a third company as they crossed. Therefore they wheeled off discomfited and retired to the city. From this time forth the proud gallantry of the Aetolians was fain to confine itself to the protection of the towns, and keep quiet; while Philip crossed with his army, and after wasting this district also without resistance, arrived at Ithoria. This is a position completely commanding the road, and of extraordinary strength, natural as well as artificial. On his approach, however, the garrison occupying the place abandoned it in a panic; and the king, taking possession, levelled it to the ground: and gave orders to his skirmishing parties to treat all forts in the district in the same way.
64. οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους πιεζόμενοι τῷ πολέμῳ, τὸν δὲ βασιλέα πυνθανόμενοι σύνεγγυς εἶναι, πέμπουσι πρέσβεις, ἀξιοῦντες βοηθεῖν. οἳ καὶ συμμίξαντες ἔτι περὶ Στράτον ὄντι τῷ Φιλίππῳ τά τε λοιπὰ διελέγοντο κατὰ τὰς ἐντολάς, καὶ τὰς ὠφελείας ὑποδεικνύντες τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὰς ἐκ τῆς πολεμίας ἔπειθον αὐτὸν διαβάντα τὸ Ῥίον ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν Ἠλείαν. ὧν ὁ βασιλεὺς διακούσας τοὺς μὲν πρεσβευτὰς παρακατέσχε, φήσας βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν παρακαλουμένων, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀναζεύξας προῆγε, ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Μητροπόλεως καὶ Κωνώπης. οἱ δʼ Αἰτωλοὶ τὴν μὲν ἄκραν τῆς Μητροπόλεως κατεῖχον, τὴν δὲ πόλιν ἐξέλιπον. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐμπρήσας τὴν Μητρόπολιν προῄει κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνώπην. τῶν δʼ Αἰτωλῶν ἱππέων ἁθροισθέντων καὶ τολμησάντων ἀπαντᾶν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ποταμοῦ διάβασιν, ἣ κεῖται πρὸ τῆς πόλεως εἴκοσι στάδια διέχουσα, καὶ πεπεισμένων ἢ κωλύειν τελείως ἢ κακοποιήσειν πολλὰ τοὺς Μακεδόνας περὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, συννοήσας αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς παρήγγειλε τοῖς πελτασταῖς πρώτοις ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἔκβασιν ἁθρόους κατὰ τάγμα συνησπικότας. τῶν δὲ πειθαρχούντων, ἅμα τῷ τὴν πρώτην διαβῆναι σημαίαν βραχέα ταύτης καταπειράσαντες οἱ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἱππεῖς, ἐν τῷ ταύτην τε μεῖναι συνασπίσασαν καὶ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην διαβαινούσας συμφράττειν τοῖς ὅπλοις πρὸς τὴν ὑφεστῶσαν, ἀπραγοῦντες καὶ δυσχρήστως ἀπαλλάττοντες ἀπεχώρουν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη τὸ μὲν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν φρόνημα συμπεφευγὸς εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἦγε τὴν ἡσυχίαν. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐπιδιαβὰς τῷ στρατεύματι, καὶ πορθήσας ἀδεῶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν χώραν προῆγε ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν εἰς τὴν Ἰθωρίαν· τοῦτο δʼ ἔστι χωρίον, ὃ κεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς παρόδου κυρίως, ὀχυρότητι δὲ φυσικῇ καὶ χειροποιήτῳ διαφέρει. συνεγγίζοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ, καταπλαγέντες οἱ φυλάττοντες ἐξέλιπον τὸν τόπον· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῦ τόπου κυριεύσας εἰς ἔδαφος καθεῖλε. παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς πύργους τοὺς κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐπέταξε τοῖς προνομεύουσι καταφέρειν.
65. Having thus passed the narrow part of the road, he proceeded at a slow and deliberate pace, giving his army time to collect booty from the country; and by the time he reached Oeniadae his army was richly provided with every kind of goods. But he resolved first to take Paeanium: and having pitched his camp under its walls, by a series of assaults carried the place by force,— a town not large in circumference, for that was less than seven stades, but second to none in the construction of its houses, walls, and towers. The wall of this town he levelled with its foundation, and, breaking down its houses, he packed their timbers and tiles with great care upon rafts, and sent them down the river to Oeniadae. At first the Aetolians resolved to hold the citadel in Oeniadae, which they had strengthened with walls and other fortifications; but upon Philip’s approach they evacuated it in a panic. The king therefore having taken this city also, advanced from it and encamped on a certain secure position in Calydonia, called Elaeus, which had been rendered extraordinarily strong with walls and other fortifications by Attalus, who undertook the work for the Aetolians. Having carried this also by assault, and plundered the whole of Calydonia, the Macedonians returned to Oeniadae. And observing the convenient position of this place for all purposes, and especially as providing a place of embarkation for the Peloponnese, Philip resolved to build a wall round the town. For Oeniadae lies on the sea-coast, at the juncture of the Acarnanian and Aetolian frontiers, just at the entrance of the Corinthian gulf; and the town faces the sea-coast of Dyme in the Peloponnesus, and is the nearest point to the promontory of Araxus in it; for the intervening sea is not more than a hundred stades across. Looking to these facts he fortified the citadel by itself; and, building a wall round the harbour and dockyards, was intending to connect them with the citadel, employing for the construction the materials brought from Paeanium.
65. διελθὼν δὲ τὰ στενὰ τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη βάδην καὶ πραεῖαν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν, ἀναστροφὴν διδοὺς τῇ δυνάμει πρὸς τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας ὠφελείας. γέμοντος δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδείων, ἧκε πρὸς τοὺς [Ἀχαιοὺς] Οἰνιάδας. καταστρατοπεδεύσας δὲ πρὸς τὸ Παιάνιον τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐξελεῖν ἔκρινε· ποιησάμενος δὲ προσβολὰς συνεχεῖς εἷλεν αὐτὸ κατὰ κράτος, πόλιν κατὰ μὲν τὸν περίβολον οὐ μεγάλην — ἐλάττων γὰρ ἦν ἑπτὰ σταδίων — κατὰ δὲ τὴν σύμπασαν κατασκευὴν οἰκιῶν καὶ τειχῶν καὶ πύργων οὐδʼ ὁποίας ἥττω. ταύτης δὲ τὸ μὲν τεῖχος κατέσκαψε πᾶν εἰς ἔδαφος, τὰς δʼ οἰκήσεις διαλύων τὰ ξύλα καὶ τὸν κέραμον εἰς σχεδίας καθήρμοζε καὶ συνεχῶς κατῆγεν αὐτὰς τῷ ποταμῷ μετὰ πολλῆς φιλοτιμίας εἰς τοὺς Οἰνιάδας. οἱ δʼ Αἰτωλοὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπεβάλοντο διατηρεῖν τὴν ἄκραν τὴν ἐν τοῖς Οἰνιάδαις, ἀσφαλισάμενοι τείχεσι καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ κατασκευῇ· συνεγγίζοντος δὲ τοῦ Φιλίππου καταπλαγέντες ἐξεχώρησαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς παραλαβὼν καὶ ταύτην τὴν πόλιν, ἐξ αὐτῆς προελθὼν κατεστρατοπέδευσε τῆς Καλυδωνίας πρός τι χωρίον ὀχυρόν, ὃ καλεῖται μὲν Ἔλαος, ἠσφάλισται δὲ τείχεσι καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς παρασκευαῖς διαφερόντως, Ἀττάλου τὴν περὶ αὐτὸ κατασκευὴν ἀναδεξαμένου τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς. γενόμενοι δὲ καὶ τούτου κύριοι κατὰ κράτος οἱ Μακεδόνες, καὶ πᾶσαν κατασύραντες τὴν Καλυδωνίαν, ἧκον πάλιν εἰς τοὺς Οἰνιάδας. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος συνθεασάμενος τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τοῦ τόπου, πρός τε τἄλλα καὶ μάλιστα πρὸς τὰς εἰς Πελοπόννησον διαβάσεις, ἐπεβάλετο τειχίζειν τὴν πόλιν. τοὺς γὰρ Οἰνιάδας κεῖσθαι συμβαίνει παρὰ θάλατταν, ἐπὶ τῷ πέρατι τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας τῷ πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς συνάπτοντι, περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ Κορινθιακοῦ κόλπου. τῆς δὲ Πελοποννήσου τέτακται μὲν ἡ πόλις καταντικρὺ τῆς παραλίας τῆς τῶν Δυμαίων, ἔγγιστα δʼ αὐτῆς ὑπάρχει τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἄραξον τόποις· ἀπέχει γὰρ οὐ πλεῖον ἑκατὸν σταδίων. εἰς ἃ βλέψας τήν τε ἄκραν καθʼ αὑτὴν ἠσφαλίσατο, καὶ τῷ λιμένι καὶ τοῖς νεωρίοις ὁμοῦ τεῖχος περιβαλὼν ἐνεχείρει συνάψαι πρὸς τὴν ἄκραν, χρώμενος πρὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ Παιανίου παρασκευαῖς.
66. But whilst he was still engaged on this work, news was brought to the king that the Dardani, suspecting his intention of invading the Peloponnese, were collecting forces and making great preparations with the determination of invading Macedonia. When he heard this, Philip made up his mind that he was bound to go with all speed to the protection of Macedonia: and accordingly he dismissed the Achaean envoys with the answer, which he now gave them, that when he had taken effectual measures with regard to the circumstances that had just been announced to him, he would look upon it as his first business to bring them aid to the best of his ability. Thereupon he broke up his camp, and began his return march with all speed, by the same route as that by which he had come. When he was on the point of recrossing the Ambracian gulf from Acarnania into Epirus, Demetrius of Pharos presented himself, sailing with a single galley, having just been banished from Illyria by the Romans,—as I have stated in the previous book. Philip received him with kindness and bade him sail to Corinth, and go thence through Thessaly to Macedonia; while he himself crossed into Epirus and pushed on without a halt. When he had reached Pella in Macedonia, the Dardani learnt from some Thracian deserters that he was in the country, and they at once in a panic broke up their army, though they were close to the Macedonian frontier. And Philip, being informed of their change of purpose, dismissed his Macedonian soldiers to gather in their harvest: while he himself went to Thessaly, and spent the rest of the summer at Larisa. It was at this season that Aemilius celebrated a splendid triumph at Rome for his Illyrian victories; and Hannibal after the capture of Saguntum dismissed his troops into winter quarters; while the Romans, on hearing of the capture of Saguntum, were sending ambassadors to Carthage to demand the surrender of Hannibal, and at the same time were making preparations for the war after electing Publius Cornelius Scipio and Tiberius Sempronius Longus Consuls for the following year, as I have stated in detail in the previous book. My object in recalling the facts here is to carry out my original plan of showing what events in various parts of the world were contemporaneous.
66. ἔτι δὲ περὶ ταῦτα γινομένου τοῦ βασιλέως, παρῆν ἐκ Μακεδονίας ἄγγελος διασαφῶν ὅτι συμβαίνει τοὺς Δαρδανεῖς, ὑπονενοηκότας τὴν εἰς Πελοπόννησον αὐτοῦ στρατείαν, ἁθροίζειν δυνάμεις καὶ παρασκευὴν ποιεῖσθαι μεγάλην, κεκρικότας ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν. ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα καὶ νομίσας ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι βοηθεῖν κατὰ τάχος τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ, τοὺς μὲν παρὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλε, δοὺς ἀπόκρισιν ὅτι τοῖς προσηγγελμένοις ἐπαρκέσας οὐδὲν προυργιαίτερον ποιήσεται μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ βοηθεῖν σφίσι κατὰ δύναμιν, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀναζεύξας μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἐπάνοδον, ᾗπερ καὶ τὴν παρουσίαν ἐπεποίητο. μέλλοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ διαβαίνειν τὸν Ἀμβρακικὸν κόλπον ἐξ Ἀκαρνανίας εἰς Ἤπειρον, παρῆν ἐφʼ ἑνὸς λέμβου Δημήτριος ὁ Φάριος, ἐκπεπτωκὼς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐκ τῆς Ἰλλυρίδος· ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἡμῖν δεδήλωται. τοῦτον μὲν οὖν Φίλιππος ἀποδεξάμενος φιλανθρώπως ἐκέλευσε πλεῖν ὡς ἐπὶ Κόρινθον κἀκεῖθεν ἥκειν διὰ Θετταλίας εἰς Μακεδονίαν· αὐτὸς δὲ διαβὰς εἰς τὴν Ἤπειρον προῆγε κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν. παραγενομένου δʼ αὐτοῦ τῆς Μακεδονίας εἰς Πέλλαν, ἀκούσαντες οἱ Δαρδάνιοι παρὰ Θρᾳκῶν τινων αὐτομόλων τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Φιλίππου, καταπλαγέντες παραχρῆμα διέλυσαν τὴν στρατείαν, καίπερ ἤδη σύνεγγυς ὄντες τῆς Μακεδονίας. Φίλιππος δὲ πυθόμενος τὴν τῶν Δαρδανέων μετάνοιαν, τοὺς μὲν Μακεδόνας διαφῆκε πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ὀπώρας συγκομιδήν, αὐτὸς δὲ πορευθεὶς εἰς Θετταλίαν τὸ λοιπὸν μέρος τοῦ θέρους ἐν Λαρίσῃ διῆγε. κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Αἰμίλιος ἐκ τῆς Ἰλλυρίδος εἰσῆγε λαμπρῶς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τὸν θρίαμβον, Ἀννίβας δὲ Ζάκανθαν ᾑρηκὼς κατὰ κράτος διέλυσε τὰς δυνάμεις εἰς παραχειμασίαν· Ῥωμαῖοι δέ, προσπεσούσης αὐτοῖς τῆς Ζακανθαίων ἁλώσεως, πρεσβευτὰς ἔπεμπον ἐξαιτήσοντας Ἀννίβαν παρὰ Καρχηδονίων, ἅμα δὲ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον παρεσκευάζοντο, καταστήσαντες ὑπάτους Πόπλιον Κορνήλιον καὶ Τεβέριον Σεμπρώνιον. ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμεῖς τὰ μὲν κατὰ μέρος ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ βύβλῳ δεδηλώκαμεν· νῦν δʼ ἀναμνήσεως χάριν αὐτὰ προηνεγκάμεθα κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπαγγελίαν, ἵνα γινώσκηται τὰ κατάλληλα τῶν πραγμάτων. καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἔτος ἔληγε τῆς ὑποκειμένης ὀλυμπιάδος.
67. And so the first year of this Olympiad was drawing to a close. In Aetolia, the time of the elections having come round, Dorimachus was elected Strategus. He was no sooner invested with his office, than, summoning the Aetolian forces, he made an armed foray upon the highlands of Epirus, and began wasting the country with an even stronger passion for destruction than usual; for his object in everything he did was not so much to secure booty for himself, as to damage the Epirotes. And having come to Dodona he burnt the colonnades, destroyed the sacred offerings, and even demolished the sacred building; so that we may say that the Aetolians had no regard for the laws of peace or war, but in the one as well as in the other, acted in defiance of the customs and principles of mankind. After those, and other similar achievements, Dorimachus returned home. But the winter being now considerably advanced, and all idea of the king coming being given up owing to the time of the year, Philip suddenly started from Larisa with an army of three thousand hoplites armed with brass shields, two thousand light-armed, three hundred Cretans, and four hundred horse of the royal guard; and having transported them into Euboea and thence to Cynos he came through Boeotia and the Megarid to Corinth, about the time of the winter solstice; having conducted his arrival with such promptitude and secrecy, that not a single Peloponnesian suspected it. He at once closed the gates of Corinth and secured the roads by guards; and on the very next day sent for Aratus the elder to come to him from Sicyon, and issued despatches to the Strategus of the Achaean league and the cities, in which he named a time and place for them all to meet him in arms. Having made these arrangements, he again started, and pitched his camp near the temple of the Dioscuri in Phliasia.
67. παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς ἤδη τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων καθηκόντων στρατηγὸς ᾑρέθη Δωρίμαχος· ὃς παραυτίκα τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλαβὼν καὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ἁθροίσας μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων, ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους τῆς Ἠπείρου καὶ τὴν χώραν ἐδῄου, θυμικώτερον χρώμενος τῇ καταφθορᾷ· τὸ γὰρ πλεῖον οὐ τῆς σφετέρας ὠφελείας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν βλάβης χάριν ἕκαστα συνετέλει. παραγενόμενος δὲ πρὸς τὸ περὶ Δωδώνην ἱερὸν τάς τε στοὰς ἐνέπρησε καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἀναθημάτων διέφθειρε, κατέσκαψε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν οἰκίαν, ὥστε μήτʼ εἰρήνης ὅρον μήτε πολέμου πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς ὑπάρχειν, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς περιστάσεσι παρὰ τὰ κοινὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔθη καὶ νόμιμα χρῆσθαι ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα διαπραξάμενος ἐπανῆγεν αὖθις εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος ἔτι προβαίνοντος, καὶ πάντων ἀπηλπικότων τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Φιλίππου διὰ τὸν καιρόν, ἀναλαβὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς χαλκάσπιδας μὲν τρισχιλίους, πελταστὰς δὲ δισχιλίους καὶ Κρῆτας τριακοσίους, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἱππεῖς τοὺς περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν εἰς τετρακοσίους, προῆγεν ἀπὸ Λαρίσης· καὶ διαβιβάσας τούτους ἐκ Θετταλίας εἰς Εὔβοιαν κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Κῦνον ἧκε διὰ τῆς Βοιωτίας καὶ Μεγαρίδος εἰς Κόρινθον περὶ τροπὰς χειμερινάς, ἐνεργὸν καὶ λαθραίαν πεποιημένος τὴν παρουσίαν οὕτως ὥστε μηδένα Πελοποννησίων ὑπονοῆσαι τὸ γεγονός. κλείσας δὲ τὰς πύλας τοῦ Κορίνθου καὶ διαλαβὼν τὰς ὁδοὺς φυλακαῖς, τῇ κατὰ πόδας Ἄρατον μὲν τὸν πρεσβύτερον ὡς αὑτὸν ἐκ τοῦ Σικυῶνος μετεπέμπετο, γράμματά τε πρὸς τὸν στρατηγὸν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ πρὸς τὰς πόλεις ἐξαπέστελλεν, — ἐν οἷς διεσάφει πότε καὶ ποῦ δεήσει συναντᾶν πάντας ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις. ταῦτα δʼ οἰκονομήσας ἀνέζευξε, καὶ προελθὼν κατεστρατο πέδευσε τῆς Φλιασίας περὶ τὸ Διοσκούριον.
68. Meanwhile Euripidas, with two companies of Eleans,— who combined with the pirates and mercenaries made up an army of two thousand two hundred men, besides a hundred horse,—started from Psophis and began marching by way of Pheneus and Stymphalus, knowing nothing about Philip’s arrival, with the purpose of wasting the territory of Sicyon. The very night in which it chanced that Philip had pitched his camp near the temple of the Dioscuri, he passed the royal quarters, and succeeded in entering the territory of Sicyon, about the time of the morning watch. But some Cretans of Philip’s army who had left their ranks, and were prowling about on the track of prey, fell into the hands of Euripidas, and being questioned by him informed him of the arrival of the Macedonians. Without saying a word of his discovery to any one, he at once caused his army to face about, and marched back by the same road as that by which he had come; with the intention and hope of getting through Stymphalia, and reaching the difficult ground beyond it, before the Macedonians could catch him. But the king knowing nothing at all about the proceedings of the enemy, at daybreak broke up his camp and began his advance in pursuance of his original plan, determining to march by way of Stymphalus itself to Caphyae: for it was at that town that he had written to the Achaeans to meet him.
68. κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Εὐριπίδας, ἔχων Ἠλείων δύο λόχους μετὰ τῶν πειρατῶν καὶ μισθοφόρων, ὥστʼ εἶναι τοὺς πάντας εἰς δισχιλίους καὶ διακοσίους, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ἱππεῖς ἑκατόν, ὁρμήσας ἐκ Ψωφῖδος ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν διὰ τῆς Φενικῆς καὶ Στυμφαλίας, οὐδὲν μὲν εἰδὼς τῶν κατὰ τὸν Φίλιππον, βουλόμενος δὲ κατασῦραι τὴν τῶν Σικυωνίων χώραν. τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς τῆς αὐτῆς, ἐν ᾗ συνέβαινε στρατοπεδεύειν τὸν Φίλιππον περὶ τὸ Διοσκούριον, παρηλλαχὼς τὴν στρατοπεδείαν τοῦ βασιλέως περὶ τὴν ἑωθινὴν ἐμβάλλειν οἷός τʼ ἦν εἰς τὴν Σικυωνίαν. τῶν δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου Κρητῶν τινες ἀπολελοιπότες τὰς τάξεις καὶ διιχνεύοντες περὶ τὰς προνομείας ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδαν· οὓς ἀνακρίνας καὶ συνεὶς τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν Μακεδόνων ὁ προειρημένος, οὐδενὶ ποιήσας φανερὸν οὐδὲν τῶν προσπεπτωκότων, ἀναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς αὖθις ἀνέλυε τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἐν ᾗπερ ἧκε, βουλόμενος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ κατελπίζων καταταχήσειν τοὺς Μακεδόνας διεκβαλὼν τὴν Στυμφαλίαν καὶ συνάψας ταῖς ὑπερκειμέναις δυσχωρίαις. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, οὐδὲν εἰδὼς τῶν περὶ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, κατὰ δὲ τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόθεσιν ἀναζεύξας τὴν ἑωθινὴν προῆγε, κρίνων ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πορείαν παρʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Στύμφαλον ὡς ἐπὶ τὰς Καφύας· ἐνθάδε γὰρ ἐγεγράφει τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς συνα θροίζεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων.
69. Now it happened that, just as the Macedonian advanced guard came to the top of the hill, near a place called Apelaurus, about ten stades before you come to Stymphalus, the advanced guard of the Eleans converged upon it also. Understanding from his previous information what had happened, Euripidas took some horsemen with him and avoided the danger by flight, making his way across country to Psophis. The rest of the Eleans being thus deserted by their leader, and panic-struck at what had happened, remained stationary on the road, not knowing what to do, or which way to turn. For at first their officers imagined that the troops they saw were some Achaeans come out to resist them. What favoured this mistake more than anything else were the brass shields of the hoplites: for they imagined that they were Megalopolitans, because the soldiers of that town had borne shields of that sort at the battle of Sellasia against Cleomenes, King Antigonus having furnished them for the occasion. Under this idea, they retired in good order to some rising ground, by no means despairing of getting off safely: but as soon as the Macedonians had advanced close up to them, grasping the true state of the case, they threw down their shields and fled. About twelve hundred of them were taken prisoners; but the rest perished utterly, some at the hands of the Macedonians, and others by falling down precipices: and finally not more than a hundred altogether escaped. Having despatched the spoils and the prisoners to Corinth, Philip continued his expedition. But a great impression was made upon the Peloponnesians: for they had not heard of the king’s arrival until they heard of his victory.
69. τῆς δὲ πρωτοπορείας τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐπιβαλούσης ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τὴν περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ἀπέλαυρον, ἣ πρόκειται τῆς τῶν Στυμφαλίων πόλεως περὶ δέκα στάδιʼ, ἅμα συνεκύρησε καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἠλείων πρωτοπορείαν συμπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερβολήν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Εὐριπίδας, συννοήσας τὸ γεγονὸς ἐκ τῶν προσηγγελμένων, παραλαβὼν μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τινας τῶν ἱππέων καὶ διαδρὰς τὸν ἐνεστῶτα καιρὸν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν εἰς τὴν Ψωφῖδα ταῖς ἀνοδίαις· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Ἠλείων, ἐγκαταλελειμμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ προεστῶτος καὶ γεγονὸς ἐκπλαγὲς ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι, κατὰ πορείαν ἔμενε, διαπορούμενον τί δεῖ ποιεῖν καὶ πῇ τρέπεσθαι. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον αὐτῶν οἱ προεστῶτες ὑπελάμβανον τῶν Ἀχαιῶν αὐτῶν τινας συνεπιβεβοηθηκέναι· καὶ μάλιστʼ ἠπάτων αὐτοὺς οἱ χαλκάσπιδες· Μεγαλοπολίτας γὰρ εἶναι τούτους ἐδόξαζον, διὰ τὸ τοιούτοις ὅπλοις κεχρῆσθαι τοὺς προειρημένους ἐν τῷ περὶ Σελλασίαν [ἐν τῷ] πρὸς Κλεομένη κινδύνῳ, καθοπλίσαντος Ἀντιγόνου τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν χρείαν. διόπερ ἀπεχώρουν τηροῦντες τὰς τάξεις πρός τινας ὑπερδεξίους τόπους, οὐκ ἀπελπίζοντες τὴν σωτηρίαν. ἅμα δὲ τῷ προσάγοντας αὐτοῖς τοὺς Μακεδόνας σύνεγγυς γενέσθαι λαβόντες ἔννοιαν τοῦ κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ὄντος, πάντες ὥρμησαν πρὸς φυγήν, ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα. ζωγρίᾳ μὲν οὖν ἑάλωσαν αὐτῶν περὶ χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν διεφθάρη πλῆθος, τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν Μακεδόνων, τὸ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν κρημνῶν· διέφυγον δʼ οὐ πλείους τῶν ἑκατόν. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος τά τε σκῦλα καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους εἰς Κόρινθον ἀποπέμψας εἴχετο τῶν προκειμένων. τοῖς δὲ Πελοποννησίοις πᾶσι παράδοξον ἐφάνη τὸ γεγονός· ἅμα γὰρ ἤκουον τὴν παρουσίαν καὶ τὴν νίκην τοῦ βασιλέως.
70. Continuing his march through Arcadia, and encountering heavy snow storms and much fatigue in the pass over Mount Oligyrtus, he arrived on the third day at Caphyae. There he rested his army for two days, and was joined by Aratus the younger, and the Achaean soldiers whom he had collected; so that, with an army now amounting to ten thousand men, he advanced by way of Clitoria towards Psophis, collecting missiles and scaling ladders from the towns through which he passed. Psophis is a place of acknowledged antiquity, and a colony of the Arcadian town of Azanis. Taking the Peloponnesus as a whole, it occupies a central position in the country; but in regard to Arcadia it is on its western frontier, and is close also to the western border-land of Achaia: its position also commands the territory of the Eleans, with whom at that time it was politically united. Philip reached this town on the third day after leaving Caphyae, and pitched his camp on some rising ground overhanging the city, from which he could in perfect security command a view both of the whole town and the country round it. But when the king saw the great strength of the place, he was at a loss what to do. Along the left side of it rushes a violent winter torrent, which for the greater part of the winter is impassable, and in any case renders the city secure and difficult of approach, owing to the size of the bed which its waters have worn out for themselves by slow degrees, in the course of ages, as it comes rushing down from the higher ground. On the east again there is a broad and rapid river, the Erymanthus, about which so many tales are told. This river is joined by the winter torrent at a point south of the town, which is thus defended on three sides by these streams; while the fourth, or northern, side is commanded by a hill, which has been fortified, and serves as a convenient and efficient citadel. The town has walls also of unusual size and construction; and besides all this, a reinforcement of Eleans happened to have just come in, and Euripidas himself was in the town after his escape from Stymphalus.
70. ποιησάμενος δὲ τὴν πορείαν διὰ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας, καὶ πολλὰς ἀναδεξάμενος χιόνας καὶ ταλαιπωρίας ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὸν Ὀλύγυρτον ὑπερβολαῖς, τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν ἡμερῶν κατῆρε νύκτωρ εἰς Καφύας. θεραπεύσας δὲ τὴν δύναμιν ἐπὶ δύʼ ἡμέρας ἐνταῦθα, καὶ προσαναλαβὼν Ἄρατον τὸν νεώτερον καὶ τοὺς ἅμα τούτῳ συνηθροισμένους τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, ὥστʼ εἶναι τὴν ὅλην δύναμιν εἰς τοὺς μυρίους, προῆγε διὰ τῆς Κλειτορίας ὡς ἐπὶ Ψωφῖδος, συναθροίζων ἐκ τῶν πόλεων ὧν διεπορεύετο βέλη καὶ κλίμακας. ἡ δὲ Ψωφὶς ἔστι μὲν ὁμολογούμενον καὶ παλαιὸν Ἀρκάδων κτίσμα τῆς Ἀζανίδος, κεῖται δὲ τῆς μὲν συμπάσης Πελοποννήσου κατὰ τὴν μεσόγαιον, αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ἐπὶ τοῖς πρὸς δυσμὰς πέρασι, συνάπτουσα τοῖς περὶ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς κατοικοῦσι τῶν προσεσπερίων Ἀχαιῶν· ἐπίκειται δʼ εὐφυῶς τῇ τῶν Ἠλείων χώρᾳ, μεθʼ ὧν συνέβαινε τότε πολιτεύεσθαι αὐτήν. πρὸς ἣν Φίλιππος τριταῖος ἐκ τῶν Καφυῶν διανύσας, κατεστρατοπέδευε περὶ τοὺς ἀπέναντι τῆς πόλεως ὑπερκειμένους βουνούς, ἀφʼ ὧν ἦν κατοπτεύειν τήν τε πόλιν ὅλην ἀσφαλῶς καὶ τοὺς πέριξ αὐτῆς τόπους. συνθεωρῶν δὲ τὴν ὀχυρότητα τῆς Ψωφῖδος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠπορεῖτο τί χρὴ ποιεῖν. τὴν γὰρ ἀφʼ ἑσπέρας πλευρὰν αὐτῆς καταφέρεται λάβρος χειμάρρους ποταμός, ὃς κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τοῦ χειμῶνος ἄβατός ἐστι, ποιεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸ παράπαν ἐχυρὰν καὶ δυσπρόσοδον τὴν πόλιν διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ κοιλώματος, ὃ κατὰ βραχὺ τῷ χρόνῳ κατείργασται φερόμενος ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων τόπων. παρὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπʼ ἠοῦς πλευρὰν ἔχει τὸν Ἐρύμανθον, μέγαν καὶ λάβρον ποταμόν, ὑπὲρ οὗ πολὺς καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῶν τεθρύληται λόγος. τοῦ δὲ χειμάρρου προσπίπτοντος πρὸς τὸν Ἐρύμανθον ὑπὸ τὸ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν μέρος τῆς πόλεως, συμβαίνει τὰς μὲν τρεῖς ἐπιφανείας αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τῶν ποταμῶν περιλαμβανομένας ἀσφαλίζεσθαι τὸν προειρημένον τρόπον· τῇ δὲ λοιπῇ, τῇ πρὸς ἄρκτον, βουνὸς ἐρυμνὸς ἐπίκειται τετειχισμένος, ἄκρας εὐφυοῦς καὶ πραγματικῆς λαμβάνων τάξιν. ἔχει δὲ καὶ τείχη διαφέροντα τῷ μεγέθει καὶ ταῖς κατασκευαῖς. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις βοήθειαν συνέβαινε παρὰ τῶν Ἠλείων εἰσπεπτωκέναι, καὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδαν ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς διασεσωσμένον ὑπάρχειν ἐν αὐτῇ.
71. The sight of these things caused Philip much anxious thought. Sometimes he was for giving up his plan of attacking and besieging the place: at others the excellence of its situation made him eager to accomplish this. For just as it was then a source of danger to the Achaeans and Arcadians, and a safe place of arms for the Eleans; so would it on the other hand, if captured, become a source of safety to the Arcadians, and a most convenient base of operations for the allies against the Eleans. These considerations finally decided him to make the attempt: and he therefore issued orders to the Macedonians to get their breakfasts at daybreak, and be ready for service with all preparations completed. Everything being done as he ordered, the king led his army over the bridge across the Erymanthus; and no one having offered him resistance, owing to the unexpectedness of the movement, he arrived under the walls of the town in gallant style and with formidable show. Euripidas and the garrison were overpowered with astonishment; because they had felt certain that the enemy would not venture on an assault, or try to carry a town of such strength; and that a siege could not last long either, owing to the severity of the season. This calculation of chances made them begin to entertain suspicions of each other, from a misgiving that Philip must have established a secret intrigue with some persons in the town against it. But finding that nothing of the sort existed among themselves, the greater number hurried to the walls to defend them, while the mercenary Elean soldiers sallied out of a gate in the upper part of the town to attack the enemy. The king stationed his men who had ladders at three different spots, and divided the other Macedonians among these three parties; this being arranged, he gave the signal by the sound of trumpet, and began the assault on the walls at once. At first the garrison offered a spirited resistance and hurled many of the enemy from their ladders; but when the supply of weapons inside the town, as well as other necessary materials, began to run short,—as was to be expected from the hasty nature of the preparations for defence,—and the Macedonians showed no sign of terror, the next man filling up the place of each who was hurled from the scaling-ladder, the garrison at length turned to flight, and made their escape one and all into the citadel. In the king’s army the Macedonians then made good their footing on the wall, while the Cretans went against the party of mercenaries who had sallied from the upper gate, and forced them to throw away their shields and fly in disorder. Following the fugitives with slaughter, they forced their way along with them through the gate: so that the town was captured at all points at once. The Psophidians with their wives and children retreated into the citadel, and Euripidas with them, as well as all the soldiers who had escaped destruction.
71. ταῦτʼ οὖν πάντα συνορῶν καὶ συλλογιζόμενος ὁ Φίλιππος τὰ μὲν ἀφίστατο τοῖς λογισμοῖς τοῦ βιάζεσθαι καὶ πολιορκεῖν τὴν πόλιν, τὰ δὲ προθύμως εἶχε, τὴν εὐκαιρίαν ὁρῶν τοῦ τόπου· καθʼ ὅσον γὰρ ἐπέκειτο τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς τότε καὶ τοῖς Ἀρκάσι καὶ πολεμητήριον ὑπῆρχε τοῖς Ἠλείοις ἀσφαλές, κατὰ τοσοῦτον πάλιν κρατηθὲν ἔμελλε τῶν μὲν Ἀρκάδων προκεῖσθαι, κατὰ δὲ τῶν Ἠλείων ὁρμητήριον ὑπάρξειν τοῖς συμμάχοις εὔκαιρον. διόπερ ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ὁρμήσας τῇ γνώμῃ παρήγγελλε τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ πᾶσιν ἀριστοποιεῖσθαι καὶ διεσκευασμένους ἑτοίμους ὑπάρχειν. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαβὰς τὴν κατὰ τὸν Ἐρύμανθον γέφυραν, οὐδενὸς ἐμποδὼν στάντος διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, ἧκε πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν πόλιν ἐνεργῶς καὶ καταπληκτικῶς. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδαν καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν διηπόρουν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι τῷ πεπεῖσθαι μήτʼ ἂν ἐξ ἐφόδου τολμῆσαι τοὺς πολεμίους προσβαλεῖν καὶ βιάζεσθαι πρὸς οὕτως ὀχυρὰν πόλιν μήτε χρόνιον ἂν συστήσασθαι πολιορκίαν διὰ τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ περίστασιν. ἅμα δὲ ταῦτα λογιζόμενοι διηπίστουν ἀλλήλοις, δεδιότες μὴ πρᾶξιν ὁ Φίλιππος εἴη διὰ τῶν ἔνδον συνεσταμένος κατὰ τῆς πόλεως. ἐπεὶ δʼ οὐδὲν ἑώρων τοιοῦτον ἐξ αὑτῶν γινόμενον, ὥρμησαν οἱ μὲν πλείους ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη βοηθήσοντες, οἱ δὲ μισθοφόροι τῶν Ἠλείων κατά τινα πύλην ὑπερδέξιον ἐξῆλθον ὡς ἐπιθησόμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διατάξας κατὰ τρεῖς τόπους τοὺς προσοίσοντας τῷ τείχει τὰς κλίμακας, καὶ τούτοις ὁμοίως μερίσας τοὺς ἄλλους Μακεδόνας, μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ τῶν σαλπιγκτῶν ἀποδοὺς ἑκάστοις τὸ σύνθημα πανταχόθεν ἅμα τὴν προσβολὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῖς τείχεσι. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἠμύνοντο γενναίως οἱ κατέχοντες τὴν πόλιν, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν κλιμάκων ἀπέρριπτον· ἐπεὶ δʼ ἥ τε χορηγία τῶν βελῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἐπιτηδείων ἐνέλειπεν, ὡς ἂν ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς παρασκευῆς γεγενημένης, οἵ τε Μακεδόνες οὐ κατεπλήττοντο τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ ῥιφέντος ἀπὸ τῶν κλιμάκων χώραν ὁ κατόπιν ἀμελλήτως ἐπέβαινε, τέλος οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως τραπέντες ἔφευγον πάντες πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν, τῶν δὲ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ μὲν Μακεδόνες ἐπέβησαν τοῦ τείχους, οἱ δὲ Κρῆτες πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ὑπερδέξιον πύλην ἐπεξελθόντας τῶν μισθοφόρων συμμίξαντες ἠνάγκασαν αὐτοὺς οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ ῥίψαντας τὰ ὅπλα φεύγειν. οἷς ἐπικείμενοι καὶ προσφέροντες τὰς χεῖρας συνεισέπεσον διὰ τῆς πύλης· ἐξ οὗ συνέβη πανταχόθεν ἅμα καταληφθῆναι τὴν πόλιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Ψωφίδιοι μετὰ τέκνων καὶ γυναικῶν ἀπεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν ἄκραν, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις οἱ περὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδαν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν διασῳζομένων·
72. Having thus carried the place, the Macedonians at once plundered all the furniture of the houses; and then, setting up their quarters in the houses, took regular possession of the town. But the people who had taken refuge in a body in the citadel, having no provisions with them, and well foreseeing what must happen, made up their minds to give themselves up to Philip. They accordingly sent a herald to the king; and having received a safe-conduct for an embassy, they despatched their magistrates and Euripidas with them on this mission, who made terms with the king by which the lives and liberties of all who were on the citadel, whether citizens or foreigners, were secured. The ambassadors then returned whence they came, carrying an order to the people to remain where they were until the army had marched out, for fear any of the soldiers should disobey orders and plunder them. A fall of snow however compelled the king to remain where he was for some days; in the course of which he summoned a meeting of such Achaeans as were in the army, and after pointing out to them the strength and excellent position of the town for the purposes of the present war, he spoke also of his own friendly disposition towards their nation: and ended by saying, “We hereby yield up and present this town to the Achaeans; for it is our purpose to show them all the favour in our power, and to omit nothing that may testify to our zeal.” After receiving the thanks of Aratus and the meeting, Philip dismissed the assembly, and getting his army in motion, marched towards Lasion. The Psophidians descending from the citadel received back the possession of the town, each man recovering his own house; while Euripidas departed to Corinth, and thence to Aetolia. Those of the Achaean magistrates who were present put Prolaus of Sicyon in command of the citadel, with an adequate garrison; and Pythias of Pallene in command of the town. Such was the end of the incident of Psophis.
72. οἱ δὲ Μακεδόνες εἰσπεσόντες τὴν μὲν ἐνδομενίαν ἅπασαν ἐκ τῶν οἰκιῶν παραχρῆμα διήρπασαν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ταῖς οἰκίαις ἐπισκηνώσαντες κατεῖχον τὴν πόλιν. οἱ δὲ συμπεφευγότες εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν, οὐδεμιᾶς σφίσι παρασκευῆς ὑπαρχούσης, προορώμενοι τὸ μέλλον ἔγνωσαν ἐγχειρίζειν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῷ Φιλίππῳ. πέμψαντες οὖν κήρυκα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ λαβόντες συγχώρημα περὶ πρεσβείας, ἐξαπέστειλαν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ μετὰ τούτων Εὐριπίδαν· οἳ καὶ ποιησάμενοι σπονδὰς ἔλαβον τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τοῖς συμπεφευγόσιν ὁμοῦ ξένοις καὶ πολίταις. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν αὖτις ἐπανῆλθον ὅθεν ὥρμησαν, ἔχοντες παράγγελμα μένειν κατὰ χώραν, ἕως ἂν ἡ δύναμις ἀναζεύξῃ, μή τινες ἀπειθήσαντες τῶν στρατιωτῶν διαρπάσωσιν αὐτούς· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπιγενομένης χιόνος ἠναγκάσθη μένειν ἐπὶ τόπου τινὰς ἡμέρας. ἐν αἷς συναγαγὼν τοὺς παρόντας τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πρῶτον μὲν τὴν ὀχυρότητα καὶ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν ἐπεδείκνυε τῆς πόλεως πρὸς τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον, ἀπελογίσατο δὲ καὶ τὴν αἵρεσιν καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἣν ἔχοι πρὸς τὸ ἔθνος, ἐπὶ δὲ πᾶσιν ἔφη καὶ νῦν παραχωρεῖν καὶ διδόναι τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς τὴν πόλιν· προκεῖσθαι γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ δυνατὰ χαρίζεσθαι καὶ μηθὲν ἐλλείπειν προθυμίας. ἐφʼ οἷς εὐχαριστούντων αὐτῷ τῶν τε περὶ τὸν Ἄρατον καὶ τῶν πολλῶν, διαλύσας τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὁ μὲν Φίλιππος μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀναζεύξας ἐπὶ Λασιῶνος ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν, οἱ δὲ Ψωφίδιοι καταβάντες ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας ἐκομίσαντο τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὰς οἰκήσεις ἕκαστοι τὰς αὑτῶν, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδαν ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὸν Κόρινθον κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Αἰτωλίαν. τῶν δʼ Ἀχαϊκῶν ἀρχόντων οἱ παρόντες ἐπὶ μὲν τὴν ἄκραν ἐπέστησαν μετὰ φυλακῆς ἱκανῆς Πρόσλαον Σικυώνιον, ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν πόλιν Πυθίαν Πελληνέα. καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ Ψωφῖδα τοῦτον ἐπετελέσθη τὸν τρόπον.
73. But when the Elean garrison of Lasion heard of the coming of the Macedonians, and were informed of what had taken place at Psophis, they at once abandoned the town; so that upon his arrival the king took it immediately, and by way of enhancing his favours to the Achaeans handed Lasion also over to them; and in a similar spirit restored Stratus to the Telphusians, which was also evacuated by the Eleans. On the fifth day after settling these matters he arrived at Olympia. There he offered a sacrifice to Zeus and entertained his officers at a banquet; and, having given his army three days’ rest, commenced his return march. After advancing some way into Elis, he allowed foraging parties to scour the country while he himself lay encamped near Artemisium, as it is called; and after receiving the booty there, he removed to the Dioscurium. In the course of this devastation of the country the number of the captives was indeed great, but a still greater number made their escape to the neighbouring villages and strongholds. For Elis is more populous, as well as more richly furnished with slaves and other property, than the rest of the Peloponnese: and some of the Eleans are so enamoured of a country life, that there are cases of families who, being in enjoyment of considerable wealth, have for two or three generations never entered a public law-court at all. And this result is brought about by the great care and attention bestowed upon the agricultural class by the government, to see that their law-suits should be settled on the spot, and every necessary of life abundantly supplied them. To me it seems that they owed these laws and customs originally to the wide extent of their arable land, and still more to the fact that their lives were under the protection of religion; for, owing to the Olympic assembly, their territory was especially exempted by the Greeks from pillage; and they had accordingly been free from all injury and hostile invasion.
73. οἱ δὲ παραφυλάττοντες τὸν Λασιῶνα τῶν Ἠλείων, συνέντες τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν Μακεδόνων, πεπυσμένοι δὲ καὶ τὰ γεγονότα περὶ τὴν Ψωφῖδα, παραχρῆμα τὴν πόλιν ἐξέλιπον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὡς θᾶττον ἧκε, ταύτην μὲν ἐξ ἐφόδου παρέλαβε, συναύξων δὲ τὴν πρόθεσιν, ἣν εἶχε πρὸς τὸ ἔθνος, παρέδωκε καὶ τὸν Λασιῶνα τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν Στράτον ἐκλιπόντων τῶν Ἠλείων ἀποκατέστησε τοῖς Τελφουσίοις. ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενος ἧκε πεμπταῖος εἰς Ὀλυμπίαν. θύσας δὲ τῷ θεῷ καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἑστιάσας, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν προσαναπαύσας δύναμιν ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας, μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀνέζευξε. καὶ προελθὼν εἰς τὴν Ἠλείαν τὰς μὲν προνομὰς ἐπαφῆκε κατὰ τῆς χώρας, αὐτὸς δὲ κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ἀρτεμίσιον. προσδεξάμενος δʼ ἐνταῦθα τὴν λείαν μετέβη πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ Διοσκούριον. δῃουμένης δὲ τῆς χώρας, πολὺ μὲν ἦν τὸ τῶν ἁλισκομένων πλῆθος, ἔτι δὲ πλέον τὸ συμφεῦγον εἰς τὰς παρακειμένας κώμας καὶ τοὺς ἐρυμνοὺς τῶν τόπων. συμβαίνει γὰρ τὴν τῶν Ἠλείων χώραν διαφερόντως οἰκεῖσθαι καὶ γέμειν σωμάτων καὶ κατασκευῆς παρὰ τὴν ἄλλην Πελοπόννησον. ἔνιοι γὰρ αὐτῶν οὕτως στέργουσι τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν βίον ὥστε τινὰς ἐπὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς γενεάς, ἔχοντας ἱκανὰς οὐσίας, μὴ παραβεβληκέναι τὸ παράπαν εἰς ἁλίαν. τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται διὰ τὸ μεγάλην ποιεῖσθαι σπουδὴν καὶ πρόνοιαν τοὺς πολιτευομένους τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας κατοικούντων, ἵνα τό τε δίκαιον αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τόπου διεξάγηται καὶ τῶν πρὸς βιωτικὰς χρείας μηδὲν ἐλλείπῃ. δοκοῦσι δέ μοι πάντα ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος μὲν τῆς χώρας τὸ παλαιὸν ἐπινοῆσαι καὶ νομοθετῆσαι, τὸ δὲ πλεῖστον διὰ τὸν ὑπάρχοντά ποτε παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἱερὸν βίον, ὅτε λαβόντες παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων συγχώρημα διὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν Ὀλυμπίων ἱερὰν καὶ ἀπόρθητον ᾤκουν τὴν Ἠλείαν, ἄπειροι παντὸς ὄντες δεινοῦ καὶ πάσης πολεμικῆς περιστάσεως.
74. But in the course of time, when the Arcadians advanced a claim for Lasion and the whole district of Pisa, being forced to defend their territory and change their habits of life, they no longer troubled themselves in the least about recovering from the Greeks their ancient and ancestral immunity from pillage, but were content to remain exactly as they were. This in my opinion was a short-sighted policy. For peace is a thing we all desire, and are willing to submit to anything to obtain: it is the only one of our so-called blessings that no one questions. If then there are people who, having the opportunity of obtaining it, with justice and honour, from the Greeks, without question and for perpetuity, neglect to do so, or regard other objects as of superior importance to it, must we not look upon them as undoubtedly blind to their true interests? But if it be objected that, by adopting such a mode of life, they would become easily open to attack and exposed to treachery: I answer that such an event would be rare, and if it did happen, would be a claim on the aid of united Greece; but that for minor injuries, having all the wealth which unbroken peace would be sure to bring them, they would never have been at a loss for foreign soldiers or mercenaries to protect them at certain places and times. As it is, from dread of what is occasional and unlikely, they involve their country and property in perpetual wars and losses. My object in thus speaking is to admonish the Eleans: for they have never had a more favourable time than the present to get back their ancient privilege of exemption from pillage, which is universally acknowledged to belong to them. Even now, some sparks, so to speak, of their old habit remaining, Elis is more thickly populated than other districts.
74. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διὰ τὴν Ἀρκάδων ἀμφισβήτησιν περὶ Λασιῶνος καὶ τῆς Πισάτιδος πάσης ἀναγκασθέντες ἐπαμύνειν τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ μεταλαβεῖν τὰς ἀγωγὰς τῶν βίων, οὐκέτι περὶ τοῦ πάλιν ἀνακτήσασθαι παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ πάτριον ἀσυλίαν οὐδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἐπιμέλειαν ἔσχον, ἀλλʼ ἔμειναν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς κατά γε τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ποιούμενοι πρόνοιαν. εἰ γάρ, ἧς πάντες εὐχόμεθα τοῖς θεοῖς τυχεῖν, καὶ πᾶν ὑπομένομεν ἱμείροντες αὐτῆς μετασχεῖν, καὶ μόνον τοῦτο τῶν νομιζομένων ἀγαθῶν ἀναμφισβήτητόν ἐστι παρʼ ἀνθρώποις, λέγω δὴ τὴν εἰρήνην, ταύτην δυνάμενοί τινες μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ καθήκοντος παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰς πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἀδήριτον κτᾶσθαι παρολιγωροῦσιν ἢ προυργιαίτερόν τι ποιοῦνται τούτου, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογουμένως ἀγνοεῖν δόξαιεν; νὴ Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ ἴσως εὐεπίθετοι τοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ παρασπονδεῖν προθεμένοις ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀγωγῆς γίνονται τῶν βίων. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μὲν σπάνιον, κἄν ποτε γένηται, δυνάμενον κοινῆς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τυγχάνειν ἐπικουρίας· πρὸς δὲ τὰς κατὰ μέρος ἀδικίας ὑπογενομένης τοῖς βίοις χορηγίας, ὅπερ εἰκὸς ὑπάρξειν πάντα χρόνον ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγουσι, δῆλον ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἠπόρησαν ξένων καὶ μισθοφόρων τῶν κατὰ τόπους ἢ καιροὺς παρεφεδρευόντων. νῦν δὲ τὸ σπάνιον καὶ παράδοξον δεδιότες, ἐν συνεχέσι πολέμοις καὶ καταφθοραῖς τήν τε χώραν ἔχουσι καὶ τοὺς βίους. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν τῆς Ἠλείων ὑπομνήσεως εἰρήσθω χάριν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν καιρῶν οὐδέποτε πρότερον εὐφυεστέραν διάθεσιν ἔσχηκε τῆς νῦν πρὸς τὸ παρὰ πάντων ὁμολογουμένην κτήσασθαι τὴν ἀσυλίαν· τὴν δὲ χώραν, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπον, ἔτι τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας οἷον αἰθυγμάτων ἐμμε νόντων, οἰκοῦσι διαφερόντως Ἠλεῖοι.
75. And therefore during Philip’s occupation of the country the number of prisoners taken was immense; and the number of those who escaped by flight still greater. An enormous amount of movable property, and an enormous crowd of slaves and cattle, were collected at a place called Thalamae; which was selected for the purpose, because the approach to it was narrow and difficult, and the place itself was retired and not easy to enter. But when the king was informed of the number of those who had taken refuge in this place, resolved to leave nothing unattempted or incomplete, he occupied certain spots which commanded the approach to it, with his mercenaries: while leaving his baggage and main army in his entrenched camp, he himself led his peltasts and light-armed troops through the gorge, and, without meeting with any resistance, came directly under the fortress. The fugitives were panic-stricken at his approach: for they were utterly inexperienced in war and unprovided with means of defence,—a mere rabble hurriedly collected together; they therefore at once surrendered, and among them two hundred mercenary soldiers, of various nationalities, who had been brought there by Amphidamas the Elean Strategus. Having thus become master of an immense booty in goods, and of more than five thousand slaves, and having in addition to these driven off an incalculable number of cattle, Philip now returned to his camp; but finding his army overburdened with spoils of every description, and rendered by that means cumbrous and useless for service, he retraced his steps, and once more marched to Olympia.
75. διὸ καὶ κατὰ τὴν Φιλίππου παρουσίαν ἄπλετον μὲν ἦν τὸ τῶν ἁλισκομένων πλῆθος, ἔτι δὲ πλεῖον τὸ τῶν συμπεφευγότων. πλείστη δʼ ἀποσκευὴ καὶ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ἡθροίσθη σωμάτων καὶ θρεμμάτων εἰς τὸ χωρίον, ὃ καλοῦσι Θαλάμας, διὰ τὸ τήν τε χώραν τὴν πέριξ αὐτοῦ στενὴν εἶναι καὶ δυσέμβολον τό τε χωρίον ἀπραγμάτευτον καὶ δυσπρόσοδον. ἀκούων δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν συμπεφευγότων εἰς τὸν προειρημένον τόπον, καὶ κρίνας μηδὲν ἀβασάνιστον μηδʼ ἀπέραντον ἀπολιπεῖν, τοῖς μὲν μισθοφόροις προκατελάβετο τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς εἰσβολῆς εὐφυῶς κειμένους τόπους, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν ἀποσκευὴν καταλιπὼν ἐν τῷ χάρακι καὶ τὸ πλεῖον μέρος τῆς δυνάμεως, ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς πελταστὰς καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους προῆγε διὰ τῶν στενῶν· οὐδενὸς δὲ κωλύοντος ἧκε πρὸς τὸ χωρίον. καταπλαγέντων δὲ τῶν συμπεφευγότων τὴν ἔφοδον, ἅτε δὴ πρὸς πᾶσαν πολεμικὴν χρείαν ἀπείρως καὶ ἀπαρασκεύως διακειμένων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συνδεδραμηκότος ὄχλου συρφετώδους, ταχέως παρέδοσαν αὑτούς· ἐν οἷς ἦσαν καὶ μισθοφόροι διακόσιοι μιγάδες, οὓς ἧκεν ἔχων Ἀμφίδαμος ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ἠλείων. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος, κυριεύσας ἀποσκευῆς τε πολλῆς καὶ σωμάτων πλειόνων ἢ πεντακισχιλίων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῆς τετράποδος λείας ἀναρίθμητον ἐξελασάμενος πλῆθος, τότε μὲν ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς χάρακα, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς δυνάμεως ὑπεργεμούσης αὐτῷ παντοδαπῆς ὠφελείας, βαρὺς ὢν καὶ δύσχρηστος, ἀνεχώρει διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ κατέζευξε πάλιν εἰς τὴν Ὀλυμπίαν.