Delphi Complete Works of Polybius

by Polybius

  69. At this point there is but a small and narrow space between the foot of Libanus and the sea; and even that is intersected by a steep and rugged spur, leaving only a narrow and difficult passage along the very water’s edge. On this pass Nicolaus had taken up his position; and having occupied some of the points by means of his large numbers, and secured others by artificial works, he felt certain that he would be able to prevent Antiochus from effecting an entrance. But the king divided his army into three parts, of which he entrusted one to Theodotus with orders to close with the enemy and force their way along the skirts of Libanus; the second to Menedemus with urgent orders to attempt the centre of the spur; while the third he put under the command of Diocles, the military governor of Parapotamia, and ordered them to keep close to the sea. He himself with his guard occupied a central position, intending to superintend the whole action and give help where it was wanted. At the same time Diognetus and Perigenes made preparations for a sea-fight, coming as close as possible to the shore, and endeavouring to make the battles at sea and on land present the appearance of a single contest. A general advance having begun by sea and land, at the same signal and word of command, the battle on the sea was undecided, because the number of vessels on either side and their equipment were about equal: but on land the troops of Nicolaus got the best of it at first, from the advantage of their position. But when Theodotus routed the men on the mountain skirts, and then charged from the higher ground, Nicolaus’s men all turned and fled precipitately. In this flight two thousand of them fell, and as many were taken prisoners: the rest retreated towards Sidon. Though he now had the better prospect of the two in the sea-fight; yet, when he saw the defeat of the army on land, Perigenes turned his prows and made good his retreat to the same place.

  [1] Ἀντίοχος δὲ τὴν δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν ἧκε καὶ κατεστρατοπέδευσε πρὸς τῇ Σιδῶνι. [2] τὸ μὲν οὖν καταπειράζειν τῆς πόλεως ἀπέγνω διὰ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν αὐτόθι δαψίλειαν τῆς χορηγίας καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐνοικούντων καὶ συμπεφευγότων ἀνδρῶν: [3] ἀναλαβὼν δὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτὸς μὲν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Φιλοτερίας, Διογνήτῳ δὲ συνέταξε τῷ ναυάρχῳ πάλιν ἔχοντι τὰς ναῦς ἀποπλεῖν εἰς Τύρον. [4] ἡ δὲ Φιλοτερία κεῖται παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν λίμνην, εἰς ἣν ὁ καλούμενος Ἰορδάνης ποταμὸς εἰσβάλλων ἐξίησι πάλιν εἰς τὰ πεδία τὰ περὶ τὴν Σκυθῶν πόλιν προσαγορευομένην. [5] γενόμενος δὲ καθ᾽ ὁμολογίαν ἐγκρατὴς ἀμφοτέρων τῶν προειρημένων πόλεων, εὐθαρσῶς ἔσχε πρὸς τὰς μελλούσας ἐπιβολὰς διὰ τὸ τὴν ὑποτεταγμένην χώραν ταῖς πόλεσι ταύταις ῥᾳδίως δύνασθαι παντὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ χορηγεῖν καὶ δαψιλῆ παρασκευάζειν τὰ κατεπείγοντα πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. [6] ἀσφαλισάμενος δὲ φρουραῖς ταύτας ὑπερέβαλε τὴν ὀρεινὴν καὶ παρῆν ἐπ᾽ Ἀταβύριον, ὃ κεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ λόφου μαστοειδοῦς, τὴν δὲ πρόσβασιν ἔχει πλεῖον ἢ πεντεκαίδεκα σταδίων. [7] χρησάμενος δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐνέδρᾳ καὶ στρατηγήματι κατέσχε τὴν πόλιν: [8] προκαλεσάμενος γὰρ εἰς ἀκροβολισμὸν τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως καὶ συγκαταβιβάσας ἐπὶ πολὺ τοὺς προκινδυνεύοντας, κἄπειτα πάλιν ἐκ μεταβολῆς τῶν φευγόντων καὶ διαναστάσεως τῶν ἐγκαθημένων συμβαλών, πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινε, [9] τέλος δ᾽ ἐπακολουθήσας καὶ προκαταπληξάμενος ἐξ ἐφόδου παρέλαβε καὶ ταύτην τὴν πόλιν. [10] κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Κεραίας, εἷς τῶν: ὑπὸ Πτολεμαῖον ταττομένων ὑπάρχων, ἀπέστη πρὸς αὐτόν: ᾧ χρησάμενος μεγαλοπρεπῶς πολλοὺς ἐμετεώρισε τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἡγεμόνων: [11] Ἱππόλοχος γοῦν ὁ Θετταλὸς οὐ μετὰ πολὺ τετρακοσίους ἱππεῖς ἧκεν ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν ὑπὸ Πτολεμαῖον ταττομένων. [12] ἀσφαλισάμενος δὲ καὶ τὸ Ἀταβύριον ἀνέζευξε, καὶ προάγων παρέλαβε Πέλλαν καὶ

  70. Thereupon Antiochus got his army on the march, and, arriving at Sidon, encamped under its wall. He did not however venture to attempt the town, because of the vast stores it contained and the number of its ordinary inhabitants, as well as of the refugees who had collected there. He therefore broke up his camp again, and continued his march towards Philoteria: ordering Diognetus his navarch to sail back with his ships to Tyre. Now Philoteria is situated right upon the shores of the lake into which the river Jordan discharges itself, and from which it issues out again into the plains surrounding Scythopolis. The surrender of these two cities to him encouraged him to prosecute his further designs; because the country subject to them was easily able to supply his whole army with provisions, and everything necessary for the campaign in abundance. Having therefore secured them by garrisons, he crossed the mountain chain and arrived at Atabyrium, which is situated upon a rounded hill, the ascent of which is more than fifteen stades long. But on this occasion he managed to take it by an ambuscade and stratagem. He induced the men of the town to come out to a skirmish, and enticed their leading columns to a considerable distance; then his troops suddenly turned from their pretended flight, and those who were concealed rising from their ambush, he attacked and killed a large number of the enemy; and finally, by pursuing close upon their heels, and thus creating a panic in the town before he reached it, he carried it as he had done others by assault. At this juncture Ceraeas, one of Ptolemy’s officers, deserted to Antiochus, whose distinguished reception caused great excitement in the minds of many other of the enemy’s officers. At any rate, not long afterwards, Hippolochus of Thessaly joined Antiochus with four hundred cavalry of Ptolemy’s army. Having therefore secured Atabyrium also with a garrison, Antiochus started once more and took over Pella, Camus, and Gephrus.

  [1] Καμοῦν καὶ Γεφροῦν. τοιαύτης δὲ γενομένης τῆς εὐροίας, οἱ τὴν παρακειμένην Ἀραβίαν κατοικοῦντες, παρακαλέσαντες σφᾶς αὐτούς, ὁμοθυμαδὸν αὐτῷ προσέθεντο πάντες. [2] προσλαβὼν δὲ καὶ τὴν παρὰ τούτων ἐλπίδα καὶ χορηγίαν προῆγε, καὶ κατασχὼν *** εἰς τὴν Γαλᾶτιν *** γίνεται *** Ἀβίλων καὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτὰ παραβεβοηθηκότων, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Νικίας, ἀναγκαῖος ὢν καὶ συγγενὴς Μεννέου. [3] καταλειπομένων δ᾽ ἔτι τῶν Γαδάρων, ἃ δοκεῖ τῶν κατ᾽ ἐκείνους τοὺς τόπους ὀχυρότητι διαφέρειν, προσστρατοπεδεύσας αὐτοῖς καὶ συστησάμενος ἔργα ταχέως κατεπλήξατο καὶ παρέλαβε τὴν πόλιν. [4] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πυνθανόμενος εἰς τὰ Ῥαββατάμανα τῆς Ἀραβίας καὶ πλείους ἡθροισμένους τῶν πολεμίων πορθεῖν καὶ κατατρέχειν τὴν τῶν προσκεχωρηκότων Ἀράβων αὐτῷ χώραν, πάντ᾽ ἐν ἐλάττονι θέμενος ὥρμησε καὶ προσεστρατοπέδευσε τοῖς �
�ουνοῖς, ἐφ᾽ ὧν κεῖσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν πόλιν. [5] περιελθὼν δὲ καὶ συνθεασάμενος τὸν λόφον κατὰ δύο τόπους μόνον ἔχοντα πρόσοδον, ταύτῃ προσέβαινε καὶ κατὰ τούτους συνίστατο τοὺς τόπους τὰς τῶν μηχανημάτων κατασκευάς. [6] ἀποδοὺς δὲ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἔργων τῶν μὲν Νικάρχῳ, τῶν δὲ Θεοδότῳ, τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτὸς ἤδη κοινὸν αὑτὸν παρεσκεύαζε κατὰ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τῆς ἑκατέρου περὶ ταῦτα φιλοτιμίας. [7] πολλὴν δὲ ποιουμένων σπουδὴν τῶν περὶ τὸν Θεόδοτον καὶ Νίκαρχον, καὶ συνεχῶς ἁμιλλωμένων πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τοῦ πότερος αὐτῶν φθάσει καταβαλὼν τὸ προκείμενον τῶν ἔργων τεῖχος, ταχέως συνέβη καὶ παρὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν ἑκάτερον πεσεῖν τὸ μέρος. [8] οὗ συμβάντος ἐποιοῦντο καὶ νύκτωρ μὲν καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν προσβολὰς καὶ πᾶσαν προσέφερον βίαν, οὐδένα παραλείποντες καιρόν. [9] συνεχῶς δὲ καταπειράζοντες τῆς πόλεως οὐ μὴν ἤνυον τῆς ἐπιβολῆς οὐδὲν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν εἰς τὴν πόλιν συνδεδραμηκότων ἀνδρῶν, ἕως οὗ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τινὸς ὑποδείξαντος τὸν ὑπόνομον, δι᾽ οὗ κατέβαινον ἐπὶ τὴν ὑδρείαν οἱ πολιορκούμενοι, τοῦτον ἀναρρήξαντες ἐνέφραξαν ὕλῃ καὶ λίθοις καὶ παντὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ γένει. [10] τότε δὲ συνείξαντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν διὰ τὴν ἀνυδρίαν παρέδοσαν αὑτούς. [11] οὗ γενομένου κυριεύσας τῶν Ῥαββαταμάνων ἐπὶ μὲν τούτων ἀπέλιπε Νίκαρχον μετὰ φυλακῆς τῆς ἁρμοζούσης: Ἱππόλοχον δὲ καὶ Κεραίαν τοὺς ἀποστάντας μετὰ πεζῶν πεντακισχιλίων ἐξαποστείλας ἐπὶ τοὺς κατὰ Σαμάρειαν τόπους, καὶ συντάξας προκαθῆσθαι καὶ πᾶσι τὴν ἀσφάλειαν προκατασκευάζειν τοῖς ὑπ᾽ αὐτὸν ταττομένοις, [12] ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ὡς ἐπὶ Πτολεμαΐδος, ἐκεῖ ποιεῖσθαι διεγνωκὼς τὴν παραχειμασίαν.

  71. This unbroken stream of success caused the inhabitants of the neighbouring Arabia to rouse each other up to take action; and they unanimously joined Antiochus. With the additional encouragement and supplies which they afforded he continued his advance; and, arriving in the district of Galatis, made himself master of Abila, and the relieving force which had thrown itself into that town, under the command of Nicias, a friend and kinsman of Menneas. Gadara was the only town now left, which is thought to be the strongest of any in those parts. He therefore encamped under its walls and, bringing siege-works to bear upon it, quickly terrified it into submission. Then hearing that a strong force of the enemy were concentrated at Rabbatamana in Arabia, and were pillaging and overrunning the territory of those Arabians who had joined him, he threw everything else aside and started thither; and pitched his camp at the foot of the high ground on which that city stands. After going round and reconnoitring the hill, and finding that it admitted of being ascended only at two points, he led his army to them and set up his siege artillery at these points. He put one set of siege-works under the care of Nicarchus, the other under that of Theodotus: while he superintended both equally, and observed the zeal shown by the two respectively. Great exertions were accordingly made by each, and a continual rivalry kept up as to which should be the first to make a breach in the wall opposite their works: and the result was that both breaches were made with unexpected rapidity; whereupon they kept making assaults night and day, and trying every means to force an entrance, without an hour’s intermission. But though they kept up these attempts continuously, they failed to make any impression; until a prisoner showed them the underground passage through which the besieged were accustomed to descend to fetch water. They broke into this and stopped it up with timber and stones and everything of that sort; and when this was done, the garrison surrendered for want of water. Having thus got possession of Rabbatamana, Antiochus left Nicarchus with an adequate garrison in command of it; and sent the two deserters from Ptolemy, Hippolochus and Ceraeas, with five thousand infantry, to Samaria: with orders to take the government of the district and protect all who submitted to him. He then started with his army for Ptolemais, where he was resolved to winter.

  [1] κατὰ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν θερείαν Πεδνηλισσεῖς, πολιορκούμενοι καὶ κινδυνεύοντες ὑπὸ Σελγέων, διεπέμψαντο περὶ βοηθείας πρὸς Ἀχαιόν. [2] τοῦ δ᾽ ἀσμένως ὑπακούσαντος, οὗτοι μὲν εὐθαρσῶς ὑπέμενον τὴν πολιορκίαν, προσανέχοντες ταῖς ἐλπίσι τῆς βοηθείας, [3] ὁ δ᾽ Ἀχαιός, προχειρισάμενος Γαρσύηριν μετὰ πεζῶν ἑξακισχιλίων, ἱππέων δὲ πεντακοσίων, ἐξαπέστειλε σπουδῇ παραβοηθήσοντα τοῖς Πεδνηλισσεῦσιν. [4] οἱ δὲ Σελγεῖς, συνέντες τὴν παρουσίαν τῆς βοηθείας, προκατελάβοντο τὰ στενὰ τὰ περὶ τὴν καλουμένην Κλίμακα τῷ πλείονι μέρει τῆς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεως, καὶ τὴν μὲν εἰσβολὴν τὴν ἐπὶ Σάπορδα κατεῖχον, τὰς δὲ διόδους καὶ προσβάσεις πάσας ἔφθειρον. [5] ὁ δὲ Γαρσύηρις, ἐμβαλὼν εἰς τὴν Μιλυάδα καὶ καταστρατοπεδεύσας περὶ τὴν καλουμένην Κρητῶν πόλιν, ἐπεὶ συνῄσθετο προκατεχομένων τῶν τόπων ἀδύνατον οὖσαν τὴν εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείαν, ἐπινοεῖ τινα δόλον τοιοῦτον. [6] ἀναζεύξας ἦγε πάλιν εἰς τοὐπίσω τὴν πορείαν, ὡς ἀπεγνωκὼς τὴν βοήθειαν διὰ τὸ προκατέχεσθαι τοὺς τόπους. οἱ δὲ Σελγεῖς προχείρως πιστεύσαντες, [7] ὡς ἀπεγνωκότος βοηθεῖν Γαρσυήριδος, οἱ μὲν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀπεχώρησαν, οἱ δ᾽ εἰς τὴν πόλιν διὰ τὸ κατεπείγειν τὴν τοῦ σίτου κομιδήν. [8] ὁ δὲ Γαρσύηρις, ἐξ ἐπιστροφῆς ἐνεργὸν ποιησάμενος τὴν πορείαν, ἧκε πρὸς τὰς ὑπερβολάς. καταλαβὼν δ᾽ ἐρήμους, ταύτας μὲν ἠσφαλίσατο φυλακαῖς, Φάϋλλον ἐπὶ πάντων ἐπιστήσας, [9] αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰς Πέργην κατάρας ἐντεῦθεν ἐποιεῖτο τὰς διαπρεσβείας πρός τε τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς τὴν Πισιδικὴν κατοικοῦντας καὶ πρὸς τὴν Παμφυλίαν, [10] ὑποδεικνύων μὲν τὸ τῶν Σελγέων βάρος, παρακαλῶν δὲ πάντας πρὸς τὴν Ἀχαιοῦ συμμαχίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν βοήθειαν τοῖς