flamininus-第2章

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and　woody　places；　but　in　the　night　they　marched　by　moonlight；　the　moon
being　then　at　the　full。　Titus；　having　detached　this　party；　lay　quiet
with　his　main　body；　merely　keeping　up　the　attention　of　the　enemy　by
some　slight　skirmishing。　But　when　the　day　arrived　that　those　who　stole
round　were　expected　upon　the　top　of　the　hill；　he　drew　up　his　forces
early　in　the　morning；　as　well　the　light…armed　as　the　heavy；　and；
dividing　them　into　three　parts；　himself　led　the　van；　marching　his
men　up　the　narrow　passage　along　the　bank；　darted　at　by　the　Macedonians
and　engaging；　in　this　difficult　ground；　hand　to　hand　with　his
assailants；　whilst　the　other　two　divisions　on　either　side　of　him　threw
themselves　with　great　alacrity　among　the　rocks。　Whilst　they　were
struggling　forward；　the　sun　rose；　and　a　thin　smoke；　like　a　mist；
hanging　on　the　hills；　was　seen　rising　at　a　distance；　unperceived　by
the　enemy；　being　behind　them；　as　they　stood　on　the　heights；　and　the
Romans；　also；　as　yet　under　suspense；　in　the　toil　and　difficulty　they
were　in；　could　only　doubtfully　construe　the　sight　according　to　their
desires。　But　as　it　grew　thicker　and　thicker；　blackening　the　air；　and
mounting　to　a　greater　height；　they　no　longer　doubted　but　it　was　the
fire…signal　of　their　companions；　and；　raising　a　triumphant　shout；
forcing　their　way　onwards；　they　drove　the　enemy　back　into　the　roughest
ground；　while　the　other　party　echoed　back　their　acclamations　from
the　top　of　the　mountain。
　　The　Macedonians　fled　with　all　the　speed　they　could　make；　there　fell；
indeed；　not　more　than　two　thousand　of　them；　for　the　difficulties　of
the　place　rescued　them　from　pursuit。　But　the　Romans　pillaged　their
camp；　seized　upon　their　money　and　slaves；　and；　becoming　absolute
masters　of　the　pass；　traversed　all　Epirus；　but　with　such　order　and
discipline；　with　such　temperance　and　moderation；　that；　though　they
were　far　from　the　sea；　at　a　great　distance　from　their　vessels；　and
stinted　of　their　monthly　allowance　of　corn；　and　though　they　had　much
difficulty　in　buying；　they　nevertheless　abstained　altogether　from
plundering　the　country；　which　had　provisions　enough　of　all　sorts　in
it。　For　intelligence　being　received　that　Philip；　making　a　flight；
rather　than　a　march；　through　Thessaly；　forced　the　inhabitants　from　the
towns　to　take　shelter　in　the　mountains；　burnt　down　the　towns
themselves；　and　gave　up　as　spoil　to　his　soldiers　all　the　property
which　it　had　been　found　impossible　to　remove；　abandoning；　as　it
would　seem；　the　whole　country　to　the　Romans；　Titus　was；　therefore；
very　desirous；　and　entreated　his　soldiers　that　they　would　pass　through
it　as　if　it　were　their　own；　or　as　if　a　place　trusted　into　their　hands；
and；　indeed；　they　quickly　perceived；　by　the　event；　what　benefit　they
derived　from　this　moderate　and　orderly　conduct。　For　they　no　sooner　set
foot　in　Thessaly；　but　the　cities　opened　their　gates；　and　the　Greeks；
within　Thermopylae；　were　all　eagerness　and　excitement　to　ally
themselves　with　them。　The　Achaeans　abandoned　their　alliance　with
Philip；　and　voted　to　join　with　the　Romans　in　actual　arms　against
him；　and　the　Opuntians；　though　the　Aetolians；　who　were　zealous
allies　of　the　Romans；　were　willing　and　desirous　to　undertake　the
protection　of　the　city；　would　not　listen　to　proposals　from　them；　but
sending　for　Titus；　intrusted　and　committed　themselves　to　his　charge。
　　It　is　told　of　Pyrrhus；　that　when　first；　from　an　adjacent　hill　or
watchtower　which　gave　him　a　prospect　of　the　Roman　army；　he　descried
them　drawn　up　in　order；　he　observed；　that　he　saw　nothing
barbarian…like　in　this　barbarian　line　of　battle；　And　all　who　came　near
Titus　could　not　choose　but　say　as　much　of　him；　at　their　first　view。
For　they　who　had　been　told　by　the　Macedonians　of　an　invader；　at　the
head　of　a　barbarian　army；　carrying　everywhere　slavery　and
destruction　on　his　sword's　point；　when；　in　lieu　of　such　an　one；　they
met　a　man；　in　the　flower　of　his　age；　of　a　gentle　and　humane　aspect；
a　Greek　in　his　voice　and　language；　and　a　lover　of　honour；　were
wonderfully　pleased　and　attracted；　and　when　they　left　him；　they　filled
the　cities；　wherever　they　went；　with　favourable　feelings　for　him；
and　with　the　belief　that　in　him　they　might　find　the　protector　and
assertor　of　their　liberties。　And　when　afterwards；　on　Philip's
professing　a　desire　for　peace；　Titus　made　a　tender　to　him　of　peace　and
friendship；　upon　the　condition　that　the　Greeks　he　left　to　their　own
laws；　and　that　he　should　withdraw　his　garrisons；　which　he　refused　to
comply　with；　now　after　these　proposals　the　universal　belief　even　of
the　favourers　and　partisans　of　Philip　was；　that　the　Romans　came　not　to
fight　against　the　Greeks；　but　for　the　Greeks　against　the　Macedonians。
　　Accordingly；　all　the　rest　of　Greece　came　to　peaceable　terms　with
him。　But　as　he　marched　into　Boeotia；　without　committing　the　least
act　of　hostility；　the　nobility　and　chief　men　of　Thebes　came　out　of
their　city　to　meet　him；　devoted　under　the　influence　of　Brachylles　to
the　Macedonian　alliance；　but　desirous　at　the　same　time　to　show
honour　and　deference　to　Titus；　as　they　were；　they　conceived；　in
amity　with　both　parties。　Titus　received　them　in　the　most　obliging
and　courteous　manner；　but　kept　going　gently　on；　questioning　and
inquiring　of　them；　and　sometimes　entertaining　them　with　narratives
of　his　own；　till　his　soldiers　might　a　little　recover　from　the
weariness　of　their　journey。　Thus　passing　on；　he　and　the　Thebans　came
together　into　their　city；　not　much　to　their　satisfaction；　but　yet　they
could　not　well　deny　him　entrance；　as　a　good　number　of　his　men　attended
him　in。　Titus；　however；　now　he　was　within；　as　if　he　had　not　had　the
city　at　his　mercy；　came　forward　and　addressed　them；　urging　them　to
join　the　Roman　interest。　King　Attalus　followed　to　the　same　effect。　And
he；　indeed；　trying　to　play　the　advocate；　beyond　what　it　seems　his
age　could　bear；　was　seized；　in　the　midst　of　his　speech；　with　a
sudden　flux　or　dizziness；　and　swooned　away；　and；　not　long　after；　was
conveyed　by　ship　into　Asia；　and　died　there。　The　Boeotians　joined　the
Roman　alliance。
　　But　now；　when　Philip　sent　an　embassy　to　Rome；　Titus　despatched
away　agents　on　his　part；　too；　to　solicit　the　senate；　if　they　should
continue　the　war；　to　continue　him　in　his　command；　or　if　they
determined　an　end　to　that；　that　he　might　have　the　honour　of　concluding
the　peace。　Having　a　great　passion　for　distinction；　his　fear　was；
that　if　another　general　were　commissioned　to　carry　on　the　war；　the
honour　even　of　what　was　passed　would　be　lost　to　him；　and　his　friends
transacted　matters　so　well　on　his　behalf；　that　Philip　was　unsuccessful
in　his　proposals；　and　the　management　of　the　war　was　confirmed　in　his
hands。　He　no　sooner　received　the　senate's　determination；　but；　big　with
hopes；　he　marched　directly　into　Thessaly；　to　engage　Philip；　his　army
consisting　of　twenty…six　thousand　men；　out　of　which　the　Aetolians
furnished　six　thousand　foot　and　four　hundred　horse。　The　forces　of
Philip　were　much　about　the　same　number。　In　this　eagerness　to
encounter；　they　advanced　against　each　other；　till　both　were　near
Scotussa；　where　they　resolved　to　hazard　a　battle。　Nor　had　the　approach
of　these　two　formidable　armies　the　effect　that　might　have　been
supposed；　to　strike　into　the　generals　a　mutual　terror　of　each　other；
it　rather　inspired　them　with　ardour　and　ambition；　on　the　Romans'　part；
to　be　the　conquerors　of　Macedon；　a　name　which　Alexander　had　made
famous　amongst　them　for　strength　and　valour；　whilst　the　Macedonians；
on　the　other　hand；　esteeming　of　the　Romans　as　an　enemy　very
different　from　the　Persians；　hoped；　if　victory　stood　on　their　side；　to
make　the　name　of　Philip　more　glorious　than　that　of　Alexander。　Titus；
therefore；　called　upon　his　soldiers　to　play　the　part　of　valiant　men；
because　they　were　now　to　act　their　parts　upon　the　most　illustrious
theatre　of　the　world；　Greece；　and　to　contend　with　the　bravest
antagonists。　And　Philip；　on　the　other　side；　commenced　a　harangue　to
his　men；　as　usual　before　an　engagement；　and　to　be　the　better　heard
（whether　it　were　merely　a　mischance；　or　the　result　of　unseasonable
haste；　not　observing　what　he　did）；　mounted　an　eminence　outside　their
camp；　which　proved　to　be　a　burying…place；　and　much　disturbed　by　t