37.11
A
soldier out of Antiochus' army happened to come to Samos on private
business. He was arrested as a spy and brought before the commandant at
Panhormus. When questioned as to what was going on at Ephesus, either
through fear or acting as traitor to his countrymen he disclosed everything,
and asserted that the fleet was lying in the harbour completely equipped and
ready for action, that all the rowers had been sent to Magnesia, that very few
ships had been hauled up, that the dockyards were closed and that the naval
service had never been more carefully looked after. Pausistratus was so
completely obsessed by the deception practiced upon him and the vain hopes
it had aroused that he would not believe what he heard. When all his
preparations were made, Polyxenidas brought up the rowers from Magnesia
by night and hastily launched the ships which had been beached. He
remained there through the day not to complete his dispositions so much as
to prevent the fleet from being seen when it left the harbour. Starting after
sunset with seventy decked ships, he put into the port of Pygela before
daybreak as the wind was against him. Remaining there for the day for the
same reason -to escape observation -he set sail at night for the nearest point
on Samian territory. From there he ordered a man named Nicander, a pirate
chieftain, to sail with five ships to Palinurus and take the troops from there
by the shortest route across country to Panhormus in the rear of the enemy,
whilst he himself proceeded thither with his fleet divided into two squadrons,
so that he could hold the entrance to the harbour on either side.
Pausistratus was at first somewhat perturbed by this unexpected
turn of events, but the old soldier soon pulled himself together and thinking
that the enemy could be more easily checked on land than on the sea he sent
two divisions of his troops to occupy the headlands which curving inward
from the sea like two horns, form the harbour. He expected to repulse the
enemy easily by attacking him from both sides, but the sight of Nicander on
the land above upset his plan, and suddenly changing his tactics he ordered
all to go on board. There was terrible confusion amongst the soldiers and
seamen, and something like a flight to the ships took place when they found
themselves surrounded landwards and seawards at the same time.
Pausistratus saw that his only chance of safety lay in his being able to force a
passage through the harbour into the open sea, and as soon as he saw all his
men on board he ordered the fleet to follow him while he led the way with
his vessel rowed at full speed towards the mouth of the harbour. Just as he
was clearing it Polyxenidas closed round him with three ships, and his vessel,
struck by their beaks, was sunk, the defenders were overwhelmed by a hail
of missiles and Pausistratus, who fought most gallantly, was killed. Of the
remaining ships some were taken outside the harbour, others within, and
some were captured by Nicander while they were trying to put off from the
shore. Only five Rhodian vessels and two from Cos escaped. They had
kindled fires in braziers which they hung from poles projecting over the
bows, and the terrifying sight of these flames enabled them to clear a way
through the crowded ships. The Erythraean triremes which were coming to
reinforce the Rhodian fleet met the fugitive vessels not far from Samos, and
thereupon changed their course to the Hellespont to join the Romans. Just
before this Seleucus captured through an act of treachery the city of
Phocaea; one of its gates was opened to him by a soldier on guard. The
alarm this created led Cyme and other cities on that coast to go over to him.
