37.18
During
this time Seleucus, who had kept his army in Aeolis all the winter, engaged
partly in rendering assistance to his allies and partly in ravaging the
territories of those cities which he failed to win over, decided now to cross
the frontiers of Eumenes whilst he was at a distance from home, engaged in
attacking the maritime cities of Lycia in conjunction with the Romans and
Rhodians. He began by threatening an attack on Elea, then abandoning the
siege he ravaged the surrounding district, and then went on to attack
Pergamum, the capital and stronghold of the kingdom. Attalus posted troops
in front of the city and sent forward skirmishers of cavalry and light infantry
to harass the enemy without meeting him in a regular engagement. When he
found in these encounters that he was in no way a match for his foe, he
retired within his walls and the investment of the city commenced. Antiochus
left Apamea just about this time and encamped first at Sardis and then at the
head of the Caicus, not far from Seleucus' camp, with a vast army drawn
from various nations, the most formidable of whom were the Gaulish
mercenaries, about 4000 strong. These, with a small admixture of other
troops, were sent to devastate every part of the territory of Pergamum. As
soon as news of this reached Samos, Eumenes, summoned home by this war
within his borders, sailed direct to Elea, where a body of cavalry and light
infantry were in readiness. Feeling himself safe with these, he hurried on to
Pergamum before the enemy were aware or had made any movement to
oppose him. Here again the fighting was confined to skirmishes, as Eumenes
firmly declined to risk a decisive action. A few days later the Roman and
Rhodian fleets moved from Samos to Elea to support the king. When
Antiochus received intelligence that troops were landed at Elea and that such
a large naval force was concentrated in a single harbour, and at the same
time learnt that the consul and his army were already in Macedonia, and that
all preparations were being made for crossing the Hellespont, he thought that
the time had come for discussing terms of peace, before he was beset both
by land and sea. There was some rising ground over against Elea, and he
selected this for the site of his camp. Leaving all his infantry there, and his
cavalry, of which he had 6000, he went down into the plain which extended
to the walls of Elea, and sent a herald to Aemilius to inform him that he
wished to open up negotiations for peace with him.
