31.39
The
consul was resting when the news was brought to him of the arrival of the
herald and the reason of his coming. All his reply was that an interview
would be granted on the following morning. This was just what Philip
wanted, as it gave him the night and a part of the following day in which to
get the start of his opponent. He took the road over the mountains, which he
knew that the Roman general would not attempt with his heavy column. At
daybreak the consul granted the armistice and dismissed the herald and not
long afterwards became aware that the enemy had disappeared. Not knowing
in what direction to follow him he spent some days in camp, collecting corn.
Then he marched to Stuberra and gathered out of Pelagonia the corn which
was in the fields. From there he advanced to Pluinna without, so far,
discovering the route which the enemy had taken. Philip at first fixed his
camp at Bryanium and then advancing by cross-roads created a sudden alarm
amongst the enemy. The Romans in consequence left Pluinna and encamped
by the river Osphagus. The king pitched his camp not far away by a river
which the natives call Erigonus, and carried his intrenchment along the bank.
Then, having definitely ascertained that the Romans intended to march to
Eordaea, he determined to anticipate them and occupied a narrow pass with
the object of making it impossible for the enemy to pass through it. He
barricaded it in various ways, in some parts with rampart, in others with
fosse, in other places with piled-up stones to serve as a wall, and elsewhere
with tree-trunks as the nature of the ground or the materials allowed, until,
as he believed, he had made a road which was naturally difficult, absolutely
impassable by the obstacles which he had placed across every exit. The
country was mostly forest, difficult for troops to work in, especially for the
Macedonian phalanx, for unless they can make a kind of chevaux de frise
with the extraordinarily long spears which they hold in front of their shields -and this requires a free and open space -they are of no use whatever. The
Thracians with their pikes, which were also of an enormous length, were
hampered and obstructed by the branches on all sides. The Cretan cohort
was the only one that was of any service, and this only to a very limited
extent, for though when attacked by an unprotected horse and rider they
could discharge their arrows with effect, there was not sufficient force in
their missiles to penetrate the Roman shields nor was there any exposed part
of the body at which they could take aim. Finding therefore that mode of
attack useless, they pelted the enemy with the stones which were lying all
over the ravine. This caused more noise than injury, but the drumming on
their shields checked the advance of the Romans for a few minutes. They
soon ceased to pay any attention to them, and some of them forming a
shield-roof over their heads forced their way through the enemy in front,
while others by making a short circuit gained the crest of the hill and drove
the Macedonians from their posts of observation. Escape was almost
impossible on such difficult ground, and the greater number were slain.
