38.12
Almost at the very time when M. Fulvius
was thus engaged in Aetolia, the other consul, Cneius Manlius, was warring
in Gallograecia. I will now proceed to narrate the events of this war. The
consul went to Ephesus at the beginning of spring and took over the troops
from L. Scipio. After holding a review of the army he addressed the soldiers.
He began by eulogising their valour in bringing the war with Antiochus to a
close in a single battle, and went on to encourage them to begin a fresh war
against the Gauls. This nation, he reminded them, had gone to the assistance
of Antiochus, and so intractable was their temper that the removal of
Antiochus beyond the Taurus would be useless unless the power of the
Gauls was broken. He concluded his address with a few sincere and
unaffected words about himself. The soldiers were delighted and frequently
applauded him; they looked upon the Gauls as simply a division of
Antiochus' army, and now that the king was overcome they did not think
that there would be much aggressive energy in the Gauls when left to
themselves. Eumenes was in Rome at the time and the consul regarded his
absence as ill-timed, since he was familiar with the country and the
population and was personally interested in the destruction of the power of
the Gauls. The consul sent, therefore, for his brother Attalus, who was at
Pergamum, and pressed him to take his part in the war. Attalus promised on
his own behalf and on that of his subjects to assist him, and was sent back to
muster troops. A few days later the consul advanced from Ephesus and was
met at Magnesia by Attalus with 1000 infantry and 500 cavalry. His brother
Athenaeus was under orders to follow with the rest of the forces, and the
defence of Pergamum was entrusted to men whom he believed to be loyal
subjects of their king. The consul warmly approved of the young man's
action and advanced with the whole of his forces to the Maeander. Here he
entrenched himself, and as the river was unfordable, vessels had to be
collected to carry the army over.
