33.41
After
this discussion had been going on for some days, an unauthenticated rumour
reached them that Ptolemy was dead. This prevented any decision from
being arrived at; both parties pretended that they had heard nothing about it,
and L. Cornelius, whose mission extended to both Antiochus and Ptolemy,
asked for a short adjournment to allow of his obtaining an interview with
Ptolemy. His object was to land in Egypt before the new occupant of the
throne could initiate any change of policy. Antiochus, on the other hand, felt
certain that if he took possession of Egypt at once it would be his own, and
so, taking his leave of the Roman commissioners and leaving his son to
complete the restoration of Lysimachia, he sailed with the whole of his fleet
to Ephesus. From there he despatched envoys to Quinctius to lull his
suspicion and to assure him that he was not contemplating any new
departure. Coasting along the Asiatic shores he reached Patarae in Lycia and
there he learnt that Ptolemy was alive. He now abandoned all intention of
sailing to Egypt, but continued his voyage as far as Cyprus. When he had
rounded the promontory of Chelidoniae he was for some time delayed in
Pamphylia near the river Eurymedon by a mutiny amongst the crews. After
continuing his voyage as far as the co-called "heads" of the river Saros he
was overtaken by a terrible storm which engulfed nearly the whole of his
fleet. Many of the ships were wrecked, many ran aground, a large number
foundered so suddenly that none could swim to land. There was a very great
loss of life; not only nameless crowds of sailors and soldiers, but many
distinguished men, friends of the king, were amongst the victims. Antiochus
collected the remains of his shattered fleet, but as he was in no condition to
make an attempt on Cyprus he returned to Seleucia, much poorer in men and
material resources than when he started on his expedition. Here he had the
ships beached, for winter was close at hand, after which he went to Antioch
for the winter. Such was the position of affairs with regard to the two
monarchs.
