27.32
The
first day of their advance in the enemy's country was spent in plunder and
destruction. The next day they marched in battle array towards the city, the
cavalry having been sent forward to provoke the Aetolians to fight, which
they were perfectly ready to do. The invaders were unaware that Sulpicius
had sailed across from Naupactus to Cyllene with fifteen ships and landed
4000 men who had entered Elis in the night. As soon as they recognised the
standards and arms of Rome amongst the Aetolians and Eleans, the
unlooked-for sight filled them with great alarm. At first the king wanted to
retire his men, but they were already engaged with the Aetolians and
Trallians -an Illyrian tribe -and as he saw that they were being hard pressed,
he charged the Roman cohort with his cavalry. His horse was wounded by a
javelin and fell, throwing the king over its head, and a fierce contest began,
on both sides, the Romans making desperate efforts to reach him and his
own men doing their best to protect him. Compelled as he was to fight on
foot amongst mounted men, he showed conspicuous courage. The struggle
became at length an unequal one, many were falling round him and many
were wounded, and he was seized by his own men and placed on another
horse on which he fled. That day he fixed his camp about five miles from
Elis; the following day he led the whole of his force to a fortified place called
Pyrgon. This was a fort belonging to the Eleans, and he had been informed
that a large number of peasants with their cattle had taken refuge there
through fear of being plundered. Destitute as they were of organisation and
arms, the mere fact of his approach filled them with terror and they were all
made prisoners. This booty was some compensation for his humiliating
defeat at Elis. Whilst he was distributing the spoil and the captives -there
were 4000 prisoners and 20,000 head of cattle large and small -a messenger
arrived from Macedonia stating that a certain Eropus had taken Lychnidos
after bribing the commandant of the garrison, that he was in possession of
some villages belonging to the Dassaretii and was also making the
Dardanians restless. Philip at once abandoned hostilities with the Aetolians
and prepared to return home. He left a force of 2500 of all arms under the
command of Menippus and Polyphantas to protect his allies, and taking his
route through Achaia and Boeotia, and across Euboea, he arrived at
Demetrias in Thessaly on the tenth day after his departure from Dymae.