32.13
On the
first day of his retreat the king reached a place called Pyrrhus' Camp in
Molossian Triphylia. The next day he gained the Lycnon range, a
tremendous march for his army, but their fears urged them on. This range is
in Epirus and divides it from Macedonia on the north and Thessaly on the
east. The mountain sides are clothed with dense forests and the summits
form a wide table-land with perennial streams. Here the king remained
encamped for several days, unable to make up his mind whether to go
straight back to his kingdom or whether it would be possible for him first to
make an incursion into Thessaly. He decided to march his army down into
Thessaly and proceeded by the nearest route to Tricca, from which place he
visited the surrounding cities in rapid succession. The men who were able to
follow him were compelled to quit their homes and the towns were burnt.
All the property they could carry with them they were allowed to take away,
the rest became the booty of the soldiers. There was no cruelty that they
could have suffered from an enemy greater than that which they experienced
from their allies. These measures were extremely distasteful to Philip, but as
the country would soon be in possession of the enemy he was determined to
keep the persons, at all events, of his allies out of their hands. The towns
which were thus devastated were Phacium, Iresiae, Euhydrium, Eretria and
Palaepharsalus. At Pherae the gates were closed against him, and as a siege
would have caused considerable delay and he had no time to lose, he gave up
the attempt and marched into Macedonia.
His retreat was hastened by the news of the approach of the
Aetolians. When they heard of the battle which had taken place near the
Aous, the Aetolians ravaged the country nearest to them round Sperchiae,
and Macra Come, as it is called, and then crossing the frontiers of Thessaly
they gained possession of Cymene and Angea at the first assault. Whilst they
were devastating the fields round Metropolis the townsmen who had
mustered in force to defend their walls inflicted a repulse upon them. In an
attack upon Callithera they met with similar resistance, but after an obstinate
struggle they drove the defenders back within their walls. As there was no
hope whatever of their effecting the capture of the place, they had to content
themselves with this success. They next attacked the villages of Theuma and
Celathara, which they plundered. Acharrae they gained by surrender; at
Xyniae the terrified peasants fled and after thus abandoning their homes fell
in with a detachment of Aetolians who were marching to Thaumaci to
protect their foragers. The unarmed and helpless crowd were slaughtered by
the armed soldiery and the abandoned Xyniae was sacked. Then the
Aetolians took Cyphaera, a stronghold commanding Dolopia. These
successful operations were rapidly carried out in a few days.
