36.10
These
successes he accomplished within ten days of his appearance before Pherae.
Continuing his march with the whole of his army he reached Crannon, which
he took immediately on his arrival. He next secured Cierium and Metropolis
and the various forts in their neighbourhood, and by this time every part of
that district with the exception of Atrax and Gyrto was in his power. His
next objective was Larisa, where he expected that either the dread of
meeting the fate of the other towns taken by storm or gratitude for his free
dismissal of their garrison or the example of so many cities voluntarily
surrendering would dissuade them from an obstinate resistance. In order to
intimidate the defenders he had his elephants driven in front of the line, the
army following in order of battle up to the city. The sight made a great many
of the Lariseans waver between fear of the enemy at their gates and fear of
being false to their distant allies. During this time Amynander and his
Athamanians seized Pellinaeum, and Menippus advancing into Perrhaebia
with an Aetolian force of 3000 infantry and 200 cavalry took Malloea and
Cyretiae by storm and ravaged the territory of Tripolis. After these rapid
successes they returned to the king at Larisa and found him holding a council
of war to decide what should be done about the city. There was considerable
diversity of opinion. Some were in favour of an immediate assault as the city
was situated in a plain open on all sides to an approach over level ground,
and they urged that there should be no delay in constructing siege works and
bringing up artillery to attack the walls on all sides simultaneously. Others
reminded the council that there was no comparison between the strength of
this city and that of Pherae; besides, it was now winter, a season quite
unsuitable for warlike operations, most of all so for investing and assaulting
a city. While the king was uncertain as to whether there was most to be
hoped or feared from the attempt, delegates from Pharsalus arrived to tender
the submission of their city and this raised his spirits. M. Baebius had in the
meanwhile met Philip at Dassaretiae and they both agreed that Ap. Claudius
should be sent to protect Larisa. Claudius traversed Macedonia by forced
marches and gained the summit of the ridge which looks down on Gonni, a
place twenty miles distant from Larisa at the head of the Vale of Tempe.
Here he marked out a camp of greater extent than the force with him
required, and kindled more numerous fires than were needed in order to give
the enemy the impression that the entire Roman army was there together
with Philip. Antiochus withdrew from Larisa the very next day and returned
to Demetrias, alleging the approach of winter as the reason for his retreat.
The Aetolians and the Athamanians also retired within their own frontiers.
Although Appius saw that the purpose of his march, the raising of the siege,
was effected he nevertheless went on to Larisa to reassure his allies as to the
future. They were doubly delighted, first at the withdrawal of the enemy
from their soil and then at the sight of Roman troops within their walls.
