36.14
Meantime the consul Manius Atilius had
landed with 10,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry and 15 elephants. He ordered the
military tribunes to take the infantry to Larisa, whilst he went with the
cavalry to join Philip at Limnaea. On the consul's arrival the place at once
surrendered and the garrison of Antiochus, together with the Athamanians,
were delivered up. From Limnaea the consul went on to Pellinaeum. Here
the Athamanians were the first to surrender, they were followed by the
Megalopolitan Philip. As he was leaving the fort, Philip of Macedon
happened to meet him, and ordered his men to salute him in mockery as
king, and, in a spirit of scorn quite unworthy of his own rank, addressed him
as "brother." When he was brought before the consul, he was ordered to be
kept a close prisoner, and not long afterwards was sent in chains to Rome.
All the Athamanian garrisons, as well as those of Antiochus, which had been
surrendered were handed over to Philip. They amounted to 4000 men. The
consul went on to Larisa to hold a council of war to decide as to future
operations, and on his route he was met by delegates from Cierium and
Metropolis, who offered the surrender of their cities. Philip was in hopes of
gaining possession of Athamania, and he treated his Athamanian prisoners
with special indulgence, with the design of winning their countrymen
through them. After sending them home he led his army into the country.
The account which the returned prisoners brought of the king's clemency and
generosity towards them produced a great effect upon their countrymen.
Had Amynander remained in his kingdom he might have kept some of his
subjects loyal by his personal authority, but the fear of being betrayed to his
old enemy Philip made him flee, together with his wife and children, to
Ambracia. The whole of Athamania in consequence submitted to Philip.
The consul remained a few days at Larisa, mainly in order to recruit
the horses and draught cattle, which owing to the voyage and the subsequent
marching had got out of condition. When his army was, so to speak,
renewed by the short rest, he marched to Crannon, and on his way he
received the surrender of Pharsalus, Scotusa and Pherae, together with the
garrisons which Antiochus had placed in them. These troops were asked
whether they would be willing to remain with him. A thousand volunteered,
and these he handed over to Philip; the rest he disarmed and sent back to
Demetrias. He next captured Proerna and the fortified posts in the
neighbourhood, and continued his march towards the Maliac Gulf. As he
approached the pass above which Thaumaci is situated, all the men who
could bear arms armed themselves, left the city and occupied the woods and
roads, and from their higher ground made attacks upon the Roman column
of march. The consul sent parties to approach them within speaking distance
and warn them against such madness, but when he saw that they persisted he
ordered a military tribune to work round them with two maniples and cut off
their retreat to the city, which in the absence of its defenders the consul
occupied. When they heard the shouts from the captured city behind them,
they fled back from all sides and were cut to pieces. The next day the consul
reached the Spercheus, and from there ravaged the fields of the Hypataeans.
