34.28
As his
preparations were now completed, Quinctius broke up his camp and on the
second day reached Sellasia on the river Oenus, the place where Antigonus,
King of Macedon, was said to have fought with Cleomenes, tyrant of the
Lacedaemonians. On hearing that the descent into the valley was by a
difficult and narrow path, he sent an advance party by a short circuit over the
heights to make a road, and thus by a fairly broad and open route he arrived
at the Eurotas, which flows almost under the very walls of Sparta. Whilst the
Romans were measuring out the site of their camp, and Quinctius had ridden
forward with some infantry and cavalry, they were attacked by the tyrant's
auxiliary troops. They were not prepared for anything of the kind, as they
had met with no opposition on their march; the country through which they
passed might have been a friendly territory. For some time there was
considerable confusion, the cavalry calling for help from the infantry and the
infantry from the cavalry, no man feeling any confidence in himself. At last
the standards of the legions appeared in sight, and then those who a moment
before had been spreading alarm were now driven in disorder back to the
city. The Romans fell back just beyond the range of missiles from the walls
and stood for some time in line of battle, but as none of the enemy came out
against them they returned to camp. The next day Quinctius led his army
along the river past the city to the foot of Mount Menelaus. The legionary
cohorts marched in front and the light infantry and the cavalry closed the
column. Nabis was keeping his mercenaries, his sole hope, drawn up under
their standards inside the city wall, ready to attack the Roman rear.
As soon as the end of the column had gone by they made the same
tumultuous dash as on the previous day from different points. Appius was in
command of the rear and had told his men beforehand what to expect. He
rapidly faced about, and bringing the whole column into line presented an
unbroken front to the enemy. So the two armies met one another in battle
order, and for some time there was a regular action. At length Nabis' men
began to waver and finally took to flight. The rout would not have been so
complete had not the Achaeans who were pursuing them been familiar with
the country. They inflicted heavy losses upon them and deprived most of the
scattered fugitives of their arms. Quinctius fixed his camp near Amyclae.
This city lay in a populous and fertile district and he laid the whole of it
waste. None of the enemy, however, ventured outside their gates, and he
shifted his camp to the bank of the Eurotas and from there he carried
devastation throughout the district which stretched from the foot of
Taygetus to the sea.
