43.21
L.
Coelius was commanding in Illyria. He did not venture to make any
movement while the king was in those parts, but after his departure he
attempted to recover Uscana from the Macedonians who were garrisoned
there. He was, however, repulsed, and a large number of his men were
wounded, and he led his force back to Lychnidus. A few days afterwards he
sent M. Trebellius Fregellanus with a fairly strong force into Penestia to
receive the hostages from those cities which had remained loyal, and then to
go on to the Parthini; they, too, had undertaken to furnish hostages. He
obtained them from both nations without trouble. Those from the Penestae
were sent to Apollonia; those from the Parthini to Dyrrhachium, better
known to the Greeks of that day as Epidamnus. Appius Claudius was eager
to wipe out the disgrace of his defeat in Illyria and proceeded to attack a
stronghold in Epirus. He had with him contingents of Chaonians and
Thesprotians, which with his Roman army amounted to 6000 men. The
attempt was a complete failure, as Clenas who had been left there by Perseus
had a strong force for defence.
Perseus advanced to Elimea and offered the purificatory sacrifices
for his army in its neighbourhood. He then marched to Stratus at the call of
the Epirots. Stratus was at that time the strongest city in Aetolia. It lies
beyond the Ambracian Gulf near the Inachus. Owing to the narrowness and
roughness of the roads, Perseus took a comparatively small force with him -10,000 infantry and 300 cavalry. In a three days' march he reached Mount
Citium which, owing to the deep snow, he had great difficulty in crossing,
and only after much trouble was he able to find a position for his camp.
Resuming his march, more because he could not stay where he was than
because the road or the weather made progress tolerable, he encamped the
next day, after much hardship and suffering, especially among the animals, at
a temple sacred to Jupiter, called Nicaeum. From there he made a very long
march to the River Arathus. The depth of the river necessitated his remaining
there until a bridge could be built. After his troops had crossed the river he
advanced a day's march and met Archidamus, an Aetolian magnate, through
whom Stratus was to be betrayed.
