44.36
It was
past the summer solstice and the time of day was approaching noon; the
march had been made amidst clouds of dust and under a burning sun.
Lassitude and thirst were already felt, and it was certain that both would be
aggravated at high noon. The consul was determined not to expose his men
while thus suffering to an enemy who was fresh and in full vigour. But such
was the eagerness of the men for battle under any circumstances that it
needed as much skill on the part of the consul to beguile his own men as to
deceive the enemy. The battle line was not completely formed, and he urged
the military tribunes to hasten its formation; he rode round the ranks and
fired the spirits of the men by his words. On this they at first eagerly
demanded the signal for battle; then under the increasing heat their faces
showed less animation and their voices became weaker; some hung over
their shields and propped themselves up with their spears. Now at last he
gave the order to the centurions of the first rank to mark out the front line
for a camp and to deposit the baggage. When the soldiers became aware of
what was happening, some openly expressed their delight that he had not
compelled them to fight, exhausted as they were with the toilsome march
and the intense heat. The staff officers and the commandants of the foreign
contingents, Attalus amongst them, were standing round the
commander-in-chief and unanimously approving of what they thought was
his decision, namely, to give battle. Not even to them had he disclosed his
intention of delaying action. The sudden change of plan made nearly all of
them silent. Nasica alone had the courage to admonish the consul not to do
as former commanders had done, and by avoiding battle let the enemy slip
through his fingers. If Perseus got away in the night, he was afraid that
infinite trouble and danger would be incurred in following him into the heart
of Macedonia, and they would spend the summer as previous generals had
done, in feeling their way through the passes and tracks of the Macedonian
mountains. He strongly advised the consul to attack the enemy while he had
him in level and open country, and not to lose the proffered chance of
victory. The consul was not at all offended at the frank admonition of so
distinguished a youth. "Nasica," he replied, "I, too, once felt as you do now,
and one day you will feel as I do now. I have learnt, through the many
accidents of war, when to fight and when to abstain from fighting. I have no
time now, standing as I am at the head of the line, to explain to you why it is
better to rest today. Ask me for my reasons some other time; for the time
being you will be content to submit to the authority of a veteran
commander." The young man was silent; he was sure that his general saw
some impediments in the way of a battle which were not apparent to him.