138-78 B.C. page 10
Not long after, Sylla won the Piraeus, and burnt most of it; amongst
the rest, Philo's arsenal, a work very greatly admired.
In the meantime Taxiles, Mithridates's general, coming down from
Thrace and Macedon, with an army of one hundred thousand foot, ten
thousand horse, and ninety chariots, armed with scythes at the wheels,
would have joined Archelaus, who lay with a navy on the coast near
Munychia, reluctant to quit the sea, and yet unwilling to engage the
Romans in battle, but desiring to protract the war and cut off the
enemy's supplies.
Which Sylla perceiving much better than himself,
passed with his forces into Boeotia, quitting a barren district
which was inadequate to maintain an army even in time of peace. He was
thought by some to have taken false measures in thus leaving Attica, a
rugged country, and ill suited for cavalry to move in, and entering
the plain and open fields of Boeotia, knowing as he did the
barbarian strength to consist most in horses and chariots.
But as
was said before, to avoid famine and scarcity, he (Taxiles) was forced to run
the risk of a battle. Moreover he was in anxiety for Hortensius, a
bold and active officer, whom on his way to Sylla with forces from
Thessaly, the barbarians awaited in the straits. For these reasons
Sylla drew off into Boeotia. Hortensius, meantime, was conducted by
Caphis, our countryman, another way unknown to the barbarians, by
Parnassus, just under Tithora, which was then not so large a town as
it is now, but a mere fort, surrounded by steep precipices whither the
Phocians also, in old times, when flying from the invasion of
Xerxes, carried themselves and their goods and were saved.
Hortensius,
encamping here, kept off the enemy by day, and at night descending
by difficult passages to Patronis, joined the forces of Sylla who came
to meet him. Thus united they posted themselves on a fertile hill in
the middle of the plain of Elatea, shaded with trees and watered at
the foot. It is called Philoboeotus, and its situation and natural
advantages are spoken of with great admiration by Sylla.
As they lay thus encamped, they seemed to the enemy a contemptible
number, for there were not above fifteen hundred horse, and less
than fifteen thousand foot. Therefore the rest of the commanders,
over-persuading Archelaus and drawing up the army, covered the plain
with horses, chariots, bucklers, targets.
The clamour and cries of
so many nations forming for battle rent the air, nor was the pomp
and ostentation of their costly array altogether idle and
unserviceable for terror; for the brightness of their armour,
embellished magnificently with gold and silver, and the rich colours
of their Median and Scythian coats, intermixed with brass and
shining steel, presented a flaming and terrible sight as they swayed
about and moved in their ranks, so much so that the Romans shrunk
within their trenches, and Sylla, unable by any arguments to remove
their fear, and unwilling to force them to fight against their
wills, was fain to sit down in quiet, ill-brooking to become the
subject of barbarian insolence and laughter.
This, however, above
all advantaged him, for the enemy, from contemning of him, fell into
disorder amongst themselves, being already less thoroughly under
command, on account of the number of their leaders. Some few of them
remained within the encampment, but others, the major part, lured
out with hopes of prey and rapine, strayed about the country many
days' journey from the camp, and are related to have destroyed the
city of Panope, to have plundered Lebadea, and robbed the oracle
without any orders from their commanders.
Sylla, all this while, chafing and fretting to see the cities all
around destroyed, suffered not the soldiery to remain idle, but
leading them out, compelled them to divert the Cephisus from its
ancient channel by casting up ditches, and giving respite to none,
showed himself rigorous in punishing the remiss, that growing weary of
labour, they might be induced by hardship to embrace danger. Which
fell out accordingly, for on the third day, being hard at work as
Sylla passed by, they begged and clamoured to be led against the
enemy.
Sylla replied, that this demand of war proceeded rather from
a backwardness to labour than any forwardness to fight, but if they
were in good earnest martially inclined, he bade them take their
arms and get up thither, pointing to the ancient citadel of the
Parapotamians, of which at present, the city being laid waste, there
remained only the rocky hill itself, steep and craggy on all sides,
and severed from Mount Hedylium by the breadth of the river Assus,
which, running between, and at the bottom of the same hill falling
into the Cephisus with an impetuous confluence, makes this eminence
a strong position for soldiers to occupy.