138-78 B.C. page 11
Observing that the enemy's
division, called the Brazen Shields, were making their way up thither,
Sylla was willing to take first possession, and by the vigorous
efforts of the soldiers, succeeded. Archelaus, driven from hence, bent
his forces upon Chaeronea.
The Chaeroneans who bore arms in the
Roman camp beseeching Sylla not to abandon the city, he despatched
Gabinius, a tribune, with one legion, and sent out also the
Chaeroneans, who endeavoured, but were not able to get in before
Gabinius; so active was he, and more zealous to bring relief than
those who had entreated it. Juba writes that Ericius was the man sent,
not Gabinius. Thus narrowly did our native city escape.
From Lebadea and the cave of Trophonius there came favourable
rumours and prophecies of victory to the Romans, of which the
inhabitants of those places gave a fuller account, but as Sylla
himself affirms in the tenth book of his Memoirs, Quintus Titius, a
man of some repute among the Romans who were engaged in mercantile
business in Greece, came to him after the battle won at Chaeronea, and
declared that Trophonius had foretold another fight and victory on the
place, within a short time.
After him a soldier, by name Salvenius,
brought an account from the god of the future issue of affairs in
Italy. As to the vision, they both agreed in this, that they had
seen one who in stature and in majesty was similar to Jupiter
Olympius.
Sylla, when he had passed over the Assus, marching under the Mount
Hedylium, encamped close to Archelaus, who had intrenched himself
strongly between the mountains Acontium and Hedylium, close to what
are called the Assia. The place of his intrenchment is to this day
named from him, Archelaus.
Sylla, after one day's respite, having left
Murena behind him with one legion and two cohorts to amuse the enemy
with continual alarms, himself went and sacrificed on the banks of
Cephisus, and the holy rites ended, held on towards Chaeronea to
receive the forces there and view Mount Thurium, where a party of
the enemy had posted themselves.
This is a craggy height running up in
a conical form to a point called by us Orthopagus; at the foot of it
is the river Morius and the temple of Apollo Thurius. The god had
his surname from Thuro, mother of Chaeron, whom ancient record makes
founder of Chaeronea. Others assert that the cow, which Apollo gave to
Cadmus for a guide, appeared there, and that the place took its name
from the beast, Thor being the Phoenician word for cow.
At Sylla's approach to Chaeronea, the tribune who had been appointed
to guard the city led out his men in arms, and met him with a
garland of laurel in his hand; which Sylla accepting, and at the
same time saluting the soldiers and animating them to the encounter,
two men of Chaeronea, Homoloichus and Anaxidamus, presented themselves
before him, and offered, with a small party, to dislodge those who
were posted on Thurium.
For there lay a path out of sight of the
barbarians, from what is called Petrochus along by the Museum, leading
right down from above upon Thurium. By this way it was easy to fall
upon them and either stone them from above or force them down into the
plain. Sylla, assured of their faith and courage by Gabinius, bade
them proceed with the enterprise, and meantime drew up the army, and
disposing the cavalry on both wings, himself took command of the
right; the left being committed to the direction of Murena. In the
rear of all, Galba and Hortensius, his lieutenants, planted themselves
on the upper grounds with the cohorts of reserve, to watch the motions
of the enemy, who, with numbers of horse and swift-footed, light-armed
infantry, were noticed to have so formed their wing as to allow it
readily to change about and alter its position, and thus gave reason
for suspecting that they intended to carry it far out and so to
inclose the Romans.