History of Rome

​The other peoples of the Achaeans, when their opinions were asked in turn, confirmed the alliance with Attalus and the Rhodians by the present decree;

​the alliance with the Romans, because it could not be ratified without the order of the people, [was deferred] to that time, ​when ambassadors could be sent to Rome; for the present it was decided that three ambassadors should be sent to Lucius Quinctius, and that the entire army of the Achaeans should be moved to Corinth, since Cenchreae had already been captured and Quinctius was now besieging the city itself.

​And these indeed pitched their camp in the direction of the gate which leads to Sicyon; the Romans were attacking the part of the city turned toward Cenchreae, and Attalus, having transported his army across the Isthmus, from Lechaeum, the port of the other sea, at first rather slowly, hoping that there would be a sedition within between the townspeople and the king’s garrison.

​After they saw that all were of one mind, and that the Macedonians were defending it as if it were their common country, and the Corinthians were allowing Androsthenes, the commander of the garrison, to exercise authority over them no otherwise than as a citizen elected by their own vote, thenceforth all hope for the besiegers lay in force, arms, and siege works.

​From all sides, though access was by no means easy, earthworks were brought up to the walls.

​A battering ram, on the side which the Romans were attacking, had demolished a considerable portion of the wall; when the Macedonians ran together to protect that place with arms, because it was stripped of its defense, a fierce battle arose between them and the Romans.

​And at first, the Romans were easily driven back by numbers; but then, having received the auxiliary forces of the Achaeans and Attalus, they made the contest equal, and there was no doubt that they would have easily driven the Macedonians and Greeks from the place.

​There was a great multitude of Italian deserters, part of whom from Hannibal’s army had followed Philip out of fear of punishment by the Romans, while another part, being naval allies, had lately abandoned the fleets and gone over in the hope of a more honorable service; the despair of safety, if the Romans should win, kindled these men to madness rather than to boldness.

​There is a promontory of Juno, whom they call Acraea, projecting into the deep opposite to Sicyon; the passage thence to Corinth is about seven miles.

​Thither Philocles, himself also a royal officer, led fifteen hundred soldiers through Boeotia. Light boats from Corinth were ready at hand to receive this garrison and transport them to Lechaeum.

​Attalus advised that, after burning the siege works, the siege should be abandoned immediately; the Roman commander persisted more obstinately in his undertaking. But he too, when he saw the royal guards stationed before all the gates and that the assaults of those breaking out could not easily be sustained, yielded to the opinion of Attalus.

​Thus, the undertaking having failed, the Achaeans were dismissed and they returned to their ships. Attalus made for Piraeus, and the Romans for Corcyra.