§7.1ἐκ τούτου δόξαν ἔσχεν, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς, ὁ Φιλοποίμην, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Ἀντιγόνου σπουδάσαντος ὅπως στρατεύοιτο μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διδόντος ἡγεμονίαν καὶ χρήματα, παρῃτήσατο, μάλιστα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φύσιν καταμαθὼν πρὸς τὸ ἄρχεσθαι δυσκόλως καὶ χαλεπῶς ἔχουσαν, ἀργεῖν δὲ καὶ σχολάζειν οὐ βουλόμενος ἀσκήσεως ἕνεκα καὶ μελέτης τῶν πολεμικῶν εἰς Κρήτην ἔπλευσεν ἐπὶ στρατείαν.
From this Philopoemen obtained renown, as was natural; and although Antigonus was eager that he should campaign with him, and offered him command and money, he declined, chiefly because he had observed that his own nature was disinclined to and impatient of being ruled. But not wishing to remain idle and at leisure, for the sake of training and practice in military matters, he sailed to Crete for a campaign.
§7.2κἀκεῖ συχνὸν χρόνον ἐγγυμνασάμενος ἀνδράσι μαχίμοις καὶ ποικίλοις μεταχειρίσασθαι πόλεμον, ἔτι δὲ σώφροσι καὶ κεκολασμένοις περὶ δίαιταν, ἐπανῆλθεν οὕτω λαμπρὸς εἰς τοὺς Ἀχαιούς ὥστε εὐθὺς ἵππαρχος ἀποδειχθῆναι.
And having trained himself there for a long time with men who were warlike and versatile in conducting war, and moreover, temperate and disciplined in their way of life, he returned to the Achaeans in such brilliant fashion that he was immediately appointed cavalry commander.
§7.3παραλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς ἱππεῖς φαύλοις μὲν ἱππαρίοις ἐκ τοῦ προστυχόντος, ὅτε συμβαίνοι στρατεία, προσχρωμένους, αὐτοὺς δὲ τὰς πολλὰς τῶν στρατειῶν ἀποδιδράσκοντας, ἑτέρους δὲ πέμποντας ἀνθʼ ἑαυτῶν, δεινὴν δὲ ἀπειρίαν μετὰ ἀτολμίας πάντων οὖσαν, περιορῶντας δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἀεὶ διά τε τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς τοὺς ἱππεῖς δύνασθαι καὶ μάλιστα κυρίους εἶναι τιμῆς καὶ κολάσεως,
But when he took over the cavalry, he found them using poor, makeshift horses whenever a campaign occurred, themselves running away from most of the campaigns, sending others in their stead, with an awful lack of experience combined with cowardice among them all, while the commanders always overlooked these things because the cavalry had the greatest power among the Achaeans and was most sovereign over honor and punishment.
§7.4οὐχ ὑπεῖξεν οὐδὲ ἀνῆκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἐπιών καὶ κατʼ ἄνδρα τῶν νέων ἕκαστον ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν συνεξορμῶν, καὶ κολάζων τοὺς ἀνάγκης δεομένους, μελέταις τε καὶ πομπαῖς καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἁμίλλαις χρώμενος, ὅπου πλεῖστοι θεᾶσθαι μέλλοιεν, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πᾶσι ῥώμην τε θαυμαστὴν καὶ προθυμίαν παρέστησε καὶ, §7.5ὃ μέγιστον ἦν ἐν τοῖς τακτικοῖς, ἐλαφροὺς καὶ ὀξεῖς πρός τε τὰς κατʼ οὐλαμὸν ἐπιστροφὰς καὶ περισπασμοὺς καὶ τὰς καθʼ ἵππον ἐπιστροφὰς καὶ κλίσεις ἀπειργάσατο, καὶ συνείθισεν ὡς ἑνὶ σώματι κινουμένῳ καθʼ ὁρμὴν ἑκούσιον ἐοικέναι τὴν ὅλου τοῦ συστήματος ἐν ταῖς μεταβολαῖς εὐχέρειαν.
He did not give way nor relax, but went about the cities and personally incited each of the young men to emulation, punishing those who needed constraint, and by employing exercises, parades, and competitions against one another where the greatest number of people were likely to watch, in a short time he inspired wonderful strength and eagerness in them all, and, what was most important in tactics, made them light and quick in wheeling and deploying by squadrons, and in individual horse-turns and inclinations, and accustomed the ease of movement of the whole system in maneuvers to resemble a single body moving by a voluntary impulse.
§7.6συστάσης δὲ τῆς περὶ τὸν Λάρισσον αὐτοῖς ποταμὸν ἰσχυρᾶς μάχης πρός Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ Ἠλείους, ὁ τῶν Ἠλείων ἵππαρχος Δαμόφαντος ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὸν Φιλοποίμενα προεξελάσας.
And when a fierce battle took place for them against the Aetolians and Eleans near the river Larissus, Damophantus, the cavalry commander of the Eleans, charged against Philopoemen, riding out in front.
δεξάμενος δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐκεῖνος αὐτοῦ καὶ φθάσας τῷ δόρατι παίει καὶ καταβάλλει τὸν Δαμόφαντον.
But receiving his charge, Philopoemen forestalled him by striking with his spear and cast Damophantus down.
§7.7εὐθὺς δὲ τούτου πεσόντος ἔφυγον οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ λαμπρὸς ἦν ὁ Φιλοποίμην, ὡς οὔτε κατὰ χεῖρα τῶν νέων τινὸς οὔτε συνέσει τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀπολειπόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάχεσθαι καὶ στρατηγεῖν ἱκανώτατος.
And as soon as he fell, the enemy fled, and Philopoemen was brilliant, as falling short neither of any of the young in strength of hand nor of the elders in wisdom, but being most capable both of fighting and of commanding.