§18.44.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀπολλοδώρου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Κόιντον Ποπίλλιον καὶ Κόιντον Πόπλιον.
When Apollodorus was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed Quintus Popillius and Quintus Poplius as consuls.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Ἀντίγονος καταπεπολεμηκὼς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Εὐμενῆ ἔκρινε στρατεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν καὶ Ἄτταλον· οὗτοι γὰρ ὑπελείποντο τῶν Περδίκκου φίλων καὶ οἰκείων ἡγεμόνες μὲν ἀξιόλογοι, στρατιώτας δʼ ἔχοντες ἱκανοὺς ἀμφισβητῆσαι πραγμάτων.
During their term of office, Antigonus, having subdued the forces of Eumenes, decided to march against Alcetas and Attalus; for these were the survivors among the friends and relatives of Perdiccas, leaders of notable reputation, who possessed enough soldiers to dispute for the state.
ἀναζεύξας οὖν μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως ἐκ Καππαδοκίας προῆγεν ἐπὶ τὴν Πισιδικήν, ἐν ᾗ συνέβαινε διατρίβειν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν.
Having broken camp with his entire force, he therefore advanced from Cappadocia toward Pisidia, where Alcetas and his men happened to be tarrying.
§18.44.2ὀξεῖαν δὲ καὶ παντελῶς ἐπιτεταμένην τὴν πορείαν ποιησάμενος ἐν ἡμέραις ἑπτὰ καὶ ταῖς ἴσαις νυξὶ διήνυσε σταδίους δισχιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους εἰς τὴν ὀνομαζομένην Κρητῶν πόλιν.
Making his march rapid and completely strained, in seven days and as many nights he covered twenty-five hundred stades, arriving at the so-called City of the Cretons.
λαθὼν δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους διὰ τὴν ὀξύτητα τῆς πορείας καὶ γενόμενος πλησίον αὐτῶν ἀγνοούντων τὴν παρουσίαν ἔφθασεν ἀκρολοφίας τινὰς καὶ δυσχωρίας προκαταλαβόμενος.
Having eluded the enemy because of the speed of his march, and having arrived near them while they were ignorant of his presence, he succeeded in occupying beforehand certain ridges and difficult passes.
§18.44.3οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν πυθόμενοι τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν πολεμίων τὴν μὲν φάλαγγα ταχέως ἐξέταξαν, τοῖς δʼ ἱππεῦσι προσπεσόντες τοῖς τὴν ἀκρώρειαν προκατέχουσιν ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο βίᾳ κρατῆσαι καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκρολοφίας ἐκβαλεῖν.
When Alcetas and his men learned of the presence of the enemy, they quickly drew up their phalanx, and, falling upon the cavalry who had pre-occupied the ridge, they strove eagerly to overpower them by force and drive them from the heights.
§18.44.4γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ πολλῶν παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων πεσόντων ὁ μὲν Ἀντίγονος ἔχων ἱππεῖς ἑξακισχιλίους ἀπὸ κράτους ἤλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων φάλαγγα, σπεύδων ἀποκόψαι τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτην καταφυγήν.
Since a fierce battle took place and many fell on both sides, Antigonus, with six thousand cavalry, rode at full speed against the enemy's phalanx, eager to cut off for Alcetas and his men their retreat to it.
§18.44.5οὗ συντελεσθέντος οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκρωρείας ὄντες, πολὺ τοῖς τε πλήθεσιν ὑπερέχοντες καὶ τῇ δυσχωρίᾳ τῶν τόπων πλεονεκτοῦντες, ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς προσμαχομένους.
This having been accomplished, those on the ridge, being far superior in numbers and holding the advantage in the difficulty of the terrain, routed their assailants.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς καταφυγῆς ἀποκεκλεισμένοι, τῷ δὲ πλήθει τῶν πολεμίων εἰς μέσον ἀπειλημμένοι πρόδηλον εἶχον τὴν ἀπώλειαν.
But Alcetas and his men, shut off from their retreat to the infantry and cut off in the center by the multitude of the enemy, had their destruction clearly before them.
διὸ καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας δυσβοηθήτου γενομένης ὁ μὲν
Therefore, since their safety was also past remedy, on the one hand,