§18.70.1οἱ δὲ Μεγαλοπολῖται γνόντες τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τοῦ Πολυπέρχοντος ἐψηφίσαντο τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας κατάγειν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, τῶν δὲ πολιτῶν καὶ ξένων καὶ δούλων ἀριθμὸν ποιησάμενοι μυρίους καὶ πεντακισχιλίους εὗρον τοὺς δυναμένους παρέχεσθαι τὰς πολεμικὰς χρείας.
When the Megalopolitans learned of the design of Polyperchon, they voted to bring in their property from the country into the city; and having made a census of the citizens, foreigners, and slaves, they found that those who were able to perform military services numbered fifteen thousand.
εὐθὺς οὖν τοὺς μὲν εἰς τάξεις κατελόχιζον, οὓς δὲ πρὸς τὰς ὑπηρεσίας τοῖς ἔργοις καθίστανον, οὓς δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν τειχῶν ἔταττον.
Immediately, therefore, they enrolled some in companies, assigned others to services in the works, and stationed others for the care of the walls.
§18.70.2ὑφʼ ἕνα δὲ καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν οἱ μὲν περὶ τὴν πόλιν τάφρον ὤρυττον βαθεῖαν, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας χάρακα παρεκόμιζον, τινὲς δὲ τὰ πεπονηκότα τῶν τειχῶν κατεσκεύαζον, ἄλλοι δὲ περὶ τὰς ὁπλοποιίας καὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν ὀξυβελῶν καταπελτῶν ἐγίνοντο, πᾶσα δʼ ἡ πόλις ἐν ἔργοις καθειστήκει διά τε τὴν προθυμίαν τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ διὰ τοὺς προσδοκωμένους κινδύνους·
At one and the same time, some dug a deep trench around the city, others brought in palisades from the country, some repaired the damaged parts of the walls, and others busied themselves with the manufacture of arms and the construction of catapults for shooting sharp arrows; and the whole city was set to work because of the enthusiasm of the men and because of the expected dangers.
§18.70.3διεβεβόητο γὰρ τό τε μέγεθος τῆς βασιλικῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν συνακολουθούντων ἐλεφάντων καὶ δοκούντων ἀνυπόστατον ἔχειν τήν τε ἀλκὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὁρμήν.
For rumors had spread far and wide of the size of the royal force and the number of elephants accompanying it, which were thought to possess irresistible strength and bodily momentum.
§18.70.4ταχὺ δὲ πάντων εὐτρεπῶν γενομένων ὁ μὲν Πολυπέρχων ἧκε μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ πλησίον τῆς πόλεως ἐστρατοπέδευσε δύο θέμενος παρεμβολάς, τὴν μὲν τῶν Μακεδόνων, τὴν δὲ τῶν συμμάχων.
When everything was quickly made ready, Polyperchon arrived with his entire army and encamped near the city, establishing two camps, one of the Macedonians and the other of the allies.
κατασκευάσας δὲ πύργους ξυλίνους ὑψηλοτέρους τῶν τειχῶν προσῆγε τῇ πόλει κατὰ τοὺς εὐθέτους τόπους καὶ βέλη παντοδαπὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους ἐπιστήσας ἀνέστελλε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἀντιτεταγμένους.
Having constructed wooden towers higher than the walls, he brought them up to the city at the convenient places; and having placed on them missiles of all kinds and fighting men, he drove back those who were drawn up on the battlements.
§18.70.5ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις διὰ τῶν μεταλλευόντων ὑπορύξας τὰ τείχη καὶ τὰς στήριγγας ἐμπρήσας κατέβαλε τρεῖς πύργους τοὺς μεγίστους καὶ μεσοπύργια τὰ ἴσα.
While these things were being done, he undermined the walls by means of miners, and having set fire to the wooden props, he overthrew three of the largest towers and an equal length of the curtain walls between them.
μεγάλου δὲ τοῦ πτώματος καὶ παραδόξου γενομένου τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀνεβόησεν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν διὰ τὴν δεινότητα τῆς πράξεως κατεπλάγησαν.
Since the collapse was great and unexpected, the multitude of Macedonians shouted aloud, while those in the city were struck with terror at the dreadfulness of the event.
§18.70.6ἔνθα δὴ τῶν Μακεδόνων διὰ τοῦ πτώματος εἰσπιπτόντων εἰς τὴν πόλιν οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται διεῖλον σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τῷ μὲν ἑνὶ μέρει τοὺς πολεμίους ὑποστάντες καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ πτώματι δυσχωρίαν συνεργὸν ἔχοντες καρτερὰν μάχην συνίσταντο, τῷ δʼ ἑτέρῳ χάρακι διελάμβανον τὸν ἐντὸς τοῦ πτώματος τόπον καὶ τεῖχος ἕτερον ἀντῳκοδόμουν, συνεχῶς ἐργαζόμενοι καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτωρ.
Then, as the Macedonians were rushing into the city through the breach, the Megalopolitans divided themselves: with one part they withstood the enemy, and having the rough ground in the breach as an ally, they maintained a stiff fight, while with the other they blocked off the space inside the breach with a palisade and built another wall opposite it, working continuously day and night.
§18.70.7ταχὺ δὲ τῶν ἔργων συντελουμένων διά τε τὴν πολυχειρίαν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος· τῆς εἰς ἅπαντα παρασκευῆς τὸ μὲν διὰ τοῦ πτώματος ἐλάττωμα συντόμως οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται διωρθώσαντο, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ξυλίνων πύργων ἀγωνιζομένους τοῖς τε ὀξυβελέσι καταπέλταις ἐχρῶντο καὶ τοῖς σφενδονήταις καὶ τοξόταις πολλοὺς τῶν πολεμίων κατετίτρωσκον.
Since the works were quickly completed because of the large number of hands and the abundance of preparation of every kind, the Megalopolitans quickly repaired the damage caused by the breach; and against those who were fighting from the wooden towers they used their catapults for shooting sharp arrows, and with their slingers and archers they wounded many of the enemy.