§10.30.1προαγόντων δὲ τούτων εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν, πολλῷ δυσχερεστέρας συνέβαινε φαίνεσθαι τὰς τῶν τόπων τραχύτητας καὶ στενότητας τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως προσδοκίας.
As these advanced forward, it happened that the roughness and narrowness of the terrain appeared far more difficult than the expectation of the king.
§10.30.2ἦν γὰρ τὸ μὲν ὅλον μῆκος τῆς ἀναβάσεως περὶ τριακοσίους σταδίους· ταύτης δὲ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος ἔδει ποιεῖσθαι τῆς πορείας διὰ χαράδρας χειμάρρου καὶ βαθείας, εἰς ἣν πολλαὶ μὲν αὐτομάτως ἐκ τῶν ὑπερκειμένων κρημνῶν πέτραι κατενηνεγμέναι καὶ δένδρα δύσβατον ἐποίουν τὴν διʼ αὐτῆς πορείαν, πολλὰ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος συνηργεῖτο.
For the entire length of the ascent was about three hundred stades; and the greatest part of this journey had to be made through a deep torrent-bed, into which many rocks and trees, having fallen naturally from the cliffs above, made the passage through it difficult, while many more obstacles had been added by the barbarians for this very purpose.
§10.30.3καὶ γὰρ ἐκκοπὰς δένδρων ἐπεποίηντο συνεχεῖς καὶ λίθων πλήθη μεγέθει διαφερόντων συνηθροίκεισαν· αὐτοί τε παρʼ ὅλην τὴν φάραγγα τὰς εὐκαίρους ὑπεροχὰς καὶ δυναμένας σφίσιν ἀσφάλειαν παρέχεσθαι κατειληφότες ἐτήρουν, ὥστʼ, εἰ μὴ διήμαρτον, ἐντελῶς ἂν ἐξαδυνατήσαντα τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἀποστῆναι τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.
For they had made continuous fellings of trees and had piled up quantities of stones of extraordinary size; and they themselves, having occupied the advantageous high grounds along the entire ravine which were capable of providing safety for them, kept watch, so that, if they had not made a mistake, they would have completely incapacitated Antiochus and forced him to abandon the enterprise.
§10.30.4ὡς γὰρ δέον τοὺς πολεμίους πάντας κατʼ ἀνάγκην ποιεῖσθαι διʼ αὐτῆς τῆς φάραγγος τὴν ἀνάβασιν, οὕτως παρεσκευάσαντο καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο κατελάβοντο τοὺς τόπους.
For, thinking that the enemy must of necessity all make their ascent through the ravine itself, they had prepared accordingly and occupied the posts for this purpose.
§10.30.5ἐκεῖνο δʼ οὐκ ἔβλεψαν ὅτι τὴν μὲν φάλαγγα καὶ τὴν ἀποσκευὴν οὐκ ἄλλως δυνατὸν ἦν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐκεῖνοι διέλαβον, ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πορείαν· πρὸς γὰρ τὰ παρακείμενα τῶν ὀρῶν οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἦν τούτοις προσβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ψιλοῖς καὶ τοῖς εὐζώνοις οὐκ ἀδύνατος ἦν ἡ διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν λευκοπέτρων ἀναβολή.
But they did not foresee this: that while it was impossible for the phalanx and the baggage to make their march in any other way than as they had imagined—for it was not possible for these to assault the adjoining parts of the mountains—yet for the light-armed and active troops, the ascent through the bare rocks themselves was not impossible.
§10.30.6ὅθεν ἅμα τῷ πρὸς τὸ πρῶτον φυλακεῖον προσμῖξαι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Διογένην, ἔξωθεν τῆς χαράδρας ποιουμένους τὴν ἀνάβασιν, ἀλλοιοτέραν ἐλάμβανε διάθεσιν.
Hence, as soon as the troops under Diogenes, making their ascent from outside the ravine, came into contact with the first outpost, the situation began to take on a different aspect.
§10.30.7εὐθέως γὰρ κατὰ τὴν συμπλοκὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος διδάσκοντος, ὑπερτιθέμενοι καὶ προσβαίνοντες πρὸς τὰ πλάγια τῶν χωρίων οἱ περὶ τὸν Διογένην, ὑπερδέξιοι τῶν πολεμίων ἐγίνοντο, καὶ χρώμενοι πυκνοῖς τοῖς ἀκοντίσμασι καὶ τοῖς ἐκ χειρὸς λίθοις κακῶς διετίθεσαν τοὺς βαρβάρους, καὶ μάλιστα ταῖς σφενδόναις ἐκακοποίουν ἐξ ἀποστήματος βάλλοντες.
For immediately upon the clash, as the event itself showed them what to do, Diogenes' men, climbing up and advancing towards the flanks of the positions, got above the enemy; and, using thick showers of javelins and hand-thrown stones, they harassed the barbarians, and especially with their slings they did great damage, discharging them from a distance.
§10.30.8ὅτε δὲ τοὺς πρώτους ἐκβιασάμενοι κατάσχοιεν τὸν τούτων τόπον, ἐδίδοτο τοῖς λειτουργοῖς καιρὸς εἰς τὸ πᾶν τὸ πρὸ ποδῶν ἀνακαθαίρειν καὶ λεαίνειν μετʼ ἀσφαλείας. ἐγίνετο δὲ τοῦτο ταχέως διὰ τὴν πολυχειρίαν.
And whenever they dislodged the first enemy and occupied their position, opportunity was given to the pioneers to clear away and level everything before them in safety; and this was done quickly owing to the large number of hands.
§10.30.9οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τῶν μὲν σφενδονητῶν καὶ τοξοτῶν ἔτι δʼ ἀκοντιστῶν κατὰ τοὺς ὑπερδεξίους τόπους πορευομένων σποράδην, ποτὲ δὲ συναθροιζομένων καὶ καταλαμβανομένων τοὺς εὐκαίρους τόπους, τῶν δʼ ἀσπιδιωτῶν ἐφεδρευόντων, καὶ παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν χαράδραν παραπορευομένων ἐν τάξει καὶ βάδην, οὐκ ἔμενον οἱ βάρβαροι, πάντες δὲ λιπόντες τοὺς τόπους ἡθροίσθησαν ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερβολήν.
Indeed, in this manner, while the slingers, archers, and also javelin-throwers advanced scattered over the higher ground, and at times assembled and occupied advantageous posts, and the shield-bearers remained in reserve, marching alongside the ravine itself in order and at a walking pace, the barbarians did not hold their ground, but all abandoned their positions and gathered at the pass.