§18.25.1γενομένης δὲ τῆς ἐξ ἀμφοῖν συμπτώσεως μετὰ βίας καὶ κραυγῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης, ὡς ἂν ἀμφοτέρων ὁμοῦ συναλαλαζόντων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς τῆς μάχης ἐπιβοώντων τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις, ἦν τὸ γινόμενον ἐκπληκτικὸν καὶ παραστατικὸν ἀγωνίας. §18.25.2τὸ μὲν οὖν δεξιὸν τοῦ Φιλίππου λαμπρῶς ἀπήλλαττε κατὰ τὸν κίνδυνον, ἅτε καὶ τὴν ἔφοδον ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου ποιούμενον καὶ τῷ βάρει τῆς συντάξεως ὑπερέχον καὶ τῇ διαφορᾷ τοῦ καθοπλισμοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν χρείαν πολὺ παραλλάττον· §18.25.3τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέρη τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῷ τὰ μὲν ἐχόμενα τῶν κινδυνευόντων ἐν ἀποστάσει τῶν πολεμίων ἦν, τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν εὐωνύμων ἄρτι διηνυκότα τὰς ὑπερβολὰς ἐπεφαίνετο τοῖς ἄκροις. §18.25.4ὁ δὲ Τίτος, θεωρῶν οὐ δυναμένους τοὺς παρʼ αὑτοῦ στέγειν τὴν τῆς φάλαγγος ἔφοδον, ἀλλʼ ἐκπιεζουμένους τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν εὐωνύμων, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπολωλότας ἤδη, τοὺς δʼ ἐπὶ πόδα ποιουμένους τὴν ἀναχώρησιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς δεξιοῖς μέρεσι καταλειπομένας τῆς σωτηρίας τὰς ἐλπίδας, §18.25.5ταχέως ἀφορμήσας πρὸς τούτους, καὶ συνθεασάμενος [τῆς] τῶν πολεμίων τὰ μὲν συνεχῆ τοῖς διαγωνιζομένοις, τὰ δʼ ἐκ τῶν ἄκρων ἀκμὴν ἐπικαταβαίνοντα, τὰ δʼ ἔτι τοῖς ἄκροις ἐφεστῶτα, προθέμενος τὰ θηρία προσῆγε τὰς σημαίας τοῖς πολεμίοις. §18.25.6οἱ δὲ Μακεδόνες, οὔτε τὸν παραγγελοῦντʼ ἔχοντες οὔτε συστῆναι δυνάμενοι καὶ λαβεῖν τὸ τῆς φάλαγγος ἴδιον σχῆμα διά τε τὰς τῶν τόπων δυσχερείας καὶ διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ἑπόμενοι πορείας ἔχειν διάθεσιν καὶ μὴ παρατάξεως, §18.25.7οὐδὲ προσεδέξαντο τοὺς Ῥωμαίους εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἔτι, διʼ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν θηρίων πτοηθέντες καὶ διασπασθέντες ἐνέκλιναν.
When the clash of both sides occurred with great violence and an overwhelming shout, as if both were raising the battle-cry together, while at the same time those outside the combat were shouting encouragement to the fighters, the scene was terrifying and evocative of intense anxiety. Philip's right wing, indeed, was getting on brilliantly in the battle, as it was making its charge from higher ground, excelled in the weight of its formation, and was far superior due to the difference in its equipment which was highly suited to the present need. But as for the rest of his forces, those next to the combatants were at a distance from the enemy, while those on the left wing had only just crossed the ridges and were appearing on the heights. Titus, seeing that his own men on the left wing could not withstand the charge of the phalanx but were being hard pressed, some having already perished and others retreating step by step, and that the hopes of safety remained only in the right wing, quickly hastened to them; and observing that of the enemy, some were in contact with those already fighting, others were just descending from the ridges, and others were still standing on the heights, he placed the beasts in front and led the maniples against the enemy. But the Macedonians, having no one to give them orders and being unable to form and assume the peculiar array of the phalanx, both because of the difficulties of the ground and because they were in marching order and not in battle array as they followed those engaged in the fight, did not even await the Romans to come to close quarters, but being terrified and thrown into confusion by the beasts themselves, they gave way and turned to flight.