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Polybius · The Histories §5.52.1-5.52.14

Antiochus' Crossing and Molo's Failed Night Attack

Passage 416 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

King Antiochus's forces cross the Tigris and advance against Molo. Molo attempts a night attack to gain a tactical advantage, but aborts it upon the desertion of his soldiers, leading to confusion and panic in his own camp.

§5.52.1πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας.
...in accordance with the king's expectations.
κριθείσης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Ζεύξιδος γνώμης, παραυτίκα διελόντες τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τρία μέρη κατὰ τριττοὺς τόπους τοῦ ποταμοῦ διεπεραίουν τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὰς ἀποσκευάς.
When the opinion of Zeuxis had been approved, they immediately divided the army into three parts and transported the main body of the troops and the baggage across the river at three different points.
§5.52.2μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Δούρων ταύτης μὲν τῆς πόλεως ἔλυσαν ἐξ ἐφόδου τὴν πολιορκίαν — ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ Μόλωνος ἡγεμόνων πολιορκουμένη — §5.52.3χρησάμενοι δὲ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐντεῦθεν ταῖς ἀναζυγαῖς ὀγδοαῖοι τὸ καλούμενον Ὀρεικὸν ὑπερέβαλον καὶ κατῆραν εἰς Ἀπολλωνίαν.
After this, making their march towards Dura, they raised the siege of this city by a sudden assault — for it happened to be besieged by one of Molo's officers — and continuing their march from there without interruption, on the eighth day they crossed the so-called Oreicum and arrived at Apollonia.
§5.52.4Μόλων δὲ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς πυθόμενος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως παρουσίαν, καὶ διαπιστῶν τοῖς περὶ τὴν Σουσιανὴν καὶ Βαβυλωνίαν ὄχλοις διὰ τὸ προσφάτως καὶ παραδόξως αὐτῶν ἐγκρατὴς γεγονέναι, φοβούμενος δὲ καὶ τῆς εἰς Μηδίαν ἐπανόδου μὴ διακλεισθῇ, διέγνω ζευγνύειν τὸν Τίγριν καὶ διαβιβάζειν τὰς δυνάμεις, §5.52.5σπεύδων, εἰ δύναιτο, προκαταλαβέσθαι τὴν τραχεῖαν τῆς Ἀπολλωνιάτιδος διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν τῷ πλήθει τῶν σφενδονητῶν τῶν προσαγορευομένων Κυρτίων.
At the same time Molo, having learned of the presence of the king, and distrusting the populations around Susiana and Babylonia because he had recently and unexpectedly gained possession of them, and also fearing lest he should be shut off from his return to Media, decided to bridge the Tigris and transport his forces across, hastening, if he could, to preoccupy the rugged part of Apolloniatis, because he trusted in the large number of the slingers called Cyrtyans.
§5.52.6πράξας δὲ τὸ κριθὲν ταχεῖαν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ σύντονον τὴν πορείαν.
Having executed his decision, he made a rapid and strenuous march.
§5.52.7ἅμα δὲ τοῦ τε Μόλωνος συνάπτοντος τοῖς προειρημένοις τόποις καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκ τῆς Ἀπολλωνίας ὁρμήσαντος μετὰ πάσης δυνάμεως, συνέβη τοὺς ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων προαποσταλέντας εὐζώνους ἅμα συμπεσεῖν ἐπί τινας ὑπερβολάς·
And just as Molo was approaching the aforesaid districts and the king was setting out from Apollonia with all his forces, it happened that the light-armed troops sent ahead by both sides clashed at the same time upon certain mountain passes.
§5.52.8οἳ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον συνεπλέκοντο καὶ κατεπείραζον ἀλλήλων, ἐν δὲ τῷ συνάψαι τὰς παρʼ ἀμφοῖν δυνάμεις ἀπέστησαν.
At first they engaged and tested each other's strength, but when the main forces of both sides approached, they desisted.
καὶ τότε μὲν ἀναχωρήσαντες εἰς τὰς ἰδίας παρεμβολὰς ἐστρατοπέδευσαν τετταράκοντα σταδίους ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων διεστῶτες·
And on that occasion, retreating to their respective camps, they encamped at a distance of forty stades from each other.
§5.52.9τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης συλλογισάμενος ὁ Μόλων ὡς ἐπισφαλὴς γίνεται καὶ δύσχρηστος τοῖς ἀποστάταις πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς ὁ μεθʼ ἡμέραν καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον κίνδυνος, ἐπεβάλετο νυκτὸς ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον.
When night came on, Molo, reflecting how hazardous and disadvantageous for rebels a conflict by day and face to face against kings becomes, undertook to attack Antiochus's forces by night.
§5.52.10ἐπιλέξας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ στρατοπέδου περιῄει κατά τινας τόπους, θέλων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν.
Having selected the most fit and the most vigorous men from the whole army, he went around by certain places, wishing to make the attack from a superior position.
§5.52.11γνοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν πορείαν δέκα νεανίσκους ἁθρόους ἀποκεχωρηκότας πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐπινοίας ἀπέστη, §5.52.12ταχὺ δʼ ἐκ μεταβολῆς ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀποχώρησιν καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ χάρακα περὶ τὴν ἑωθινήν, πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐνέπλησε θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς· §5.52.13δείσαντες γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ὕπνων οἱ κατὰ τὸν χάρακα διὰ τὴν τῶν προσιόντων ἔφοδον μικροῦ δεῖν ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς.
But learning during the march that ten young men had deserted in a body to Antiochus, he abandoned this design, and quickly making his retreat by a change of direction, and arriving at his own camp about dawn, he filled the whole army with noise and confusion; for those in the camp, being frightened out of their sleep by the sudden approach of those who were coming, came within a little of fleeing from the camp.
§5.52.14Μόλων μὲν οὖν, καθʼ ὅσον ἐδύνατο, κατεπράϋνε τὴν
Molo indeed, therefore, as far as he was able, calmed the...

Notes

  1. §5.52.1πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας — This prepositional phrase modifies the infinitive μεταβαλέσθαι (to change sides) at the very end of the previous section (§5.51.11). Since it is positioned at the beginning of this chunk, it must be understood in connection with the preceding context.
  2. §5.52.3ὀγδοαῖοι — The adjective in the nominative plural agrees with the subject, but functions adverbially to indicate time ('on the eighth day').
  3. §5.52.4μὴ διακλεισθῇ — A μὴ clause introducing a fear after the participle φοβούμενος ('fearing'). It takes the subjunctive passive to express apprehension ('lest he should be shut off').
  4. §5.52.13μικροῦ δεῖν — An idiomatic expression meaning 'almost' or 'all but', here modifying the following verb ἐξέπεσον ('fled') to indicate they were on the verge of fleeing.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.52.1-5.52.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.52.1-5.52.14

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