§5.63.1παρασκευάς. λοιπὸν δὲ συνεδρεύσαντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ Σωσίβιον, οἱ τότε προεστῶτες τῆς βασιλείας, ἐκ τῶν ἐνδεχομένων τὸ δυνατὸν ἔλαβον πρὸς τὸ παρόν. §5.63.2ἐβουλεύσαντο γὰρ γίνεσθαι μὲν περὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευήν, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ διαπρεσβευόμενοι κατεκλύειν τὸν Ἀντίοχον, συνεργοῦντες κατὰ τὴν ἔμφασιν τῇ προϋπαρχούσῃ περὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου διαλήψει· §5.63.3αὕτη δʼ ἦν ὡς πολεμεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἂν τολμήσαντος, διὰ λόγου δὲ καὶ τῶν φίλων διδάξοντος καὶ πείσοντος αὐτὸν ἀποστῆναι τῶν κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν τόπων. §5.63.4κριθέντων δὲ τούτων οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ Σωσίβιον ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ταχθέντες ἐξέπεμπον ἐπιμελῶς τὰς πρεσβείας πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον. §5.63.5ἅμα δὲ διαπεμψάμενοι πρός τε Ῥοδίους καὶ Βυζαντίους καὶ Κυζικηνούς, σὺν δὲ τούτοις Αἰτωλούς, ἐπεσπάσαντο πρεσβείας ἐπὶ τὰς διαλύσεις. §5.63.6αἳ καὶ παραγενόμεναι μεγάλας αὐτοῖς ἔδοσαν ἀφορμάς, διαπρεσβευόμεναι πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς βασιλεῖς, εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν ἀναστροφὴν καὶ χρόνον πρὸς τὰς τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευάς. §5.63.7ταύταις τε δὴ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐχρημάτιζον ἐν τῇ Μέμφει προκαθήμενοι, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἀπεδέχοντο, φιλανθρώπως ποιούμενοι τὰς ἀπαντήσεις. §5.63.8ἀνεκαλοῦντο δὲ καὶ συνήθροιζον εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν τοὺς μισθοφόρους τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἔξω πόλεσιν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν μισθοδοτουμένους. §5.63.9ἐξαπέστελλον δὲ καὶ ξενολόγους καὶ παρεσκεύαζον τοῖς προϋπάρχουσι καὶ τοῖς παραγινομένοις τὰς σιταρχίας. §5.63.10ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ἐγίνοντο παρασκευήν, ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ συνεχῶς διατρέχοντες εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐλλίπῃ τῶν χορηγιῶν πρὸς τὰς προκειμένας ἐπιβολάς. §5.63.11τὴν δὲ περὶ τὰ ὅπλα κατασκευὴν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκλογὴν καὶ διαίρεσιν Ἐχεκράτει τῷ Θετταλῷ καὶ Φοξίδᾳ τῷ Μελιταιεῖ παρέδοσαν, §5.63.12ἅμα δὲ τούτοις Εὐρυλόχῳ τῷ Μάγνητι καὶ Σωκράτει τῷ Βοιωτίῳ· σὺν οἷς ἦν καὶ Κνωπίας Ἀλλαριώτης. §5.63.13εὐκαιρότατα γὰρ δὴ τούτων ἐπελάβοντο τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἵτινες ἔτι Δημητρίῳ καὶ Ἀντιγόνῳ συστρατευόμενοι κατὰ ποσὸν ἔννοιαν εἶχον τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ καθόλου τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις χρείας. §5.63.14οὗτοι δὲ παραλαβόντες τὸ πλῆθος ἐνδεχομένως ἐχείριζον καὶ στρατιωτικῶς.
Under these circumstances, Agathocles and Sosibius, who were then in charge of the kingdom, held a council and, from what was possible, took the best course of action for the present. For they resolved to busy themselves with the preparations for war, but in the meantime, by sending embassies, to pacify Antiochus, cooperative in appearance with the pre-existing opinion he held about Ptolemy. And this opinion was that he would not dare to go to war, but would, through negotiations and his friends, try to instruct and persuade him to withdraw from the regions of Coele-Syria. These things having been decided, Agathocles and Sosibius, appointed to this task, carefully dispatched embassies to Antiochus. At the same time, they sent messages to the Rhodians, the Byzantines, and the Cyzicenes, and along with these to the Aetolians, urging them to send embassies for mediation. These embassies, upon arriving, provided them with great opportunities, as they traveled back and forth between both kings, for gaining a respite and time for the preparations for war. Based in Memphis, they held continuous audience with these envoys, and in like manner received those from Antiochus, making friendly responses. They also recalled and assembled in Alexandria the mercenaries who were kept in their pay in the foreign cities. They dispatched recruiting officers, and prepared provisions for both the existing soldiers and those who were arriving. In like manner, they were occupied with the rest of the preparations, visiting Alexandria by turns and continuously, so that nothing of the supplies should be lacking for the undertakings before them. The preparation of arms, and the selection and division of the men, they entrusted to Echecrates of Thessaly and Phoxidas of Melitea, and along with them to Eurylochus of Magnesia and Socrates of Boeotia, with whom was also Cnopias of Allaria. For they had engaged these men most opportunely, who, having served under Demetrius and Antigonus, had a considerable understanding of actual warfare and of service in the field in general. These men, taking charge of the multitude, managed them as efficiently and soldierly as possible.