§5.81.1κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Θεόδοτος Αἰτωλικῇ μέν, οὐκ ἀνάνδρῳ δʼ ἐπεβάλετο τόλμῃ καὶ πράξει. §5.81.2συνειδὼς γὰρ ἐκ τῆς προγεγενημένης συμβιώσεως τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως αἵρεσιν καὶ δίαιταν ποία τις ἦν, εἰσπορεύεται τρίτος γενόμενος ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν εἰς τὸν τῶν πολεμίων χάρακα. §5.81.3κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ὄψιν ἄγνωστος ἦν διὰ τὸ σκότος, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ τὴν ἄλλην περικοπὴν ἀνεπισήμαντος διὰ τὸ ποικίλην εἶναι κἀκείνων τὴν δύναμιν. §5.81.4ἐστοχασμένος δʼ ἐν ταῖς πρότερον ἡμέραις τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως σκηνῆς διὰ τὸ παντελῶς σύνεγγυς γίνεσθαι τοὺς ἀκροβολισμούς, ὥρμησε θρασέως ἐπʼ αὐτήν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πρώτους πάντας διελθὼν ἔλαθε, §5.81.5παραπεσὼν δʼ εἰς τὴν σκηνήν, ἐν ᾗ χρηματίζειν εἰώθει καὶ δειπνεῖν ὁ βασιλεύς, πάντα τόπον ἐρευνήσας τοῦ μὲν βασιλέως ἀπέτυχε διὰ τὸ τὸν μὲν Πτολεμαῖον ἐκτὸς τῆς ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ χρηματιστικῆς σκηνῆς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, §5.81.6δύο δέ τινας τῶν αὐτοῦ κοιμωμένων τραυματίσας, καὶ τὸν ἰατρὸν τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀνδρέαν ἀποκτείνας, ἀνεχώρησε μετʼ ἀσφαλείας εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρεμβολήν, βραχέα θορυβηθεὶς ἤδη περὶ τὴν τοῦ χάρακος ἔκπτωσιν, §5.81.7τῇ μὲν τόλμῃ συντετελεκὼς τὴν πρόθεσιν, τῇ δὲ προνοίᾳ διεσφαλμένος διὰ τὸ μὴ καλῶς ἐξητακέναι ποῦ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν ὁ Πτολεμαῖος εἰώθει ποιεῖσθαι.
At this time, Theodotus undertook a bold enterprise and deed, characteristically Aetolian, yet not unmanly. For being well aware, from his past association, of what sort the king's preferences and habits were, he entered the enemy's camp towards morning, accompanied by two others. Now, as regards his appearance, he was unrecognizable because of the darkness, while as regards his dress and general equipment, he attracted no attention because their army also was composed of varied elements. Having during the preceding days marked the position of the king's tent, since the skirmishes took place quite close to it, he made a bold rush for it, and passing all the first guards, escaped their notice. Having burst into the tent in which the king was accustomed to transact business and dine, and having searched every spot, he failed to find the king, because Ptolemy took his rest outside the conspicuous official tent. However, after wounding two of those sleeping there and killing Andreas, the king's physician, he retreated in safety to his own camp, being only slightly troubled at the moment of his escape from the enemy's rampart. Thus, while he had accomplished his purpose by his daring, he failed in foresight through not having carefully ascertained where Ptolemy was accustomed to take his rest.