§8.15.1Βῶλις ἦν ἀνὴρ γένει μὲν Κρής, χρόνον δὲ πολὺν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ διατετριφὼς ἐν ἡγεμονικῇ προστασίᾳ, δοκῶν δὲ καὶ σύνεσιν ἔχειν καὶ τόλμαν παράβολον καὶ τριβὴν ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς οὐδενὸς ἐλάττω.
Bolis was a man, by birth a Cretan, who had spent a long time in the royal service in a position of command, and who was thought to possess intelligence, daring venture, and military experience second to none.
§8.15.2τοῦτον ὁ Σωσίβιος διὰ πλειόνων λόγων πιστωσάμενος, καὶ παρασκευάσας εὔνουν ἑαυτῷ καὶ πρόθυμον, ἀναδίδωσι τὴν πρᾶξιν, λέγων ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν τῷ βασιλεῖ μεῖζον χαρίσαιτο κατὰ τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιροὺς ἢ συνεπινοήσας πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ δύναται σῶσαι τὸν Ἀχαιόν.
Sosibius, having won his confidence through many conversations and rendered him well-disposed and eager to assist him, entrusted the enterprise to him, saying that he could do the king no greater favor under the present circumstances than by helping to devise how and in what manner he might save Achaeus.
§8.15.3τότε μὲν οὖν διακούσας ὁ Βῶλις, καὶ φήσας ἐπισκέψασθαι περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων, ἐχωρίσθη·
At that time, therefore, Bolis, having heard the matter out and said that he would consider what had been proposed, departed.
§8.15.4δοὺς δὲ λόγον ἑαυτῷ, καὶ μετὰ δύʼ ἢ τρεῖς ἡμέρας προσελθὼν πρὸς τὸν Σωσίβιον, ἀνεδέξατο τὴν πρᾶξιν εἰς αὑτόν, φήσας καὶ γεγονέναι πλείω χρόνον ἐν ταῖς Σάρδεσι καὶ τῶν τόπων ἐμπειρεῖν, καὶ τὸν Καμβύλον τὸν ἡγεμόνα τῶν παρʼ Ἀντιόχῳ στρατευομένων Κρητῶν οὐ μόνον πολίτην, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγγενῆ καὶ φίλον ὑπάρχειν αὑτῷ.
But having deliberated with himself, and coming to Sosibius after two or three days, he undertook the enterprise himself, saying that he had spent considerable time in Sardis and was familiar with the localities, and that Cambylus, the commander of the Cretans serving under Antiochus, was not only his fellow-citizen but also a relative and friend.
§8.15.5συνέβαινε δὲ καὶ τὸν Καμβύλον καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦτον ταττομένους Κρῆτας πεπιστεῦσθαί τι τῶν φυλακτηρίων τῶν κατὰ τοὺς ὄπισθε τόπους τῆς ἄκρας, οἵτινες κατασκευὴν μὲν οὐκ ἐπεδέχοντο, τῇ δὲ συνεχείᾳ τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν Καμβύλον τεταγμένων ἀνδρῶν ἐτηροῦντο.
It so happened that Cambylus and the Cretans under his command were entrusted with some of the outposts at the rear of the citadel, which did not admit of permanent fortifications but were guarded by the continuous presence of the men stationed under Cambylus.
§8.15.6τοῦ δὲ Σωσιβίου δεξαμένου τὴν ἐπίνοιαν, καὶ διειληφότος ἢ μὴ δυνατὸν εἶναι σωθῆναι τὸν Ἀχαιὸν ἐκ τῶν περιεστώτων, ἢ δυνατοῦ καθάπαξ ὑπάρχοντος διὰ μηδενὸς ἂν ἑτέρου γενέσθαι τοῦτο βέλτιον ἢ διὰ Βώλιδος, τοιαύτης δὲ συνδραμούσης καὶ περὶ τὸν Βῶλιν προθυμίας, ταχέως ἐλάμβανε τὸ πρᾶγμα προκοπήν.
Sosibius having accepted the idea, and having concluded either that it was impossible for Achaeus to be saved from his surrounding difficulties, or that if it were at all possible, this could be accomplished better by no one else than by Bolis; and since a similar eagerness concurred on the part of Bolis, the matter quickly made progress.
§8.15.7ὅ τε γὰρ Σωσίβιος ἅμα μὲν προεδίδου τῶν χρημάτων εἰς τὸ μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν εἰς τὰς ἐπιβολάς, πολλὰ δʼ εὖ γενομένων ὑπισχνεῖτο δώσειν, §8.15.8τὰς δὲ παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ παρʼ Ἀχαιοῦ τοῦ σῳζομένου χάριτας ἐξ ὑπερβολῆς αὔξων εἰς μεγάλας ἐλπίδας ἦγε τὸν Βῶλιν·
For Sosibius on his part advanced money in order that nothing should be lacking for the enterprises, and promised to give a great deal more if things turned out well, while by exaggerating beyond measure the gratitude he would receive from the king himself and from Achaeus who was to be saved, he inspired Bolis with great expectations.
§8.15.9ὅ τε προειρημένος ἀνήρ, ἕτοιμος ὢν πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, οὐδένα χρόνον ἐπιμείνας ἐξέπλευσε, συνθήματα λαβὼν καὶ πίστεις πρός τε Νικόμαχον εἰς Ῥόδον, ὃς ἐδόκει πατρὸς ἔχειν διάθεσιν κατὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν καὶ πίστιν πρὸς τὸν Ἀχαιόν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ πρὸς Μελαγκόμαν εἰς Ἔφεσον.
The aforementioned man, being ready for the enterprise, set sail without delaying at all, having received tokens and credentials to Nicomachus at Rhodes, who was thought to have the affection of a father towards Achaeus in terms of goodwill and loyalty, and likewise to Melancomas at Ephesus.
§8.15.10οὗτοι γὰρ ἦσαν, διʼ ὧν καὶ τὸν πρὸ τοῦ χρόνον Ἀχαιὸς τά τε πρὸς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἁπάσας τὰς ἔξωθεν ἐπιβολὰς ἐχείριζε.
For these were the men through whom, in the time before, Achaeus had managed his relations with Ptolemy and all his other foreign enterprises.