§9.1Dimidium fere spatium confecerat, cum ex fumo castrorum eius suspicio allata est ad Eumenem hostem appropinquare.
He had completed almost half the distance, when, from the smoke of his camp, a suspicion was brought to Eumenes that the enemy was approaching.
conveniunt duces: quaeritur, quid opus sit facto.
The generals assembled: it was asked what ought to be done.
intellegebant omnes tam celeriter copias ipsorum contrahi non posse, quam Antigonus affuturus videbatur.
All understood that their own forces could not be collected as quickly as Antigonus seemed about to arrive.
§9.2hic omnibus titubantibus et de rebus summis desperantibus Eumenes ait, si celeritatem velint adhibere et imperata facere, quod ante non fecerint, se rem expediturum.
At this point, while everyone was wavering and despairing of the ultimate safety, Eumenes said that if they were willing to show speed and carry out his orders—which they had not done before—he would settle the matter.
nam quod iter diebus quinque hostis transisse posset, se effecturum ut non minus totidem dierum spatio retardaretur: quare circumirent, suas quisque contraheret copias.
For, as for the journey that the enemy could have completed in five days, he would bring it about that they should be delayed for no less a space of the same number of days; therefore, they should go around and each collect his own forces.
§9.3ad Antigoni autem refrenandum impetum tale capit consilium.
Moreover, to check the onset of Antigonus, he adopted the following plan.
certos mittit homines ad infimos montes, qui obvii erant itineri adversariorum, iisque praecipit ut prima nocte, quam latissime possint, ignes faciant quam maximos atque hos secunda vigilia minuant, tertia perexiguos reddant, §9.4ut assimulata castrorum consuetudine suspicionem iniciant hostibus, iis locis esse castra ac de eorum adventu esse praenuntiatum; idemque postera nocte faciant.
He sent certain men to the foot of the mountains that lay in the way of the adversaries' march, and instructed them to make the largest possible fires over as wide an area as they could at the beginning of the night, and to diminish these during the second watch, and make them very small during the third watch, so that, by simulating the routine of a camp, they might inspire a suspicion in the enemy that there was a camp in those places and that notice of their arrival had been given beforehand; and that they should do the same on the following night.
§9.5quibus imperatum erat, diligenter praeceptum curant.
Those who had been commanded diligently attended to what had been prescribed.
Antigonus tenebris obortis ignes conspicatur: credit de suo adventu esse auditum et adversarios illuc suas contraxisse copias.
When darkness fell, Antigonus saw the fires: he believed that his arrival had been heard of and that the adversaries had collected their forces there.
§9.6mutat consilium et, quoniam imprudentes adoriri non posset, flectit iter suum et illum anfractum longiorem copiosae viae capit ibique diem unum opperitur ad lassitudinem sedandam militum ac reficienda iumenta, quo integriore exercitu decerneret.
He changed his plan, and since he could not attack them unprepared, he bent his march and took that longer detour of the well-provisioned road, and there waited one day to soothe the fatigue of the soldiers and refresh the pack animals, so that he might fight the decisive battle with a more intact army.