§34.28.1Quinctius satis iam omnibus paratis profectus ab stativis die altero ad Sellasiam super Oenunta fluvium pervenit, quo in loco Antigonus, Macedonum rex, cum Cleomene, Lacedaemoniorum tyranno, signis conlatis dimicasse dicebatur.
Quinctius, having now sufficiently prepared everything, set out from his permanent camp and on the second day arrived at Sellasia, above the river Oenus, in which place Antigonus, king of the Macedonians, was said to have fought in a pitched battle with Cleomenes, tyrant of the Lacedaemonians.
§34.28.2inde cum audisset descensum difficilis et artae viae esse, brevi per montes circuitu praemissis, qui munirent viam, lato satis et patenti limite ad Eurotam amnem, sub ipsis prope fluentem moenibus, pervenit.
When he had heard from there that the descent was of a difficult and narrow road, having sent ahead men to clear the way, by a short detour through the mountains, he arrived by a sufficiently wide and open path at the river Eurotas, flowing almost under the walls themselves.
§34.28.3ubi castra metantis Romanos Quinctiumque ipsum cum equitibus atque expeditis praegressum auxiliares tyranni adorti in terrorem ac tumultum coniecerunt nihil tale expectantis, quia nemo iis obvius toto itinere fuerat, ac velut pacato agro transierant.
There, as the Romans were measuring out their camp, and Quinctius himself, having gone ahead with the cavalry and light-armed troops, the tyrant's auxiliaries attacked them and threw them, expecting nothing of the kind, into terror and confusion; for no one had met them on the whole journey, and they had passed through as if through a peaceful country.
§34.28.4aliquamdiu peditibus equites, equitibus pedites vocantibus, cum in se cuique minimum fiduciae esset, trepidatum est; tandem signa legionum supervenerunt, §34.28.5et, cum primi agminis cohortes inductae in proelium essent, qui modo terrori fuerant, trepidantes in urbem compulsi sunt.
For some time there was panic, as the cavalry called to the infantry and the infantry to the cavalry, while each had the least confidence in himself; at length the standards of the legions came up, and when the cohorts of the van had been led into battle, those who just now had been a source of terror were driven in panic into the city.
§34.28.6Romani, cum tantum a muro recessissent, ut extra ictum teli essent, acie derecta paulisper steterunt; postquam nemo hostium contra exibat, redierunt in castra.
The Romans, having withdrawn so far from the wall as to be out of missile range, stood for a short time in battle array; when none of the enemy came out against them, they returned to camp.
§34.28.7postero die Quinctius prope flumen praeter urbem sub ipsas Menelai montis radices ducere copias instructas pergit; primae legionariae cohortes ibant, levis armatura et equites agmen cogebant.
The next day, Quinctius proceeded to lead his forces in battle array along the river past the city, under the very foothills of Mount Menelaus; the first legionary cohorts went, while the light-armed troops and cavalry brought up the rear.
§34.28.8Nabis intra murum instructos paratosque sub signis habebat mercennarios milites, in quibus omnis fiducia erat, ut ab tergo hostem adgrederetur.
Nabis held his mercenary soldiers—in whom all his confidence lay—drawn up and ready under their standards inside the wall, so that he might attack the enemy from the rear.
§34.28.9postquam extremum agmen praeteriit, tum ab oppido, eodem, quo pridie eruperant, tumultu pluribus simul locis erumpunt.
After the rear of the column had passed, they then burst out from the town in several places at once, with the same tumult with which they had broken out the day before.
§34.28.10Ap. Claudius agmen cogebat; qui ad id, quod futurum erat, ne inopinatum accideret, praeparatis suorum animis signa extemplo convertit totumque in hostem agmen circumegit.
Appius Claudius was bringing up the rear; having prepared the minds of his men for what was to happen, so that it might not occur unexpectedly, he immediately turned the standards and wheeled the entire column against the enemy.
§34.28.11itaque, velut rectae acies concurrissent, iustum aliquamdiu proelium fuit; tandem Nabidis milites in fugam inclinarunt; quae minus infesta ac trepida fuisset, ni Achaei locorum prudentes institissent.
Thus, as if regular battle lines had clashed, there was a regular battle for some time; at length Nabis' soldiers turned to flight, which would have been less perilous and panicked if the Achaeans, who were familiar with the country, had not pressed hard upon them.
ii et caedem ingentem ediderunt et dispersos passim fuga plerosque armis exuerunt.
They both caused a great slaughter and stripped most of those scattered far and wide in flight of their arms.
Quinctius prope Amyclas posuit castra; §34.28.12unde cum perpopulatus omnia circumiecta urbi frequentis et amoeni agri loca esset, nullo iam hostium porta excedente castra movit ad fluvium Eurotam.
Quinctius pitched his camp near Amyclae; whence, having thoroughly plundered all the populous and pleasant countryside surrounding the city, since none of the enemy now came out of the gate, he moved his camp to the river Eurotas.
inde vallem Taygeto subiectam agrosque ad mare pertinentis evastat.
From there, he laid waste the valley lying under Mount Taygetus and the lands reaching to the sea.