§36.19.1Flacco non eadem fortuna ad Tichiunta et Rhoduntiam, nequiquam subire ad ea castella conato, fuerat.
Flaccus had not been favored with the same fortune at Tichiuns and Rhoduntia, having attempted in vain to march up to those fortresses.
§36.19.2Macedones quique alii in castris regiis erant primo, dum procul nihil aliud quam turba et agmen apparebat, Aetolos credere visa procul pugna subsidio venire; §36.19.3ceterum, ut primum signaque et arma ex propinquo cognita errorem aperuerunt, tantus repente pavor omnis cepit, ut abiectis armis fugerent.
The Macedonians and whoever else were in the royal camp at first, while nothing but a crowd and an army-column appeared in the distance, believed, on seeing the battle from afar, that the Aetolians were coming to their aid; but as soon as the standards and arms, recognized from close quarters, disclosed the error, so great a panic suddenly seized them all that they threw down their arms and fled.
§36.19.4et munimenta sequentis impedierunt, et angustiae vallis, per quam sequendi erant, et maxime omnium quod elephanti novissimi agminis erant, quos pedes aegre praeterire, eques nullo poterat modo timentibus equis tumultumque inter se maiorem quam in proelio edentibus; §36.19.5aliquantum temporis et direptio castrorum tenuit;
And their pursuit was impeded both by the fortifications and by the narrowness of the valley through which they had to be pursued, and most of all by the fact that the elephants were at the rear of the column, which the infantry could pass only with difficulty, and the cavalry in no way at all, since the horses were terrified and created a greater confusion among themselves than in the battle; the plundering of the camp also took up a considerable amount of time.
§36.19.6Scarpheam tamen eo die consecuti sunt hostem.
Nevertheless, on that day they overtook the enemy at Scarphea.
multis in ipso itinere caesis captisque, non equis virisque tantum, sed etiam elephantis, quos capere non potuerant, interfectis, in castra reverterunt; §36.19.7quae temptata eo die inter ipsum pugnae tempus ab Aetolis, Heracleam obtinentibus praesidio, sine ullo haud parum audacis incepti effectu fuerant.
After many had been slain and captured on the road itself, and not only horses and men, but also the elephants which they had been unable to capture were killed, they returned to the camp; which, having been attacked on that day during the very time of the battle by the Aetolians, who held Heraclea with a garrison, had been without any effect of an undertaking that was not a little daring.
§36.19.8consul noctis insequentis tertia vigilia praemisso equitatu ad persequendum hostem, signa legionum luce prima movit.
The consul, having sent ahead the cavalry at the third watch of the following night to pursue the enemy, moved the standards of the legions at dawn.
§36.19.9aliquantum viae praeceperat rex, ut qui non ante quam Elatiae ab effuso constiterit cursu; ubi primum reliquiis pugnaeque et fugae collectis, cum perexigua manu semiermium militum Chalcidem se recepit.
The king had gained a considerable distance ahead, as one who did not halt his headlong flight before reaching Elatia; where, as soon as he had collected the remnants of the battle and flight, he retreated to Chalcis with a very small band of half-armed soldiers.
§36.19.10Romanus equitatus ipsum quidem regem Elatiae adsecutus non est; magnam partem agminis aut lassitudine subsistentes aut errore, ut qui sine ducibus per ignota itinera fugerent, dissipatos oppresserunt; §36.19.11nec praeter quingentos, qui circa regem fuerunt, ex toto exercitu quisquam effugit, etiam ex decem milibus militum, §36.19.12quos Polybio auctore traiecisse secum regem in Graeciam scripsimus, exiguus numerus;
The Roman cavalry indeed did not overtake the king himself at Elatia; but they fell upon a great part of the column, who were scattered, either halting from fatigue or from wandering, as men fleeing through unknown paths without leaders; nor did anyone from the whole army escape, except for five hundred who were around the king; even from the ten thousand soldiers, whom we wrote, on the authority of Polybius, that the king had transported with him into Greece, only a tiny number survived.
quid, si Antiati Valerio credamus sexaginta milia militum fuisse in regio exercitu scribenti, quadraginta inde milia cecidisse, supra quinque milia capta cum signis militaribus ducentis triginta? Romanorum centum quinquaginta in ipso certamine pugnae, ab incursu Aetolorum se tuentes non plus quinquaginta interfecti sunt.
What if we should believe Valerius Antias, who writes that there were sixty thousand soldiers in the royal army, that forty thousand of them fell, and over five thousand were captured along with two hundred and thirty military standards? Of the Romans, one hundred and fifty were killed in the battle itself, and not more than fifty while defending themselves from the attack of the Aetolians.