§36.9.1Antiocho ad Pheras iam castra habenti, ubi coniunxerant ei se Aetoli et Amynander, legati ab Larisa venerunt quaerentes, quod ob factum dictumve Thessalorum bello lacesseret eos, §36.9.2simul orantes, ut remoto exercitu per legatos, si quid ei videretur, secum disceptaret.
To Antiochus, who already had his camp at Pherae, where the Aetolians and Amynander had joined him, envoys came from Larisa, asking on account of what deed or word of the Thessalians he was attacking them in war, at the same time entreating that, having withdrawn his army, he should discuss with them through envoys, if it seemed good to him.
§36.9.3eodem tempore quingentos armatos duce Hippolocho Pheras in praesidium miserunt; ii exclusi aditu, iam omnia itinera obsidentibus regiis, §36.9.4Scotusam se receperunt.
At the same time, they sent five hundred armed men under the leadership of Hippolochus to Pherae as a garrison; these, excluded from entrance, as the king's men were already blockading all the roads, retreated to Scotusa.
legatis Larisaeorum rex clementer respondit, non belli faciendi, sed tuendae et stabiliendae libertatis Thessalorum causa se Thessaliam intrasse.
The king replied mildly to the envoys of the Larisaeans that he had entered Thessaly not for the sake of making war, but for the sake of protecting and establishing the liberty of the Thessalians.
§36.9.5similia his, qui cum Pheraeis ageret, missus; cui nullo dato responso Pheraei ipsi legatum ad regem principem civitatis Pausaniam miserunt.
He who was sent to treat with the Pheraeans spoke similarly to this; to whom no reply being given, the Pheraeans themselves sent Pausanias, the chief man of the state, as an envoy to the king.
§36.9.6qui cum haud dissimilia iis, ut in causa pari, quae pro Chalcidensibus in colloquio ad Euripi fretum dicta erant, §36.9.7quaedam etiam ferocius egisset, rex etiam atque etiam deliberare eos iussos, ne id consilii caperent, cuius, dum in futurum nimis cauti et providi essent, §36.9.8extemplo paeniteret, dimisit.
When he had pleaded certain points even more fiercely, speaking things not at all dissimilar to those which, as in an equal case, had been said for the Chalcidians in the conference at the strait of Euripus, the king, having ordered them again and again to deliberate, lest they should adopt a plan which, while they were too cautious and provident for the future, they would immediately repent of, dismissed them.
haec renuntiata Pheras legatio cum esset, ne paulum quidem dubitarunt, quin pro fide erga Romanos, quidquid fors belli tulisset, paterentur.
When this embassy was reported back to Pherae, they did not hesitate even a little but that they should endure, for the sake of their loyalty toward the Romans, whatever the fortune of war might bring.
§36.9.9itaque et hi summa ope parabant se ad urbem defendendam, et rex ab omni parte simul oppugnare moenia est adgressus et, ut qui satis intellegeret — §36.9.10neque enim dubium erat — in eventu eius urbis positum esse, quam primam adgressus esset, aut sperni deinde ab universa gente Thessalorum aut timeri se, omnem undique terrorem obsessis iniecit.
Therefore, both these prepared themselves with the greatest effort to defend the city, and the king began to attack the walls from all sides at once, and, as one who well understood — for indeed there was no doubt — that on the outcome of that city, which he had first attacked, it depended whether he would then be despised or feared by the whole nation of the Thessalians, he threw every terror from all sides upon the besieged.
§36.9.11primum impetum oppugnationis satis constanter sustinuerunt; dein cum multi propugnantes caderent aut vulnerarentur, labare animi coeperunt.
At first, they sustained the assault of the siege with sufficient constancy; then, as many of those fighting fell or were wounded, their spirits began to waver.
§36.9.12revocati deinde castigationibus principum ad perseverandum in proposito, relicto exteriore circulo muri, deficientibus iam copiis in interiorem partem urbis concesserunt, cui brevior orbis munitionis circumiectus erat; postremo victi malis, cum timerent, ne vi captis nulla apud victorem venia esset, dediderunt sese.
Then, recalled by the reprimands of their leaders to persevere in their purpose, having abandoned the outer circle of the wall, they retreated, as their forces were now failing, into the inner part of the city, which was surrounded by a shorter circuit of fortification; finally, overcome by misfortunes, since they feared lest there should be no mercy with the victor if they were taken by force, they surrendered themselves.
§36.9.13nihil deinde moratus rex quattuor milia armatorum, dum recens terror esset, Scotusam misit.
Then, the king, delaying not at all, sent four thousand armed men to Scotusa, while the terror was still fresh.
nec ibi mora deditionis est facta cernentibus Pheraeorum recens exemplum, §36.9.14qui, quod pertinaciter primo abnuerant, malo domiti tandem fecissent; cum ipsa urbe Hippolochus Larisaeorumque deditum est praesidium.
Nor was there any delay in surrender there, as they saw the recent example of the Pheraeans, who, what they had stubbornly refused at first, subdued by misfortune, had at last done; together with the city itself, Hippolochus and the garrison of the Larisaeans were surrendered.
§36.9.15dimissi ab rege inviolati omnes, quod eam rem magni momenti futuram rex ad conciliandos Larisaeorum animos credebat.
All were dismissed unharmed by the king, because the king believed that this action would be of great importance for conciliating the minds of the Larisaeans.