§38.18.1contione dimissa missisque ad Eposognatum legatis, qui unus ex regulis et in Eumenis manserat amicitia et negaverat Antiocho adversus Romanos auxilia, castra movit.
Having dismissed the assembly and sent legates to Eposognatus, who alone of the petty kings had remained in friendship with Eumenes and had denied auxiliaries to Antiochus against the Romans, the consul moved his camp.
primo die ad Alandrum flumen, postero ad vicum quem vocant Tyscon ventum.
On the first day they came to the Alandus river, on the next day to the village which they call Tyscon.
§38.18.2eo legati Oroandensium cum venissent amicitiam petentes, ducenta talenta his sunt imperata, precantibusque, §38.18.3ut domum renuntiarent, potestas facta.
When the legates of the Oroandensian people came there seeking friendship, two hundred talents were demanded of them; and upon their entreating, they were given the power to report back home.
ducere inde exercitum consul ad Pliten intendit; deinde ad Alyattos castra posita.
From there the consul intended to lead his army toward Plite; then the camp was pitched at Alyatti.
eo missi ad Eposognatum redierunt, et legati reguli orantes, ne Tectosagis bellum inferret; ipsum in eam gentem iturum Eposognatum persuasurumque, ut imperata faciant.
There the envoys sent to Eposognatus returned, along with the legates of the petty king, praying that he should not make war on the Tectosages; they said that Eposognatus himself would go to that nation and persuade them to do what was commanded.
§38.18.4data venia regulo, duci inde exercitus per Axylon quam vocant terram coeptus.
Indulgence having been granted to the petty king, the army began to be led from there through the land which they call Axylos.
ab re nomen habet: non ligni modo quicquam, sed ne spinas quidem aut ullum aliud alimentum fert ignis; fimo bubulo pro lignis utuntur.
It has its name from the fact: it bears not only no wood of any kind, but not even thorns or any other nourishment for fire; they use cow dung instead of wood.
§38.18.5ad Cuballum, Gallograeciae castellum, castra habentibus Romanis apparuere cum magno tumultu hostium equites, nec turbarunt tantum Romanas stationes repente invecti, sed quosdam etiam occiderunt.
While the Romans were keeping camp at Cuballum, a fortress of Gallograecia, the enemy's cavalry appeared with a great tumult, and, having suddenly charged, they not only threw the Roman outposts into confusion but even killed some.
§38.18.6qui tumultus cum in castra perlatus esset, effusus repente omnibus portis equitatus Romanus fudit fugavitque Gallos et aliquot fugientis occidit.
When this tumult was reported to the camp, the Roman cavalry, suddenly pouring out from all the gates, routed and put the Gauls to flight, and killed some of them as they fled.
§38.18.7inde consul, ut qui iam ad hostis perventum cerneret, explorato deinde et cum cura coacto agmine procedebat. et continentibus itineribus cum ad Sangarium flumen venisset,
Thereupon the consul, as one who perceived that they had already reached the enemy, proceeded after exploring and with a carefully compacted column.
§38.18.8pontem, quia vado nusquam transitus erat, facere instituit.
And when, by continuous marches, he had come to the Sangarius river, he determined to build a bridge, because there was nowhere any crossing by a ford.
Sangarius ex Adoreo monte per Phrygiam fluens miscetur ad Bithyniam Tymbri fluvio; inde maior iam geminatis aquis per Bithyniam fertur et in Propontidem sese effundit, non tamen tam magnitudine memorabilis, quam quod piscium accolis ingentem vim praebet.
The Sangarius, flowing from Mount Adoreus through Phrygia, joins the Tymbris river near Bithynia; thence, larger now by its doubled waters, it is carried through Bithynia and empties itself into the Propontis, yet not so remarkable for its size as because it provides a vast quantity of fish to the inhabitants along its banks.
§38.18.9transgressis ponte perfecto flumen praeter ripam euntibus Galli Matris Magnae a Pessinunte occurrere cum insignibus suis, vaticinantes fanatico carmine deam Romanis viam belli et victoriam dare imperiumque eius regionis.
When they had crossed after the bridge was completed and were marching along the bank, the Galli of the Great Mother from Pessinus met them with their insignias, prophesying in a fanatical song that the goddess was giving the Romans the way of war, victory, and the dominion over that region.
§38.18.10accipere se omen cum dixisset consul, castra eo ipso loco posuit.
When the consul said that he accepted the omen, he pitched his camp in that very place.
§38.18.11postero die ad Gordium pervenit.
On the following day he arrived at Gordium.
id haud magnum quidem oppidum est, sed plus quam mediterraneum celebre et frequens emporium.
This is indeed not a large town, but a celebrated and crowded emporium, more so than is usual for an inland town.
§38.18.12tria maria pari ferme distantia intervallo habet, ad Hellespontum, ad Sinopen, et alterius orae litora, qua Cilices maritimi colunt; multarum magnarumque praeterea gentium finis contingit, quarum commercium in eum maxime locum mutui usus contraxere.
It has three seas at almost an equal distance: toward the Hellespont, toward Sinope, and the shores of the other coast where the maritime Cilicians dwell; moreover, it touches the borders of many great nations, whose commerce mutual utility has drawn together especially to that place.
§38.18.13id tum desertum fuga incolarum oppidum, refertum idem copia rerum omnium invenerunt.
They found this town then deserted by the flight of its inhabitants, but at the same time filled with an abundance of all things.
§38.18.14ibi stativa habentibus legati ab Eposognato venerunt nuntiantes profectum eum ad regulos Gallorum nihil aequi impetrasse; §38.18.15ex campestribus vicis agrisque frequentes demigrare et cum coniugibus ac liberis, quae ferre atque agere possint, prae se agentis portantisque Olympum montem petere, ut inde armis locorumque situ sese tueantur.
While they had their stationary camp there, legates came from Eposognatus, announcing that he had set out to the petty kings of the Gauls but had obtained nothing fair; and that they were migrating in crowds from the lowland villages and fields, and with their wives and children, driving and carrying before them what they could carry and drive, were heading for Mount Olympus, in order to defend themselves from there with arms and by the nature of the terrain.