§38.4.1consuli ad Ambraciam advenienti magni operis oppugnatio visa est.
To the consul on his arrival at Ambracia, the siege appeared to be an undertaking of great magnitude.
§38.4.2Ambracia tumulo aspero subiecta est; Perranthem incolae vocant.
Ambracia lies at the foot of a rugged hill; the inhabitants call it Perranthes.
urbs, qua murus vergit in campos et flumen, occidentem, arx, quae imposita tumulo est, orientem spectat.
The city, where the wall slopes down towards the plains and the river, faces west, while the citadel, which is situated on the hill, faces east.
§38.4.3amnis Aretho ex Athamania fluens cadit in sinum maris ab nomine propinquae urbis Ambracium appellatum.
The river Aretho, flowing out of Athamania, empties into a gulf of the sea which is called Ambracian from the name of the neighboring city.
§38.4.4praeterquam quod hinc amnis munit, hinc tumuli, muro quoque firmo saepta erat, patente in circuitu paulo amplius quattuor milia passuum.
In addition to the fact that it was protected on one side by the river and on the other by the hills, it was also enclosed by a strong wall, which extended in circumference a little over four miles.
§38.4.5Fulvius bina a campo castra, modico inter se distantia intervallo, unum castellum loco edito contra arcem obiecit; §38.4.6ea omnia vallo atque fossa ita iungere parat, ne exitus inclusis ab urbe neve aditus foris ad auxilia intromittenda esset.
Fulvius established two camps on the side of the plain, separated by a moderate distance from each other, and placed one fort on an elevated spot opposite the citadel; he prepared to connect all these by a rampart and a trench, so that there would be neither an exit from the city for those shut inside, nor any access from the outside for introducing reinforcements.
ad famam oppugnationis Ambraciae Stratum iam edicto Nicandri praetoris convenerant Aetoli.
At the news of the siege of Ambracia, the Aetolians had already assembled at Stratus by the edict of Nicander, their praetor.
§38.4.7inde primo copiis omnibus ad prohibendam obsidionem venire in animo fuerat; dein, postquam urbem iam magna ex parte operibus saeptam viderunt, Epirotarum trans flumen loco plano castra posita esse, dividere copias placuit.
From there, their initial intention had been to come with all their forces to prevent the siege; then, when they saw that the city was already for the most part enclosed by the works, and that the camp of the Epirots was situated on flat ground across the river, they decided to divide their forces.
§38.4.8cum mille expeditis Eupolemus Ambraciam profectus per nondum commissa inter se munimenta urbem intravit.
Eupolemus, having set out for Ambracia with a thousand light-armed troops, entered the city through the works that had not yet been connected with each other.
§38.4.9Nicandro cum cetera manu primo Epirotarum castra nocte adgredi consilium fuerat haud facili ab Romanis auxilio, §38.4.10quia flumen intererat; dein, periculosum inceptum ratus, ne qua sentirent Romani et regressus inde in tuto non esset, deterritus ab hoc consilio ad depopulandam Acarnaniam iter convertit.
Nicander, with the rest of the force, had at first planned to attack the camp of the Epirots by night, since assistance from the Romans would not be easy, because the river lay between them; then, thinking it a dangerous enterprise lest the Romans should perceive it in some way and their retreat from there should not be safe, he was deterred from this plan and turned his course to devastate Acarnania.