§38.41.1Romanorum primum agmen extra saltum circa templum Bendidium castra loco aperto posuit; pars altera ad custodiam impedimentorum medio in saltu, §38.41.2duplici circumdato vallo, mansit.
The vanguard of the Romans pitched camp in an open place outside the pass, around the temple of Bendis; the other part remained in the middle of the pass to guard the baggage, after throwing up a double rampart.
postero die prius explorato saltu, quam moverent, primis se coniungunt. §38.41.3in eo proelio cum et impedimentorum et calonum pars et milites aliquot, cum passim toto prope saltu pugnaretur, cecidissent, plurimum Q. Minucii Thermi morte damni est acceptum, fortis ac strenui viri. §38.41.4eo die ad Hebrum flumen perventum est.
On the following day, having first reconnoitered the pass before they should move, they joined the front. In that battle, although a part of both the baggage and the camp-servants, and some soldiers had fallen, since fighting was going on almost everywhere throughout the entire pass, the greatest loss was sustained in the death of Quintus Minucius Thermus, a brave and vigorous man. On that day they reached the river Hebrus.
inde Aeniorum finis praeter Apollinis, Zerynthium quem vocant incolae, templum superant. §38.41.5aliae angustiae circa Tempyra excipiunt — hoc loco nomen est —, nec minus confragosae quam priores; sed, quia nihil silvestre circa est, ne latebras quidem ad insidiandum praebent. §38.41.6huc ad eandem spem praedae Thrausi, gens et ipsa Thraecum, convenere; sed, quia nudae valles, procul ut conspicerentur angustias obsidentes, efficiebant, minus terroris tumultusque fuit apud Romanos; quippe etsi iniquo loco, proelio tamen iusto, acie aperta, signis collatis dimicandum erat. §38.41.7conferti subeunt et cum clamore impetu facto primum expulere loco hostis, deinde avertere; fuga inde caedesque suis ipsos impedientibus angustiis fieri coepta est. §38.41.8Romani victores ad vicum Maronitarum — Salen appellant — posuerunt castra.
From there they crossed the territory of the Aenians, passing by the temple of Apollo, whom the inhabitants call Zerynthius. Another defile near Tempyra received them — this is the name of the place — and it was no less rugged than the former; but because there was nothing wooded around, it did not even provide hiding places for an ambush. To this place the Thrausi, themselves also a tribe of Thracians, had assembled with the same hope of plunder; but because the bare valleys caused those blockading the pass to be seen from afar, there was less terror and confusion among the Romans; for although the ground was unfavorable, they had to fight in a regular battle, with an open line, and in close combat. Advancing in close order and making a charge with a shout, they first drove the enemy from their position and then turned them to flight; thence, because of the narrowness wherein they hindered one another, flight and slaughter began to occur. The victorious Romans pitched camp near a village of the Maronites — which they call Sale.
postero die patenti itinere Priaticus campus eos excepit, triduumque ibi frumentum accipientes manserunt, partem ex agris Maronitarum, conferentibus ipsis, partem ex navibus suis, §38.41.9quae cum omnis generis commeatu sequebantur.
On the following day, an open road received them in the Priatic plain, and they remained there for three days receiving grain, partly from the fields of the Maronites, who contributed it themselves, and partly from their own ships, which were following with provisions of every kind.
ab stativis diei via Apolloniam fuit. §38.41.10hinc per Abderitarum agrum Neapolim perventum est.
From that station, a day's march was to Apollonia. From here they reached Neapolis through the territory of the Abderites.
hoc omne per Graecorum colonias pacatum iter fuit; reliquum inde per medios Thraecas dies noctesque, etsi non infestum, tamen suspectum, donec in Macedoniam pervenerunt. §38.41.11mitiores Thraecas idem exercitus, cum a Scipione eadem via duceretur, habuerat, nullam ob aliam causam, quam quod praedae minus, quod peteretur, fuerat; §38.41.12quamquam tunc quoque Claudius auctor est ad quindecim milia Thraecum praecedenti ad exploranda loca agmen Muttini Numidae occurrisse. §38.41.13quadringentos equites fuisse Numidas, paucos elephantos; Muttinis filium per medios hostes cum centum quinquaginta delectis equitibus perrupisse; eundem mox, cum iam Muttines in medio elephantis locatis, §38.41.14in cornua equitibus dispositis manum cum hoste conseruisset, terrorem ab tergo praebuisse, atque inde turbatos equestri velut procella hostis ad peditum agmen non accessisse. §38.41.15Cn. Manlius per Macedoniam in Thessaliam exercitum traduxit.
All this was a peaceful journey through Greek colonies; the remainder of the way from there was through the midst of the Thracians, day and night, and though not hostile, yet suspicious, until they arrived in Macedonia. This same army, when it was led by Scipio along the same route, had found the Thracians milder, for no other reason than that there had been less booty to be sought; although even then, Claudius is the authority that about fifteen thousand Thracians met the detachment of the Numidian Muttines, which was preceding to reconnoiter the ground. He states that there were four hundred Numidian cavalry and a few elephants; that the son of Muttines broke through the midst of the enemy with a hundred and fifty chosen horsemen; and that soon the same youth, when Muttines had already joined battle with the enemy, having placed the elephants in the center and disposed the cavalry on the wings, brought terror from the rear, and that the enemy, thrown into confusion thence as if by a cavalry storm, did not come near the column of the infantry. Gnaeus Manlius led his army through Macedonia into Thessaly.
inde per Epirum Apolloniam cum pervenisset, nondum adeo hiberno contempto mari, ut traicere auderet, Apolloniae hibernavit.
When he had come thence through Epirus to Apollonia, not yet disregarding the winter sea so much as to dare to cross, he wintered at Apollonia.