§44.26.1nec haec tantum Persei per avaritiam est dimissa res, cum pecunia soluta aut pacem habere per Eumenen, quae vel parte regni redimenda esset, aut deceptus protrahere inimicum mercede onustum et hostes merito ei Romanos posset facere; §44.26.2sed et ante Genti regis parata societas et tum Gallorum effusorum per Illyricum ingens oblatum auxilium avaritia dimissum est. §44.26.3veniebant decem milia equitum, par numerus peditum et ipsorum iungentium cursum equis et in vicem prolapsorum equitum vacuos capientium ad pugnam equos. §44.26.4hi pacti erant eques denos praesentes aureos, pedes quinos, mille dux eorum. §44.26.5venientibus his Perseus ab Elpeo ex castris profectus obviam cum dimidia copiarum parte denuntiare per vicos urbesque, quae viae propinquae sunt, coepit, ut commeatus expedirent, frumenti, vini, pecorum ut copia esset. §44.26.6ipse equos phalerasque et sagula donum principibus ferre et parvom auri, quod inter paucos divideret, multitudinem credens trahi spe posse. §44.26.7ad Almanam urbem pervenit et in ripa fluminis Axi posuit castra.
Nor was this the only opportunity lost by Perseus through his avarice, when, if the money had been paid, he might either have obtained peace through Eumenes—a peace which would have been worth purchasing even at the price of a part of his kingdom—or, even if deceived, he could have dragged out an enemy laden with his reward and rightly made the Romans his enemies; but also the alliance with King Gentius, which had been prepared before, and the immense assistance of the Gauls who were then poured through Illyricum, was lost through his avarice. There were coming ten thousand cavalry and an equal number of infantry, who themselves kept pace with the horses in running, and in turn took the riderless horses for battle when the cavalrymen fell. These had agreed on ten gold pieces in hand for each cavalryman, five for each infantryman, and a thousand for their leader. As they were approaching, Perseus, having set out from his camp at Elpeus with half of his forces to meet them, began to order through the villages and cities near the route to prepare provisions, so that there might be an abundance of corn, wine, and cattle. He himself carried horses, trappings, and cloaks as gifts for the chiefs, and a small amount of gold to be divided among a few, believing that the multitude could be led on by hope. He arrived at the city of Almana and pitched his camp on the bank of the river Axius.
circa Desudabam in Maedica exercitus Gallorum consederat, mercedem pactam opperiens. §44.26.8eo mittit Antigonum, ex purpuratis unum, qui iuberet multitudinem Gallorum ad Bylazora — Paeoniae is locus est — castra movere, principes ad se venire frequentes.
The army of the Gauls had encamped around Desudaba in Maedica, waiting for the agreed-upon pay. Thither he sent Antigonus, one of his courtiers, to order the multitude of the Gauls to move their camp to Bylazora—this is a place in Paeonia—and the chiefs to come to him in large numbers.
septuaginta quinque milia ab Axio flumine et castris regis aberant. §44.26.9haec mandata ad eos cum pertulisset Antigonus adiecissetque, per quantam omnium praeparatam cura regis copiam ituri forent quibusque muneribus principes advenientes vestis, argenti equorumque excepturus rex esset, de his quidem se coram cognituros respondent, §44.26.10illud, quod praesens pepigissent, interrogant, ecquid aurum, quod in singulos pedites equitesque dividendum esset, secum advexisset. §44.26.11cum ad id nihil responderetur, Clondicus, regulus eorum, “abi, renuntia ergo” inquit “regi, nisi aurum obsidesque accepissent, nusquam inde Gallos longius vestigium moturos. ” §44.26.12haec relata regi cum essent, advocato consilio cum, quid omnes suasuri essent, appareret, ipse pecuniae quam regni melior custos institit de perfidia et feritate Gallorum disserere, multorum iam ante cladibus experta: §44.26.13periculosum esse tantam multitudinem in Macedoniam accipere, ne graviores eos socios habeant quam hostes Romanos. §44.26.14quinque milia equitum satis esse, quibus et uti ad bellum possent, et quorum multitudinem ipsi non timeant.
They were seventy-five miles away from the river Axius and the king's camp. When Antigonus had delivered these messages to them, and had added through how great an abundance of all provisions, prepared by the care of the king, they would pass, and with what gifts of clothing, silver, and horses the king would receive the arriving chiefs, they replied that they would find out about these things in person; but they asked about that which they had bargained for in hand, whether he had brought with him any gold to be distributed to each of the infantry and cavalry. When no answer was made to this, Clondicus, their petty king, said, "Go, then, and report to the king, that unless they receive the gold and the hostages, the Gauls will not move a step further from this place." When these things were reported to the king, and a council was called, although it was clear what everyone would advise, he himself, a better guardian of his money than of his kingdom, began to discourse on the treachery and ferocity of the Gauls, already experienced through the disasters of many in the past: that it was dangerous to receive so great a multitude into Macedonia, lest they should find them more troublesome allies than the Romans were as enemies; five thousand cavalry were enough, whom they could both use for the war, and whose multitude they themselves would not fear.