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And yet, although they were much fewer than their opponents, and although they were attacking them as they were encamped near their own city, 1.281 they neither feared nor were in any way disturbed; but having come near Pherae, close enough to engage with them, they stood full of impetus throughout the entire day, challenging them to battle. And when no one came out against them, they withdrew a short distance, encamped for the night, and on the next day, having armed themselves again at dawn, they stood in battle array as if for a fight, and sending us, they challenged them to battle; but when we did not even endure to look them in the face and openly refused the engagement, they turned back with all the good order you could mention and encamped at Zichna. Therefore, with an army so well-organized from all quarters, and led by many good generals, I for one would not agree to engage in battle without necessity. And now that the entire western army, which is itself both large and good, has gone over to the emperor, their prospects for war have become even more hopeless.” When Chreles had said such things, both the Kral and the other leaders of the army were persuaded, and they now refrained from their intention to make war on the emperor; nevertheless they remained in the same camp. And the emperor, having departed from Achris after the eighth day, came to Pelagonia, leaving the road to Kastoria, partly in order to secure the towns and the rest of the country there, and partly because he heard that the Kral was within the borders of his own domain, so that he might not seem to have abstained from the road out of 1.282 fear of him. The Roman fugitives, however, when they learned that the emperor was coming through Pelagonia, approached the Kral and tried to force him to engage the emperor in battle, since he was already not far from them. But the Kral answered that neither now nor in the future would he willingly make war on the emperor, unless he himself attacked; and that he had brought them all the help he could, having provided twelve regiments along with their generals to assist them at Pherae. And now he even regretted this, because he had taken up a war for no reason against one who had done him no wrong. As for the Roman emperors being at odds with each other, they themselves would know both how they will war against each other and on what terms they will come to an agreement, but as for me, having been wronged by no one, I will not make war on anyone, so long as I am not wronged. So then, having received such a defense, and their only remaining hope being extinguished, they were greatly disturbed. However, they did not refrain from vehemently urging the Kral with great earnestness to the war against the emperor. They tried to persuade him, begging him not to leave them unavenged, and since the leading men of the Triballi were also present, they said, 'It is not right, sirs, for you to wear yourselves out in vain, attempting impossible things, and for you to weary us by asking for things that are not fitting. For before, when the war against the emperors your masters was being stirred up, you should have removed every pretext for scandal and procured peace by every means for yourselves and for others, knowing that this very thing is advantageous to the emperors, 1.283 to you, and to the common good of the Romans. But you, on the contrary, seemed to be doing the very opposite and advising others to do so. For going around all the cities, you praised and promised wondrous things to those who joined the elder emperor in the war against the young emperor, but those who chose to keep the peace and persuade others to do so, you treated equally as enemies, as if they were acting in the interests of the young emperor, and you were eager to stir up war by every means. Therefore, what you were eager for then, you may justly embrace now that it is here. But we command our lord the Kral not to stir up war against the emperor, nor to be willing to do wrong by attacking first, considering that with God there is also retribution for the things unjustly done by men; but if he himself attacks, to defend himself with all his might. If, then, he would be persuaded by our counsel, it would be well; but if not, then let him go and wage the war alone, taking you with him; for none of us will come.' When the Triballi had said such things, the Kral was persuaded and to the Romans

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καίτοι τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων ὄντες ἐλάσσους πολλῷ, καὶ ἐπιόντες αὐτοῖς παρὰ πόλιν οἰκείαν στρατοπεδευομένοις, 1.281 οὔτε ἔδεισαν οὔτε ἐθορυβήθησαν οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ ἐγγὺς γενόμενοι Φερῶν ὅσον συναναμίγνυσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἔστησαν ἀνάπλεῳ ὁρμῆς διὰ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας προκαλούμενοι ἐς μάχην. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἀντεπεξῄει, μικρὸν ἐκκλίναντες, ηὐλίσαντο τὴν νύκτα, καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν πάλιν φραξάμενοι ἅμα ἕῳ, ὡς ἐς μάχην ἔστησαν παρατεταγμένοι, καὶ πέμψαντες ἡμᾶς προὐκαλοῦντο ἐς τὴν μάχην· ἡμῶν δὲ οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέπειν ὑπομενόντων καὶ φανερῶς τὴν συμπλοκὴν ἀπειπαμένων, ἀναστρέψαντες μεθ' ὅσης ἂν εἴποις τῆς εὐταξίας, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐν Ζίχνα. τῇ δὴ οὕτω πανταχόθεν συγκεκροτημένῃ στρατιᾷ, καὶ ὑπὸ στρατηγοῖς ἀγομένῃ πολλοῖς τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς, ἀνάγκης χωρὶς οὐκ ἂν συγχωρήσαιμι συμπλέκεσθαι ἐγώ. νυνὶ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἑσπερίου στρατιᾶς ἁπάσης, πολλῆς τε καὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς οὔσης, προσκεχωρηκυίας βασιλεῖ, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀπορώτερα τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον αὐτῶν καθέστηκε.» Τοιαῦτα εἰπόντος τοῦ Χρέλη, ὅ,τε Κράλης ἐπείθετο καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἡγεμόνες τῆς στρατιᾶς, καὶ ἤδη ἀπέσχοντο ταῖς γνώμαις τοῦ πρὸς βασιλέα πολεμεῖν· ἔμενον δὲ ὅμως ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς στρατοπεδείας. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ἀχρίδος μετὰ ὀγδόην ἡμέραν ἄρας, ἦλθεν εἰς Πελαγονίαν, τὴν εἰς Καστορίαν ἐκλιπὼν ὁδὸν, ἅμα μὲν, ἵνα καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ περιποιήσηται πολίχνια καὶ τὴν ἄλλην χώραν, ἅμα δ', ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν Κράλην ἐν ὁρίοις πύθοιτο τῆς σφετέρας ἀρχῆς εἶναι, ἵνα μὴ δοκοίη φό 1.282 βῳ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποσχέσθαι τῆς ὁδοῦ. οἱ μέντοι Ῥωμαίων φυγάδες ὡς ἐπύθοντο διὰ Πελαγονίας ἰέναι βασιλέα, τῷ Κράλῃ προσιόντες, ἠνάγκαζον συμπλέκεσθαι βασιλεῖ, ἤδη οὐ πολὺ ἀπέχοντι αὐτῶν. ὁ Κράλης δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο, μήτε νῦν μήτε εἰσαῦθις ἑκὼν πολεμήσειν βασιλεῖ, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸς ἐπίῃ· αὐτοῖς δὲ τὴν δυνατὴν βοήθειαν εἰσενηνέχθαι, δυοκαίδεκα τάγματα ἅμα στρατηγοῖς παρασχόμενος ἐν Φεραῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπικουρεῖν. νυνὶ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τούτου ἕνεκα μεταμέλειν, ὅτι πρὸς οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα πόλεμον ἤρατο ἐξ αἰτίας οὐδεμιᾶς. βασιλέας δὲ Ῥωμαίων πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφερομένους, αὐτοὺς ἂν εἰδέναι, ὅπως τε πολεμήσουσιν ἀλλήλοις καὶ καθότι ξυμβήσονται, ἐμὲ δὲ μηδὲν ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἠδικημένον, οὐδ' αὐτὸν πολεμήσειν οὐδενὶ, ἕως ἂν μὴ ἀδικῶμαι. οἱ μὲν οὖν τοιαύτης τυχόντες τῆς ἀπολογίας, καὶ τῆς μόνης ὑπολειπομένης ἐλπίδος σβεννυμένης, ἐθορυβοῦντο σφοδρῶς. οὐ μὴν ἀπέσχοντο τοῦ μὴ σφόδρα μετὰ σπουδῆς πολλῆς πρὸς τὸν κατὰ βασιλέως πόλεμον τὸν Κράλην ἐξορμᾷν. πείθειν δὲ ἐπιχειροῦσι καὶ δεομένοις μὴ ἐᾷν αὐτοὺς ἀτιμωρήτους, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν Τριβαλῶν παρῆσαν οἱ ἐν τέλει, «οὐ δέον,» εἶπον «ὦ οὗτοι, αὐτούς τε εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην κατατρίβεσθαι ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀνηνύτοις, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀποκναίειν ἃ μὴ προσήκει δεομένους. πρότερον γὰρ ἐχρῆν, τοῦ πρὸς βασιλέας τοὺς ὑμῶν δεσπότας πολέμου κινουμένου, αὐτοὺς πᾶσαν πρόφασιν σκανδάλου περιαιρεῖν καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐκπορίζειν, εἰδότας, ὡς τοῦτο αὐτὸ βασιλεῦ 1.283 σί τε καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ τῷ κοινῷ λυσιτελεῖ Ῥωμαίων. ὑμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν αὐτοί τε ἐφαίνεσθε ποιοῦντες καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παραινοῦντες. τὰς γὰρ πόλεις ἁπάσας περιϊόντες, τοὺς μὲν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ βασιλεῖ τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα τὸν νέον πόλεμον συναιρομένους ἐπῃνεῖτέ τε καὶ ἐπηγγέλλεσθε θαυμάσι' ἄττα, τοὺς δὲ τὴν εἰρήνην ἄγειν αἱρουμένους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πείθοντας, ὡς τὰ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως πράττοντας ἐπίσης ἐχρῆσθε πολεμίοις, καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐγείρειν ἐσπουδάζετε τρόπῳ παντί. ἃ οὖν ἐσπουδάζετε τότε, στέργοιτ' ἂν παρόντα νῦν δικαίως. ἡμεῖς δὲ Κράλῃ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ παραγγέλλομεν δεσπότῃ, μὴ πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον κινεῖν, μηδὲ ἀδικεῖν ἐθέλειν προεπιχειροῦντα, λογιζόμενον, ὡς καὶ παρὰ θεῷ τίσις ἐστὶ τοῖς ἀδίκως πραττομένοις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸς ἐπίῃ, ἀμύνεσθαι παντὶ σθένει. εἰ μὲν οὖν πείθοιτο ἡμῖν βουλευομένοις, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἀπελθὼν διαφερέτω τὸν πόλεμον μόνος, συμπαραλαβὼν ὑμᾶς· ἡμῶν γὰρ ἀφίξεται οὐδείς.» Τοιαῦτα εἰπόντων τῶν Τριβαλῶν, ὁ Κράλης τε ἐπείθετο καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους