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to persuade them to refrain from battle, he himself also went to the war. And the Triballi likewise went against the barbarians. While the barbarians were still skirmishing, as was their custom before coming to close quarters, the general fell, wounded by a missile from the Triballi, and a terrible confusion and disorder seized the camp of the barbarians, as happens to those defeated in the first charge. But the king then especially seemed to understand what was necessary, being sharp in urgent moments, both to act himself and to advise others. For he immediately appointed another general and advised them especially to be courageous, as he would manage their affairs well. And having pushed him into the front ranks, he displayed marvelous deeds of daring and courage. For having slain three of the enemy in succession with his own hand, he forced the Triballi to refrain from the battle. For they immediately withdrew to Pherae, which was not far away. And in that engagement few of the Persians 3.327 fell, but twice as many of the Triballi. The barbarian force, however, since the course of the battle went against their expectations—for they did not think the enemy would hold out even for a short time—was terribly thrown into confusion and disorder, and was already ready for flight. But the king, having encouraged and arrayed them, as was the custom, turned back, himself holding the rearguard with the Romans and the best of the Persians. But the Triballi did not stand by to let the barbarians withdraw without bloodshed. For they themselves suspected that they were in confusion from their very swift departure. And attacking again, they attempted to rout and break their close formation. But the king, again taking his stand against them with the Romans and the best of the Persians, turned back the enemy. For he slew two in succession in the encounter. And others fell, slain by the rest. From that time on, the army of the Triballi withdrew to Pherae, amazed at the king's valor, and for the future they troubled them no more. 45. The king, leading the army, encamped by the Panax river, to spend the night there, and at dawn, when the army that had been dispersed for plunder had returned, to complete the rest of the journey safely. But as day was already declining, the dispersed army, having returned from its plundering, being not small and bringing with it a multitude 3.328 of captured cattle and slaves, was marching toward the camp of their countrymen, unaware of the engagement that had taken place with the Triballi. But those in the camp, suspecting that these were not their own men, but the Triballi who had assembled to attack them, since they seemed to be no match for them, not only because of their number, but also because of their daring in previous battles, rose up and fled in full force while the army was still appearing in the distance, fearing that, if left behind, they would be destroyed, and each man hastened to cross the pass at Philippi, trying to get ahead of the others. For they suspected that if night fell and the Philippians learned of their rout, there would be nothing to prevent their utter destruction, with the Philippians holding the narrow passes and not allowing them to cross into Thrace, and with the army pressing upon and destroying them. For since the city of the Philippians lies at the foot of a mountain, the area above the city is impassable because of its roughness, being surrounded by deep ravines, cliffs, and rocks, while the area below the city, being level, is a shoal and a deep, swampy marsh, inundated with much water. And there is a certain narrow pass between the city and the shoal, which they made it their first priority to cross, before the Philippians perceived that they were defeated. The Romans were also drawn into the flight along with the barbarians. But the king, vexed at the rout, which had happened so unexpectedly 3.329, tried to hold some back and to fight the attackers, for there were a few Triballi gathered from the surrounding villages who immediately pressed upon the fleeing barbarians; for the army at Pherae and Boichnas were completely unaware of what had happened; but he was unable to do anything necessary, with everyone set on one

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πεῖσαι ἀποσχέσθαι μάχης, ἐχώρει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον. ᾔεσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ Τριβαλοὶ ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους. ἔτι δὲ ἀκροβολιζομένων τῶν βαρβάρων, ὥσπερ ἔθος πρὶν ἥκειν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, ἔπιπτεν ὁ στρατηγὸς βέλει τρωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Τριβαλῶν, καὶ σύγχυσις δεινὴ καὶ ἀταξία τὸ στρατόπεδον κατεῖχε τῶν βαρβάρων, οἷα δὴ ἐκ πρώτης ἡττημένων εἰσβολῆς. βασιλεὺς δὲ τότε μάλιστα ἐφαίνετο συνεῖναί τε τὰ δέοντα ὢν ὀξὺς ἐν ἐπείγουσι καιροῖς καὶ αὐτός τε καταπράξασθαι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παραινέσαι. αὐτίκα γὰρ ἕτερον ἐχειροτόνει στρατηγὸν καὶ παρῄνει μάλιστα θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς καλῶς αὐτοῦ τοῖς πράγμασι χρησομένου. εἰσωθήσας δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς προτάκτους, ἔργα τόλμης καὶ ἀνδρίας ἐπεδείκνυτο θαυμαστά. τρεῖς γὰρ ἐφεξῆς αὐτοχειρίᾳ πολεμίους ἀνελὼν, ἠνάγκασε τῆς μάχης ἀποσχέσθαι Τριβαλούς. αὐτίκα γὰρ ἀνεχώρουν ἐπὶ Φερὰς οὔσας οὐ μακράν. ἔπεσον δὲ κατὰ τὴν συμβολὴν ἐκείνην Περσῶν 3.327 μὲν ὀλίγοι, διπλασίους δὲ ἐκ Τριβαλῶν. τὸ μέντοι βαρβαρικὸν, ὡς παρ' ἐλπίδας αὐτοῖς ἀπήντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν μάχην, οὐ γὰρ ᾤοντο ἀντισχήσειν οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ τοὺς πολεμίους, δεινῶς ἐθορυβοῦντο καὶ ἠτάκτουν καὶ ἤδη ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν πρὸς φυγήν. παραθαῤῥύνας δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ συντάξας, ὥσπερ ἔθος, ἀνέστρεφεν αὐτὸς τὴν οὐραγίαν ἔχων μετὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῶν ἀρίστων τῶν Περσῶν. Τριβαλοὶ δὲ οὐχ ὑπέμειναν ἀναιμωτὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐᾷν ἀναχωρεῖν. ὑπώπτευον γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ τεθορυβῆσθαι ἐκ τῆς ταχίστης ἀναζεύξεως. καὶ αὖθις ἐπελθόντες, ἐπεχείρουν τρέπεσθαι καὶ διαλύειν τὸν συνασπισμόν. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὖθις ἀντικαταστὰς μετὰ Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῶν ἀρίστων τῶν Περσῶν, ἀπέτρεπε τοὺς πολεμίους. δύο γὰρ ἐφεξῆς ἀπέκτεινε συμβαλών. ἔπεσον δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνῃρημένοι. ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ ἡ Τριβαλῶν ἀνεχώρει στρατιὰ ἐπὶ Φερὰς, τὴν βασιλέως ἀνδραγαθίαν ἐκπλαγεῖσα, καὶ οὐκέτι τοῦ λοιποῦ ἠνώχλησαν οὐδέν. μεʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἄγων τὴν στρατιὰν, ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐπὶ Πάνακα τὸν ποταμὸν, ὡς αὐτόθι διανυκτερεύσων, ἅμα δὲ ἕῳ, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν λείαν διεσκεδασμένης στρατιᾶς ἐπανελθούσης, ἀσφαλῶς τὸ ἐπίλοιπον ἀνύσων τῆς ὁδοῦ. κλινούσης δὲ ἡμέρας ἤδη, ἡ διασκεδασμένη στρατιὰ ἐπαναζεύξασα ἐκ τῆς λεηλασίας, οὖσα οὐκ ὀλίγη καὶ βοσκημάτων 3.328 πλῆθος ἐπαγομένη αἰχμαλώτων καὶ ἀνδραπόδων, ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐβάδιζε τῶν ὁμοφύλων, ἀγνοοῦσα τὴν μετὰ τῶν Τριβαλῶν γεγενημένην συμπλοκήν. οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ὑποπτεύσαντες μὴ εἶναι τοὺς σφετέρους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς Τριβαλοὺς συστάντας ἐπιέναι σφίσιν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀξιόμαχοι ἐδόκουν εἶναι πρὸς αὐτοὺς, οὐ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὰς προγεγενημένας μάχας τόλμαν, ἀναστάντες ἔφευγον κατακράτος ποῤῥωτάτω τῆς στρατιᾶς ἔτι ἐπιφαινομένης, δείσαντες, μὴ ἐγκαταλειφθέντες διαφθαρῶσι, καὶ τὴν ἐν Φιλίππου δίοδον ἐσπούδαζον ἕκαστος διαβαίνειν φθάνοντες τοὺς ἄλλους. ὑπώπτευον γὰρ, εἰ ἐπιγένοιτο ἡ νὺξ καὶ τῆς τροπῆς αἴσθοιντο οἱ Φιλιππήσιοι, οὐδὲν εἶναι κώλυμα παντάπασι διαφθαρήσεσθαι, τῶν μὲν Φιλιππησίων κατασχόντων τὰ στενὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐώντων διαβαίνειν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκην, τῆς στρατιᾶς δὲ ἐπικειμένης καὶ διαφθειρούσης. ἐπί τινος γὰρ ὑπωρείας τῆς Φιλιππησίων πόλεως κειμένης, τὸ μὲν ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν ἀβατόν ἐστι διὰ σκληρότητα, φάραγξι βαθείαις καὶ κρημνοῖς καὶ πέτραις περιειλημμένον, τὸ δ' ὑπὸ τὴν πόλιν λεῖον ὂν, τέναγός ἐστι καὶ τέλμα βαθὺ ἑλῶδες καὶ ὕδασι πολλοῖς κατάῤῥυτον. στενὴ δέ τις δίοδός ἐστι μεταξὺ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τοῦ τενάγους, ἣν προὔργου παντὸς ἐποιοῦντο διελθεῖν, πρὶν αἰσθέσθαι τούτους τοὺς Φιλιππησίους ἡττημένους. συναπήχθησαν δὲ τοῖς βαρβάροις καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς τὴν φυγήν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἀχθόμενος πρὸς τὴν τροπὴν, οὕτω παρὰ λόγον 3.329 γεγενημένην, παρακατέχειν μέν τινας ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ μάχεσθαι τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν, ἦσαν γάρ τινες ἐκ Τριβαλῶν ὀλίγοι ἐκ τῶν πέριξ κωμῶν συνειλεγμένοι, οἳ ἐπέκειντο αὐτίκα τοῖς βαρβάροις φεύγουσιν· ἡ γὰρ ἐν Φεραῖς στρατιὰ καὶ Βοΐχνας παντάπασιν ἠγνόουν τὸ συμβάν· πράττειν δὲ οὐδὲν ἠδυνήθη τῶν δεόντων, πάντων πρὸς ἓν