The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [298]
20. Manius sent ambassadors to the different Greek cities,
21. And Titus Flamininus quieted most of the troublemakers in them who supported Antiochus, without much difficulty.
22. Cato likewise brought over Corinth, Patrae and Aegium, and spent much time at Athens.
23. It is reputed that he made an oration in Greek, expressing his admiration of the ancient Athenians,
24. And signifying that he came with pleasure to see the beauty and greatness of their city.
25. But this is a fiction, for he spoke to the Athenians through an interpreter, though he was able to speak Greek;
26. But he wished to observe the usage of his own country, and laughed at those who admired nothing but what was Greek.
27. He professed to believe that the words of the Greeks came only from their lips, while those of the Romans came from their hearts.
Chapter 58
1. Antiochus occupied the narrow passages about Thermopylae, added palisades and walls to the natural fortifications of the place,
2. And camped there, thinking he had done enough to divert the war;
3. And the Romans, indeed, seemed wholly to despair of forcing the passage.
4. But Cato, calling to mind the circuit which the Persians made to attack that place, went out at night, taking part of the army.
5. While they were climbing, the guide missed the way, and wandering along impracticable and precipitous paths, the soldiers were filled with anxiety.
6. Cato, perceiving the danger, commanded the rest to halt, and taking with him one Lucius Manlius, an expert mountaineer,
7. Advanced with much labour and danger, in darkness without moonlight, among wild olive trees and steep crags,
8. There being nothing but precipices and darkness before their eyes, till they found a little pass which they thought led to the enemy camp.
9. They marked some rocks and returned to fetch the army.
10. The way still proved difficult, but at dawn they at last saw the enemy trenches at the foot of the rock.
11. Here Cato halted his forces, and commanded the most reliable troops, the Firmans, to stay by him, saying,
12. ‘I desire to take one of the enemy alive, to find out the number, discipline, order and preparation of the enemy;
13. ‘But this feat must be an act of great quickness and boldness, such as that of lions, when they dart upon a timorous animal.’
14. The Firmans darted down the mountain and dispersed the enemy guards, capturing one.
15. From him Cato quickly learned that the rest of the forces lay in the narrow passage around the king,
16. And that those who kept the tops of the rocks were six hundred choice Aetolians.
17. Heartened by the smallness of the enemy’s number and their carelessness, Cato drew his sword and fell upon them with a great noise of trumpets and shouting.
18. The enemy, perceiving them thus tumbling upon them from the precipices, flew to the main body, disordering everything there.
19. As Manius was forcing the defences below, pouring his forces into the narrow passages,
20. Antiochus was hit in the mouth by a stone which knocked his teeth out, making him feel such excessive pain that he turned away with his horse;
21. Nor did any part of his army withstand the shock of the Romans.
22. But there seemed no reasonable hope of flight where all paths were so difficult, winding among deep marshes and steep rocks.
23. The fugitives crowded and pressed together in the narrow ways,
24. Destroying one another in their terror of the Roman swords.
25. Cato was never sparing of his own praises, and seldom shunned boasting of his exploits;
26. Which quality he seems to have thought the natural accompaniment of great actions.
27. With these particular exploits against Antiochus he was highly pleased.
28. He wrote that those who saw him that day, pursuing and slaying the enemies,
29. Were ready to assert that Cato owed not so much to the public, as the public to Cato;
30. He adds that Manius the consul, coming hot from the fight, embraced him for a great while, when both were all in a sweat,
31. And cried out with