nto camp, were by this time, both recruited by
food and a little rest; and, ordering them to carry nothing with them
but their swords, he marched them out directly, and posted them in the
roads which led from two of the gates, one towards Pherae, the other
towards the Barbosthenes: for he supposed, that through these the
flying enemy would make their retreat. Nor was he mistaken in that
opinion; for the Lacedaemonians, as long as any light remained,
retreated through the centre of the woods in the most retired paths.
As soon as it grew dusk, and they saw lights in the enemy's camp, they
kept themselves in paths concealed from view; but having passed it
by, they then thought that all was safe, and came down into the open
roads, where they were intercepted by the parties lying in wait; and
there such numbers of them were killed and taken, that of the whole
army scarcely a fourth part effected their escape. As the tyrant was
now pent up within the city, Philopoemen employed the greatest part
of thirty succeeding days in ravaging the lands of the Lacedaemonians;
and then, after greatly reducing, and almost annihilating the strength
of the tyrant, he returned home, while the Achaeans extolled him as
equal in the glory of his services to the Roman general, and indeed,
so far as regarded the war with Lacedaemon, even deemed him superior.

31. While the Achaeans and the tyrant were carrying on the war in this
manner, the Roman ambassadors made a circuit through the cities of the
allies; being anxious lest the Aetolians might seduce some of them
to join the party of Antiochus. They took but little pains, in their
applications to the Achaeans; because, knowing their animosity against
Nabis, they thought that they might be safely relied on with regard to
other matters. They went first to Athens, thence to Chalcis, thence to
Thessaly; and, after addressing the Thessalians, in a full assembly,
they directed their route to Demetrias, to which place a council of
the Magnetians was summoned. There a more studied address required to
be delivered; for a great many of the leading men were disaffected to
the Romans, and entirely devoted to the interests of Antiochus and
the Aetolians; because, at the time when accounts were received that
Philip's son, who was a hostage, would be restored to him, and the
tribute imposed on him remitted, among other groundless reports it had
been given out, that the Romans also intended to restore Demetrias t