ich, after he had expatiated on many topics often
alluded to before, respecting the virtues of their ancestors, and the
military fame of the Macedonians, he touched particularly on those
considerations which at the time threw the greatest damp on their
spirits, and on those by which they might be animated to some degree
of confidence. To the defeat thrice suffered at the narrow passes
near the river Aous, by the phalanx of the Macedonians, he opposed
the repulse given by main force to the Romans at Atrax: and even with
respect to the former case, when they had not maintained possession
of the pass leading into Epirus, he said, "the first fault was to be
imputed to those who had been negligent in keeping the guards; and
the second, to the light infantry and mercenaries in the time of the
engagement; but that, as to the phalanx of the Macedonians, it had
stood firm on that occasion; and would for ever remain invincible, on
equal ground, and in regular fight." This body consisted of sixteen
thousand men, the prime strength of the army, and of the kingdom.
Besides these, he had two thousand targeteers, called Peltastae;
of Thracians, and Illyrians of the tribe called Trallians, the like
number of two thousand; and of hired auxiliaries, collected out of
various nations, about one thousand; and two thousand horse. With this
force the king waited for the enemy. The Romans had nearly an equal
number; in cavalry alone they had a superiority, by the addition of
the Aetolians.

5. Quinctius, having decamped to Thebes in Phthiotis, and having
received encouragement to hope that the city would be betrayed to him
by Timon, a leading man in the state, came up close to the walls with
only a small number of cavalry and some light infantry. So entirely
were his expectations disappointed, that he was not only obliged to
maintain a fight with the enemy who sallied out against him, but would
have incurred a fearful conflict had not both infantry and cavalry
been called out hastily from the camp, and come up in time. Not
meeting with that success which he had too inconsiderately expected,
he desisted from any further attempt to take the city at present. He
had received certain information of the king being in Thessaly; but
as he had not yet discovered into what part of it he had come, he sent
his soldiers round the country, with orders to cut timber and prepare
palisades. Both Macedonians and Greeks had palisades; but the latter
had not ado