ous
as well as drinkable.--Meanwhile envoys of the Rhodians reached him
animated by the same insolence which they had displayed on their
former embassy to Rome. He would make no statement to them beyond
saying that he would return an answer in a few days, and dismissed
them.--Since he could accomplish nothing by direct assault, but
learned that the mountains were traversable here and there, he sent a
portion of his army toward that pass across them which was the more
difficult of approach, to seize opportune points along the route (on
account of its difficulty of access it had an extremely small guard);
and he himself with the remainder of his army attacked Perseus that
the latter might not entertain any suspicion which might lead to his
guarding the mountains with especial care. After this, when the
heights had been occupied, he set out by night for the mountains and
by passing unnoticed at some points and employing force at others he
crossed them. Perseus on learning it became afraid that his enemy
might assail him from the rear or even get control of Pydna before he
could (for the Roman fleet was simultaneously sailing along the
coast), and he abandoned his fortification near the river and
hastening to Pydna encamped in front of the town. Paulus, too, came
there, but instead of immediately beginning an engagement they delayed
for a number of days. Paulus had found out prior to the event that the
moon was about to suffer an eclipse, and after collecting his army on
the evening when the eclipse was due to occur gave the men notice of
what would happen and warned them not to let it disturb them at all.
So the Romans on beholding the eclipse looked for no evil to come from
it, but it made an impression of terror upon the Macedonians and they
thought that the prodigy had a bearing on the cause of Perseus. While
each side was in this frame of mind an entirely accidental occurrence
the next day threw them into a fierce conflict and put an end to the
war. One of the Roman pack-animals had fallen into the water from
which a supply was being drawn, and the Macedonians laid hold of him,
while the water-carriers in turn tightened their grasp. At first they
fought by themselves; then the remainder of the forces gradually
issued from the respective camps to the assistance of their own men
and everybody on both sides became engaged. A disordered but sharp
conflict ensued in which the Romans were victorious and pursuing the
Macedoni