Xenoetas Has Early Success
On one side of the entrance to this pass lies a place called
Brochi, on the other Gerrha, which leave but a narrow space
between them. After a march of several days through this canon,
and subduing the towns that lay along it, Antiochus arrived
at Gerrha. Finding that Theodotus the Aetolian had already
occupied Gerrha and Brochi, and had secured the narrow road
by the lakes with ditches and palisades and a proper disposition
of guards, the king at first tried to carry the pass by force;
but after sustaining more loss than he inflicted, and finding
that Theodotus remained still stanch, he gave up the
attempt. In the midst of these difficulties news was brought
that Xenoetas had suffered a total defeat and that Molon was
in possession of all the upper country: he therefore abandoned
his foreign expedition and started to relieve his own
dominions.
The fact was that when the general Xenoetas had been despatched with
absolute powers, as I have before
Xenoetas at first successful. |
stated, his unexpected elevation caused him to
treat his friends with haughtiness and his
enemies with overweening temerity. His first move however
was sufficiently prudent. He marched to
Seleucia, and after
sending for Diogenes the governor of
Susiana, and Pythiades
the commander in the
Persian Gulf, he led out his forces and
encamped with the river
Tigris protecting his front. But there
he was visited by many men from Molon's camp, who swam
across the river and assured him that, if he would only cross
the
Tigris, the whole of Molon's army would declare for him;
for the common soldiers were jealous of Molon and warmly
disposed towards the king. Xenoetas was encouraged by
these statements to attempt the passage of the
Tigris. He
made a feint of bridging the river at a spot where it is divided
by an island; but as he was getting nothing ready for such an
operation, Molon took no notice of his pretended move; while
he was really occupied in collecting boats and getting them
ready with every possible care. Then having selected the most
courageous men, horse and foot, from his entire army, he left
Zeuxis and Pythiades in charge of his camp, and marched up
stream at night about eighty stades above Molon's camp; and
having got his force safely over in boats, encamped them before
daybreak in an excellent position, nearly surrounded by the
river, and covered where there was no river by marshes and
swamps.
