Polyaenus
Stratagems of War
Translated by E. Shepherd. F.R.S.
Unchanged reprint of the Edition: London 1793.
Ares Publishers, Inc.
4.4 Antipater
(1) Antipater, in the Thracian war, having advanced into the country of the Tetrachoritae, ordered fire to be set to the horses’ hay, which lay before his pavilion. And as soon as it flamed out, the trumpets sounded the charge; when the Macedonians repaired to the royal pavilion, with their spears all raised on high. The Tetrachoritae, struck with terror at such marks of frantic desperation, made a precipitate retreat; leaving to Antipater a cheap and easy victory.
(2) When Antipater attempted to cross the Sperchius, and found the Thessalian cavalry drawn up on the other side, ready to dispute his passage; he retreated to his camp: and ordered the Macedonians to rest on their arms, and not to unbridle their horses. The Thessalians, left without an enemy, directed their horses with all speed to Lamia, to dine at their own houses. Antipater in the mean time by an expeditious march advanced to the river, crossed it without opposition, and afterwards took Lamia by surprise.
(3) To impress the Thessalians with an opinion, that his cavalry was very numerous, Antipater advanced with a number of asses and mules; which he mounted with men, armed as troopers: but the first line of every troop he formed of his real cavalry. The enemy seeing so formidable an appearance, and supposing not only the front lines, but all the rest, to be cavalry, abandoned themselves to flight. This stratagem Agesilaus also employed against Aeropus in Macedonia; and Eumenes against Antigonus in Asia.
4.5 Parmenio
Parmenio, after the battle at Issus, having been detached by Alexander to Damascus, to escort the baggage, fell in with a body of heavy-armed troops. Apprehensive that the Barbarians, who had the care of the baggage, might, during the action, through fear desert their charge, and run away, he dispatched three troops of horse to them, with injunctions to proclaim, that whoever of them did not hold his horses with his own hands, should be put to death. This proclamation had its effect: the Barbarians all held their horses, and took good care of the baggage.
4.6 Antigonus
(1) Antigonus made himself master of Corinth by the following stratagem. While Alexander was in possession of the fort, he died: and left Nicaea a widow, who was then not very young. Antigonus proposed a marriage between her and his son Demetrius: to which the splendour of royalty easily obtained her consent. A sacrifice was offered, and all the previous ceremonies of marriage, according to the Grecian institution were performed. A great concourse of people were assembled on the occasion: and the guards attended Nicaea, dressed in royal robes, and wantoning in affected state to the theatre. But the bride had no sooner entered it, than Antigonus, no longer solicitous about the nuptial ceremonies, made a vigorous attack upon the fort, and carried it with ease; while the guards were chiefly employed on the festivity of the royal nuptials. Thus Antigonus possessed himself of all Corinth: and so terminated the proposed nuptials.
(2) Antigonus, in treating with an embassy, used previously to inform himself from the public records, who were the persons that composed the last embassy from the same quarter, the subject of it, and every particular relative to it. With all these circumstances he, in the course of conversation, would usually entertain the ambassadors: and by these means wormed himself into a degree of familiarity with them; and at the same time impressed them with an idea of his extraordinary memory.
(3) At the siege of Megara, Antigonus brought his elephants into the field: among which the Megarensians, after having daubed their swine with pitch, and set fire to it, let them loose. The animals grunting and crying under the torture of the fire, sprung forwards as hard as they could among the elephants: who confused and frightened broke their ranks, and ran different ways. Antigonus order the Indians ever after, in training up their elephants, to bring up swine among them: that the beasts might thus become accustomed to the sight of them, and to their noise.
(4) Antigonus by a device once saved Antipater from being stoned by the Macedonians. Through the midst of the camp ran a rapid river, over which was a bridge. On one side were the Macedonians, on the other Antigonus with his own horse. The soldiers were instant and clamorous for their pay; and threatened Antipater with death, if he any longer trifled with them, and did not immediately comply with their demands. Unable to make good to them their arrears, and alarmed at the danger that threatened his disappointment of them, he consulted Antigonus, who advised him to leave the camp; and undertook to favour his escape. Antigonus accordingly passed the bridge in full armour, and rode directly through the phalanx, thereby dividing it; and turned first to one division, and then to the other, as if he was going to harangue them. The Macedonians paid every attention due his rank and character; and followed him with great solicitude to hear what he had to offer. As soon as they formed around him, he began a long harangue in defense of Antipater; promising, assuring, and urging every consideration to induce them to acquiesce; till he should be in a situation that might enable him to satisfy their demands. During this prolix harangue, Antipater passed the bridge with a party of horse; and escaped the soldiers’ resentment.
(5) Antigonus, when in force superior to the enemy, always engaged coolly; but if inferior, attacked with all possible vigour: esteeming a glorious death preferable to an ignominious life.
(6) While Antigonus wintered in Cappadocia, three thousand heavy-armed Macedonians revolted from him: and having advantageously posted themselves on the mountains, they ravaged Lycaonia, and Phrygia. Antigonus thought it cruel, to put such a number of men to death; and yet was afraid, lest they should join the enemy, who were commanded by Lacetas. He therefore put into execution the following stratagem. He dismissed Leonidas, one of his generals; who immediately went over to the revolters, and offered to join them. His offer they readily embraced; and appointed him their general. The first step he took, was to prevail on them not to attach themselves to any party: which eased Antigonus of his apprehensions. He contrived afterwards to draw them from the mountains to a place, where cavalry might act, of which they were destitute. There Antigonus with a detachment of horse surprised them, and seized Holcias and two of the principals in the revolt; who threw themselves upon his mercy, and begged their lives: which he granted, on condition, that they would without tumult and confusion quit the camp, and return into Macedonia. They accepted the terms: and Leonidas was dispatched to conduct them to Macedonia, and deliver them of their respective homes.
(7) As Antigonus was in full march after Attalus, Alcetas, and Docimus, three able generals of the Macedonians; and in hopes of surprising their camp in the straights of Pisidia: the elephants gave mouth, and apprised the Macedonians of his approach; for he only in his army used those beasts. Alcetas with the heavy-armed troops immediately endeavoured to gain the summit of the steep and craggy mountains. Instead of following him, Antigonus wheeled round the mountain; with all possible expedition directing his march to the quarter where the army was encamped: whom he surprised, and surrounded before they had time to form; and thus obtained a victory without slaughter, the enemy surrendering themselves prisoners of war.
(8) Antigonus fitted a fleet of a hundred and thirty sail, the command of which he gave to Nicanor: who engaged the fleet of Polysperchon, which was commanded by Clitus. The battle was fought in the Hellespont; when Nicanor, whose inexperience engaged the enemy with the swell of the tide against him*, lost seventy ships. The victory became decisive on the part of the enemy: when just at even Antigonus reached the fleet. Undaunted at the defeat he had received, he ordered the sixty ships that remained, to be ready to renew the action the next morning: and on board each of them posted some of the bravest and most resolute men of his own guards; whom he commanded to threaten death to all, who would not bear boldly down upon the enemy. And Byzantium, then in alliance with him, being situated near at hand, he ordered from thence light-armed, and heavy-armed troops, and archers, of each a thousand; whom he posted on the shore, in order to support the fleet, by annoying the enemy with javelins and arrows. This was all effected in a single night. At day break a shower of javelins and arrows was poured upon the enemy; who just turning out, and scarcely awake, were desperately wounded before they well knew the quarter from whence they were attacked. Some cut their cables, and others weighed their anchors; while nothing prevailed but noise and confusion. Antigonus at the same time ordered the sixty ships to bear down upon them: when, thus attacked from the sea quarter, and from land, the conquerors were obliged to resign their victory to the conquered.
*When it is considered, that ships of war, though not wholly destitute of sails, were chiefly rowed with oars, and especially in engagements; that they might be more able to tack about upon any advantage, and approach the enemy on his weakest side: where there was a flux of the tide, it may be easily conceived to have been a matter of great consequence to gain it.
(9) After the naval victory in the Hellespont, Antigonus ordered his fleet to cruise towards Phoenicia: while the sailors were adorned with chaplets, and the ships decorated with the ornaments of the enemy’s fleet. And his captains he ordered to sail as near as they could to the harbours, and cities, they passed; that so the victory might be published throughout all Asia. The Phoenician ships, bound for Rosium, a port of Cilicia, and charged with great sums of money from Eumenes, were under the conduct of Sosigenes: and while he was observing the tides at Orthiomagis, the crews of the Phoenician vessels, when they saw the victorious fleet splendidly adorned, seized the treasures they carried, and leaped on board the vessels of Antigonus; who thereby became possessed both of great treasures and an addition of hands.
(10) After an engagement between Antigonus and Eumenes, in which the victory was undecided; Eumenes sent a herald to Antigonus, to treat with him for mutual consent to bury their slain. Antigonus having been informed, his own loss exceeded that of the enemy, to conceal the fact, detained the herald, till his own slain had been all burnt. And after they were buried, he dismissed the herald, and acceded to the proposal.
(11) [15] While Antigonus lay in winter quarters at Gadamertes, a city of the Medes, Eumenes blocked him up there: having posted a cordon of troops to the extent of a thousand furlongs. The roads on which the troops were posted, lay over the mountains. Below was a level plain, that boasted nothing but sulphur mines, and stinking bogs, barren and uninhabited; as affording neither water, nor grass, nor wood, nor plant. Through this plain Antigonus determined to march, thereby escaping the force that was posted on the road; and passing through the midst of the generals, whose station was on either side of the plain. For this purpose he ordered ten thousand casks to be got ready and filled with water, and provision for ten days; with barley for the horses, and what fodder they might have occasion for. As soon as these preparations were made, he in the night began his march through the inhospitable plain; strictly forbidding any fires to be lighted, lest those, who were posted at the feet of the mountains should observe them, and by that means discover their march. Nor indeed would it have been discovered at all, had his orders been exactly complied with. But on a night particularly cold, some of the soldiers lighted fires: the flames of which the enemy observing, discovered his movement, just as he had cleared the plain; and falling upon his rear, did some execution there. But that affects not the stratagem, which was so happily conceived; that had it been as properly executed, not a man would have been lost.
(12) Antigonus, having posted himself on the side of a mountain, and observing Eumenes’s ranks, drawn up on the plain, to be very weak, ordered some troops of horse to wheel round, and fall upon his rear: which they did, and brought off a considerable part of his baggage.
(13) Antigonus engaged Eumenes at Gabiae. The soil of the plain, on which they fought, was light and sandy: and two great armies engaging on it, raised such clouds of dust, as prevented both armies from discovering each other’s movements. They fought hand to hand; when Antigonus, having learned that the baggage of the enemy was left at a little distance behind, with which were their wives, and children, mistresses, slaves, gold, and silver, and whatever of value they, who had followed the fortunes of Eumenes, had brought from the army of Alexander, detached some choice troops of horse to seize the baggage, and bring it off to his own camp. They accordingly, while the armies were closely engaged, wheeled round, and, their movement concealed by a cloud of dust, executed their orders, and brought off the baggage. After the battle was over, it appeared that Antigonus had lost five thousand men, and Eumenes only three hundred. The latter therefore retreated to their camp in high spirits on the decided success of the day. But as soon as they discovered their baggage was carried off, and every thing lost, that was dear to them; the palm of victory became shaded with mourning, and every expression of grief: with which they were so far transported, the more they reflected on their loss, that many of them sent a deputation to Antigonus, with a tender of their service. Finding the effect that the loss of their baggage had on Eumenes’s army, Antigonus followed it up with a proclamation; that he would restore without ransom to every soldier his property. Numbers upon this proclamation immediately revolted to him; not only Macedonians, but also ten thousand Persians under the command of Peucestes. For as soon as he saw the Macedonians incline to Antigonus, he followed their example. And in short such a change of sentiment and fortune did this circumstance produce, that his own guards* delivered up Eumenes a prisoner to Antigonus; who became monarch of all Asia.
*The royal guards, styled Argyraspides, from their silver shields.
(14) Having heard that Python, governor of Media, had raised a foreign army to support him in a revolt, Antigonus dissembled his belief of it: observing to those who had given him the information, “I can give no credit to this report of Python; for I intended myself to furnish him with five thousand armed Macedonians and Thracians, and a thousand guards.” Python informed of this, and giving full credit to the regard Antigonus had expressed for him, immediately waited on him to receive the intended supplies. When introducing Python to the Macedonians, he signified to them his crimes, and ordered him to execution.
(15) The Argyraspides, that had delivered up to him Eumenes as his prisoner, Antigonus liberally rewarded. But to guard against a similar act of perfidy in them to himself, he ordered a thousand of them to serve under Sibyrtius governor of Arabia. Others he disposed of in garrisons, in remote and uncultivated countries. And thus he very soon got rid of them all.
(16) When Antigonus besieged Rhodes, he committed the conduct of the siege to his son Demetrius; proclaiming safety to the Rhodians, both as to their persons and property. And also to all merchants about Syria, Phoenicia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, and even to those of Rhodes who had concerns on the sea, he gave leave to trade securely on any sea, provided they never touched at Rhodes. That, thus deprived of all foreign assistance and supplies, the city might be the more easily reduced; the auxiliaries Ptolemy had sent them not being able to hold out long against Demetrius.
(17) Antigonus, having taken into pay some Gallic mercenaries under the command of Biderius, at the rate of a gold Macedonic, gave up to them, as hostages in security of payment, some men and boys of rank and family. The enemy, against whom the Gauls were engaged by Antigonus, brought him to action: after which the mercenaries demanded their pay. But when Antigonus directed payment to be made to all, that bore arms, according to his agreement; the Gauls demanded pay for all that attended the army, whether they bore arms, or not, even women and children: alleging, that the agreement was to every Gaul a gold Macedonic. The sum to be paid, if only every soldier received pay, would amount to thirty talents; but, if paid to all indiscriminately, to a hundred. On Antigonus’s refusal to comply with their unreasonable demands, they retired to their camp, vowing vengeance against the hostages. Fearing they might proceed to acts of cruelty, he sent a deputation to them; informing them, that rather than they should be dissatisfied, he would comply with their demands: and directed them to send some they could confide in, to receive the money. Overjoyed at this compliance of Antigonus, and the prospect of so great riches, some Gallic chiefs were dispatched to settle the business, and receive the money: whom, as soon as they arrived at the Macedonian camp, Antigonus seized; and informed the Gauls, they should never be given up until he had first received his own hostages. The Gauls found it in vain to contend, therefore gave up the Macedonians; and in return received their own chiefs, and thirty talents.
(18) Antigonus, determined to crush Apollodorus tyrant of the Cassandrensians, invested Cassandria: but, after a ten month’s blockade, was obliged to raise the siege. He then applied to the famous pirate Aminias; whom he found means to prevail on, to second his designs. Aminias accordingly proceeded to cultivate the good opinion of Apollodorus; undertook to reconcile Antigonus to him, and to compromise the dispute between them: as also to supply him with provisions and wine. The tyrant, satisfied with the friendly professions of Aminias, and presuming on the absence of Antigonus, became less strict in his discipline and duty on the walls. Aminias in the mean time directed ladders to be privately constructed, as high as the walls: and at an advanced post, not far from them, called Bolus, he concealed two thousand men; and with them ten Aetolian pirates under the command of Melotas. These at daybreak, observing the walls thinly guarded, crept secretly to the parapet between the towers; and, as soon as they had fixed the ladders, gave the signal. Aminias with the two thousand men immediately advanced, mounted the ladders, and made themselves masters of the place. Antigonus, on notice of his success, returned to Cassandria, and dispossessed the tyrant.
(19) Antigonus, being encamped opposite to the enemy who were commanded by Eumenes, and with an inferior force, while frequent embassies passed between the two camps, directed that, as soon as the next embassy arrived, a soldier should abruptly introduce himself, panting, and covered with dust; and inform him, the allies were at hand. Antigonus, hearing this, jumped up in an affected transport of joy, and dismissed the ambassadors. The next day he extended the front of his army twice its former length, and advanced beyond the trenches. The enemy apprised by their ambassadors of the arrival of the allies, and observing the phalanx so much extended, which they supposed had a proportionable depth, did not dare to hazard an engagement, but made a precipitate retreat.
(20) Antigonus, in order to make himself master of Athens on as easy terms as possible, concluded a peace with the Athenians in the autumn. After which they sowed their corn, and reserved for their own use only as much of their old stock as would serve them till their next crop was reaped. But as soon as the corn was near ripe, Antigonus made an irruption into Attica. When, having nearly finished the stock they had in their granaries, and finding themselves prevented from reaping the crop then on the ground, they opened their gates to Antigonus, and complied with all his demands.
4.7 Demetrius
(4) Demetrius, having failed on an expedition to Caria, left Diodorus captain of his guards in charge of Ephesus: which he engaged to betray to Lysimachus for fifty talents. Of this compact Demetrius gained intelligence: when attended by a few small vessels he steered directly to Ephesus, ordering the rest of the fleet to disembark at the place of destination. When he approached Ephesus; in one of the small vessels with Nicanor he entered the Ephesian haven: and concealed himself in the body of the ship: while Nicanor sent for Diodorus to come on board him, as if to receive some orders from him concerning the disbanding of a part of his forces. Diodorus, supposing Nicanor to be alone, in a little wherry immediately attended him. But as soon as ever he reached the ship, Demetrius springing from the place of his concealment, leaped into the boat, and overset it, with the men on board; that were all taken up except Diodorus, who was left to perish in the water. Thus was Ephesus secured in his possession, the execution of the plot being timely prevented.
(7) With a hundred and eighty ships Demetrius sailed against Salamis in Cyprus, which was possessed and defended by Menelaus, a general of Ptolemy, who lay by with fifty ships, in constant expectation of being joined by Ptolemy himself with a hundred and forty sail more. Not thinking himself able to engage two hundred ships at once, Demetrius directed his course round a neck of land above Salamis; where he concealed himself, and debarking his land forces, planted an ambuscade. Ptolemy soon appeared; and having fixed upon an open, level, and convenient part of the shore for landing, disembarked his troops. The army of Demetrius immediately attacked them on the first confusion of landing; and, almost as soon as they engaged, secured the victory. While Demetrius, unexpectedly bearing down upon his fleet, obliged Ptolemy to consult his safety by flight; in which Menelaus, who had sailed from Salamis to his assistance, was forced to attend him.