Defeat of the Selgians
Meanwhile the Selgians had sent out a general in command of a force which they hoped would terrify Phallyus by
their superior knowledge of the country, and expel him from his
strong position. But when, far from attaining their object, they
lost large numbers of men in their attacks upon him; though
they abandoned the hope of accomplishing this, they yet
persisted with increased ardour in the siege of Pednelissus.
Garsyeris was now reinforced by eight thousand hoplites from
the Etennes, who inhabit the highlands of
Pisidia above Side,
and half that number from
Aspendus. The people of Side
itself, partly from a wish to curry favour with Antiochus, but
chiefly from hatred to the Aspendians, refused to take part in
the relief of Pednelissus. With these reinforcements, as well
as his own army, Garsyeris advanced towards Pednelissus,
feeling certain that he would be able to raise the siege at the
first attack: but when the Selgians showed no sign of alarm,
he entrenched himself at a moderate distance from them.
The Pednelissians were now becoming hard pressed from want
of provisions; and Garsyeris, being anxious to do all he could,
got ready two thousand men, giving each a medimnus of
wheat, and despatched them under cover of night into Pednelissus. But the Selgians getting intelligence of what was going
on, and, coming out to intercept them, most of those who
were carrying in the corn were killed, and the Selgians got
possession of the wheat. Elated with this success, they now
essayed to storm the camp of Garsyeris as well as the city. An
adventurous daring in the presence of the enemy is indeed
characteristic of the Selgians: and on this occasion they left a
barely sufficient number to guard their camp; and, surrounding
the enemy's entrenchment with the rest, assaulted it at several
points at once. Finding himself unexpectedly attacked on
every side, and portions of his palisade being already torn down,
Garsyeris, appreciating the gravity of the danger, and feeling
that there was but little chance of averting total destruction,
sent out some cavalry at a point which the enemy had left
unguarded. These the Selgians imagined to be flying in a
panic and for fear of what was coming: and therefore, instead
of attending to them, they treated them with utter contempt.
When these horsemen, however, had ridden round, so as to
get on the rear of the enemy, they charged and fought with
great fierceness. This raised the spirits of Garsyeris's infantry,
though they had already given way: and they therefore faced
round, and once more offered resistance to the troops that were
storming their camp. The Selgians, accordingly, being now
attacked on front and rear at once, broke and fled. At the
same time the Pednelissians sallied out and attacked the
troops left in charge of the Selgian camp, and drove them out.
The pursuit lasted to so great a distance that no less than
ten thousand of the Selgian army fell: of the survivors all
who were allies fled to their own cities; while the Selgians
themselves escaped over the highlands into their native land.