Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 43
Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D., Ed.

19. After placing a garrison in Uscana, Perseus [p. 69]took the whole mass of prisoners, which almost¹ equalled his army in numbers,² to Stuberra. [2] There, after assigning the Romans —of whom there were four thousand³ —, except the chief officers, to various cities to guard, and selling the people of Uscana and the Illyrians, he led the army back among the Penestae in order to bring [3??] under his control the town of Oaeneum, which was in many ways strategically situated, particularly in that the route to the Labeates, where Gentius was king, passes this way. [4] As he was passing a populous fort, Draudacum by name, one who knew this region said that there was no use of capturing Oaeneum unless Draudacum too was under his control; for it was even more strategically situated for all purposes. [5] On his bringing up his army, all at once surrendered.

Encouraged by this surrender, more prompt than he had hoped, after he noticed how great was the fear caused by his column, -he brought under his control eleven other forts because of this same dread. [6] At only a very few was there need of force; the rest were voluntarily surrendered; and in these there were taken prisoner fifteen hundred⁴ Roman soldiers who had been distributed among the garrisons. [7] Carvilius of Spoletium was most useful in the parleys, in saying that no harshness had been used against him and his comrades. Next, Perseus arrived at Oaeneum, which could not be taken without a regular [p. 71]siege. [8] The city was strong both because of a somewhat⁵ larger force of young men than the others had had and because of its walls; moreover, on the one side a river, Artatus by name, on the other a very high mountain, difficult to ascend, girt the city about. [9] These defences gave the people of the city hope of holding out. Perseus, after encircling the town with earthworks, began to build up a mound on the higher side, high enough to bring him above the wall. [10] While this work was in progress, the frequent battles which meanwhile took place, as the townspeople resorted to sallies to protect their walls and to hinder the siege-works of the enemy, caused a great wastage in casualties of one kind or another, while those townspeople who survived were incapacitated by daily and nightly toil and by wounds. [11] As soon as the mound was joined to the wall, the royal company, whom they call the Conquerors,⁶ passed over it, and also at the same time an attack was made with ladders against many parts of the city. [12] All the adult males were killed; their wives and children Perseus put under guard; the other items of booty fell to the soldiers. [13] Returning thence victoriously to Stuberra, he sent as envoys to Gentius, Pleuratus the Illyrian, who was in exile at his court, and Adaeus, a Macedonian from Beroea;⁷ he instructed them to relate his achievements of that summer and winter against [p. 73]the Romans and Dardanians; [14] they were to add the⁸ recent operations of his winter march into Illyricum; and they were to urge Gentius to join in friendship with Perseus and the Macedonians.