PHILOPCEMEN. 375

Gythium, he presently set sail again, and, taking them unexpectedly, dispersed and careless after their victory, landed in the night, burnt their camp, ami killed a great number. A few days after, as he was marching through a rough country, Nabis came suddenly upon him. The Achasans were dismayed, and in such difficult ground where the enemy had secured the advantage, despaii'ed to get off with safety. Philopoemen made a little halt, and, viewing the ground, soon made it appear, that the one important thing in war is skill in drawing up an army. For by ad- vancing only a few paces, and, without any confusion or trouble, altering his order according to the nature of the place, he immediately relieved himself from every diffi- culty, and then charging, put the enemy to flight. But when he saw they fled, not towards the city, but dis- persed every man a different way all over the field, which for wood and hills, brooks and hollows was not passable by horse, he sounded a retreat, and encamped by broad daylight. Then foreseeing the enemy would endeavor to steal scatteringly into the city in the dark, he posted strong parties of the Achaeans all along the watercourses and sloping ground near the walls. Many of Nabis's men fell into their hands. For returning not in a body, but as the chance of flight had disposed of every one, they were caught like birds ere they could enter into the town. These actions obtained him distinguished marks of af- fection and honor in all the theatres of Greece, but not without the secret ill-will of Titus Flamininus, who was naturally eager for glory, and thought it but reasonable a consul of Rome should be otherwise esteemed by the Achaeans, than a common Arcadian ; esi^ecially as there was no comparison between what he, and what Philopoe- men had done for them, he having by one proclamation