this same period Prusias also achieved something worthy of mention.
On the occasion when the Gauls whom King Attalus had brought over from Europe for his war against Achaeus owing to their reputation for valour, left this king because of the suspicions I mentioned above and began to pillage the towns near the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Hellespont&groupId=620&placeId=1141">Hellespont</a> with gross licentiousness and violence, finally attempting to take <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ilium&groupId=645&placeId=1183">Ilium</a>,
the inhabitants of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> Troas showed considerable gallantry.
Dispatching Themistes with four thousand men they raised the siege of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ilium&groupId=645&placeId=1183">Ilium</a> and expelled the Gauls from the whole of the Troad, cutting off their supplies, and frustrating their designs.
The Gauls now occupied <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Arisba&groupId=364&placeId=694">Arisba</a> in the territory of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Abydus&groupId=268&placeId=523">Abydus</a> and henceforth harassed the cities in the region either by secret plots or by open hostilities.
Prusias, therefore, led and army against them, and after destroying all the men in a pitched battle, put to death nearly all the women and children in their camp and allowed his soldiers who had taken part in the battle to plunder the baggage.
By this exploit he freed the cities on the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Hellespont&groupId=620&placeId=1141">Hellespont</a> from a serious menace and danger, and gave a good lesson to the barbarians from Europe in future not to be over ready to cross to Asia.
Such was the state of affairs in Greece and Asia. The greater part of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>, as I mentioned in the last Book, went over to the Carthaginians after the battle of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cannae&groupId=430&placeId=797">Cannae</a>.
I choose this date for interrupting my narrative, having now described what took place in Asia and Greece during the 140th Olympiad.
In the following Book, after a brief recapitulation of my introductory narrative, I will proceed according to my promise to treat of the Roman Constitution.
Walbank Commentary