Molon therefore being master of the country, which might rank as a kingdom, was already, as I said sufficiently formidable owing to his superior power;
but now that the royal generals, as it seemed, had retired from the field before him, and that his own troops were in high spirits, owing to their expectation of success having been so far fulfilled, he seemed absolutely terrible and irresistible to all the inhabitants of Asia.
He first of all, therefore, formed the project of crossing the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tigris&groupId=255&placeId=510">Tigris</a> and laying siege to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Seleucia&groupId=233&placeId=484">Seleucia</a>,
but on being prevented from crossing by Zeuxis who had seized the river boats, he withdrew to his camp at Ctesiphon and made preparations for quartering his troops there during the winter.
The king, on hearing of Molon's advanced and the retreat of his own generals, was himself prepared to abandon the campaign against Ptolemy and take the field against Molon, thus not letting slip the time for action;
but Hermeias, adhering to his original design, sent Xenoetas the Achaean against Molon with an army to take the chief command; saying that to fight against rebels was the business of generals but that against kings the king himself should plan the operations and command in the decisive battles.
As he had the young king wholly subject to his influence, he set out and began to assemble his forces at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Apamea&groupId=340&placeId=660">Apamea</a>, from which he proceeded to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Laodicea&groupId=664&placeId=1215">Laodicea</a>.
From this town the king took the offensive with his whole army and crossing the desert entered the defile known as <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Marsyas&groupId=738&placeId=1350">Marsyas</a>,
which lies between the chains of Libanus and Antilibanus and affords a narrow passage between the two.
Just where it is narrowest it is broken by marshes and lakes from which the perfumed reed is cut,
Walbank Commentary