against those who pretended to lead armies to their succour, on account of the treachery of Kallippus and Pharax; who, one an Athenian and the other a Lacedaemonian, but both giving out that they were come to fight for freedom and to put down despotism, did so tyrannise themselves, that the reign of the despots in Sicily seemed to have been a golden age, and those who died in slavery were thought more happy than those who lived to see liberty.

XII.  So thinking that the Corinthian would be no better than these men, and that the same plausible and specious baits would be held out to lure them with hopes and pleasant promises under the yoke of a new master, they all viewed the proposals of the Corinthians with suspicion and shrank back from them except the Adranites.  These were the inhabitants of a small city, sacred to Adranus, a god whose worship extends especially throughout Sicily.  They were at feud with one another, as one party invited Hiketes and the Carthaginians, while the other sent for Timoleon to help them.  And by some chance it happened that as each party strove to get there first, they both arrived at the same time; Hiketes with five thousand soldiers, whereas Timoleon altogether had no more than twelve hundred.

Starting with these men from Tauromenium, which is forty-two miles from Adranum, he made but a short march on the first day, and then encamped.  On the next day he marched steadily forward, passed some difficult country, and late in the day heard that Hiketas had just reached the little fortress and was encamping before it.  On this the officers halted the van of the army, thinking that the men would be fresher after taking food and rest; but Timoleon went to them and begged them not to do so, but to lead them on as fast as they could, and fall upon the enemy while they were in disorder, as it was probable they would be, having just come off their march, and being busy about pitching their tents, and cooking their supper.  Saying this he seized his shield,[A] and led the way himself as to an assured victory; and the rest, reassured, followed him confidently.  They were distant only about thirty furlongs.  These were soon passed, and they fell headlong upon the enemy, who were in confusion, and fled as soon as they discovered their attack.  For this reason no more than three hundred of them were slain, but twice as many were taken prisoners, and their camp was captured.  The people of Adranum now opened their gates, and made their submission to Timoleon, relating with awe and wonder how, at the outset of the battle, the sacred doors of the temple flew open of their own accord, and the spear of the god was seen to quiver at the point, while his face was covered with a thick sweat.

[Footnote A:  The shield of a General was habitually carried for him by an orderly.]