221. Death of Darius
Brevī autem post coniūrātī ubi Dārīum comprehēnsum in sordidum vehiculum pellibus undique contēctum imposuērunt, aureīsque compedibus vīnxērunt, in fugam sē contulērunt. Quā dē rē certior factus Alexander suōs sequī iubet. Bessus vērō et cēterī facinoris eius participēs Dārīum coepērunt hortārī ut cōnscenderet equum et sē hostī ēriperet. Ille deōs ultōrēs adesse testātus, Alexandrī fidem implōrāns, negat sē parricīdās velle comitārī. Tum vērō īrā quoque accēnsī tēla coniiciunt in rēgem multīsque cōnfossum vulneribus relinquunt. Alexander autem hostium trepidātiōne comperta equitēs ad inhibendam fugam mittit, ipse cum cēterīs sequitur. Fit strāgēs fugientium; multī necnōn captī pecudum mōre agēbantur, iubente rēge ut caedibus abstinērētur. Īdem Dārīī cadāver rēgiīs honōribus sepeliendum cūrāvit.
fidem-- ‘the protection.’
pecudum more--‘like cattle‘
pecudum more--‘like cattle‘
222. Alexander's Address to His Army
Posteā Alexander convocātōs mīlitēs in hunc modum contiōnātus est. Magnitūdinem rērum, quās gessimus, mīlitēs, intuentibus vōbīs minimē mīrum est et dēsīderium quiētis et satietātem glōriae occurrere. Sed et aliī supersunt hostēs. Sīcut in corporibus aegrīs nihil quod nocitūrum est medicī relinquunt, sīc nōs, quicquid obstat imperiō recīdāmus. Parvā saepe scintillā contemptā magnum excitāvit incendium. Itaque Bessum, quī dominum crūdēlissimē obtruncāvit, idem in praesentiā minitātur nōbīs, īnsectēmur, nē cum frūctum parricīdiī percipiat tum Graecīs passim noceat. Summā mīlitum alacritāte iubentium quocunqne vellet dūceret ōrātiō excepta est.
intuentibus vobis—depending on occurrere.
cum—tum—both—and.’
cum—tum—both—and.’
223. Crossing of the Caucasus
Post gentēs aliquot perdomitās, sēditiōnibus necnōn in exercitū compressīs, cum dē reīs poenās sūmpsisset Alexander ad Caucasum contendit. Quō in itinere multa mīlitibus toleranda erant, nivēs īnsolitae altitūdinis, frīgus, dēfatīgātiō, commeātuum dēnique inopiā. Multōs exanimāvit rigor nivīs, multōrum adussit pedēs, multōs excaecāvit. Nam fatīgātī saepe in ipsō gelū dēficientia corpora sternēbant; quae cum movērī dēsīssent, vīs frīgus ita adstringēbat ut rūrsus ad surgendum connītī nōn possent. Ā commīlitōnibus torpentēs excitābantur, neque aliud remedium erat quam ut ambulāre cōgerentur. Tum dēmum, vītālī calōre mōtō, membrīs aliquis redībat vigor. Rēx agmen circumībat pedēs, iacentēs quōsdam ērigēns et aliōs, cum aegrē sequerentur, adminiculō corporis suī excipiēns. Tandem ad loca cultiōra perventum est, commeātūque largō recreātus exercitus. Inde agmen prōcessit ad Caucasum montem, cuius dorsum Asiam perpetuō iugō dīvidit; hunc septemdecim diērum spatiō summā difficultāte superāvit.
Caucasum—the Hindu Kush mountains, which are a continuation of the Caucasus range.
ad surgendum conniti--‘to make an effort to rise.’
pedes--‘on foot.’
perpetuo iugo—‘in an unbroken range.’
ad surgendum conniti--‘to make an effort to rise.’
pedes--‘on foot.’
perpetuo iugo—‘in an unbroken range.’
224. Bessus' Plans
At Bessus Alexandrī celeritāte perterritus, dīīs patriīs sacrificiō rīte factō, sīcut illīs gentibus mōs est, cum amīcīs ducibusque cōpiārum inter epulās dē bellō cōnsultābat. Gravēs merō suās vīrēs extollere, hostium nunc temeritātem nunc paucitātem spernere incipiunt. Praecipuē Bessus, ferōx verbīs et partō per scelus rēgnō superbus ac vix potēns mentis, dīcere ōrdītur, socordia Dārīī crēvisse hostium fāmam. Occurrisse enim in Ciliciae angustissimīs faucibus, cum retrōcēdendō posset perdūcere incautōs in loca nātūrae sitū inviā, tot flūminibus obiectīs, tot montium latebrīs, inter quās dēprehēnsus hostis nē fugae quidem, nēdum resistendī occāsiōnem fuerit habitūrus. Sibi placēre in Sogdiānōs recēdere, Ōxum amnem velut mūrum obiectūrum hostī, dum ex fīnitimīs gentibus valida auxilia concurrerent. Ventūrōs autem Scythās quōrum nēminem adeō humilem esse ut humerī eius nōn possent Macedonis mīlitis verticem aequāre. Conclāmant tēmulentī ūnam hane sententiam salūbrem esse, et Bessus circumferrī merum largius iubet, Alexandrum super mēnsam dēbellātūrus.
vix potens mentis—‘scarcely in his senses.’
ne fugae quidem--the emphatic word is always placed between ne and quidem.
Sogdianos--Sogdiana to the N. of the Oxus, now part of Turkestan and the Khanate of Bokhara.
Oxus--(Amou Darya), flowing into the sea of Aral. Its ancient course took it into the Caspian.
debellaturus—‘ready to conquer.’
ne fugae quidem--the emphatic word is always placed between ne and quidem.
Sogdianos--Sogdiana to the N. of the Oxus, now part of Turkestan and the Khanate of Bokhara.
Oxus--(Amou Darya), flowing into the sea of Aral. Its ancient course took it into the Caspian.
debellaturus—‘ready to conquer.’
225. A Duel
Intereā ad Alexandrum adversus Bessum contendentem, quae ducēs suī contrā Arīōs barbaram gentem gesserint nūntius perfertur. Commissō proeliō Satibarzanem, quī barbarīs praeesset, cum ancipitī Mārte pugnārī vīdisset, in prīmōs ōrdinēs adequitāsse dēmptāque galeā, inhibitīs quī tēla iacerent, sīquis virītim dīmicāre vellet prōvocāsse ad pugnam: nūdum sē caput in certāmine habitūrum. Neque tulisse ferōcēs barbarī minās Erygyium ducem Macedonum, quī ut gravis aetāte ita et animī et corporis rōbore nūllī iuvenum postferēndus esset. Eum galeā dēmptā exclāmāsse, Venit diēs, quō aut victōriā aut morte honestissimā quālēs mīlitēs habeat Alexander ostendam. Nec plūra locūtum equum in hostem ēgisse, eundem ūnō ictū trucīdāsse. Tum barbarōs duce āmissō quem magis coāctī quam sponte suā secūtī essent, arma Erygyīō trādidisse. Quibus nūntiātīs rēx Bessum persequēns cōpiās mōvit, cui Erygyius spolia barbarī, opīmum bellī decus, praeferēns occurrit.
ut--ita—‘while—yet.’
226. The March Through the Desert
Inde apud Bactriānōs impedīmentīs cum praesidiō relictīs, ipse cum expedītō agmine loca dēserta Sogdiānōrum intrat, nocturnō itinere exercitum dūcēns. Aquārum pēnūria prius dēspērātiōne quam dēsīderiō bibendī sitim accendit, cum per quadringenta stadia nē modicus quidem hūmor existeret. Arēnās vapor aestīvī sōlis accendit; quae ubi flagrāre coepērunt, haud secus quam continentī incendiō cūncta torrentur. Cālīgō deinde immodicō terrae fervōre excitāta lūcem tegit, campōrumque nōn alia quam vastī et profundī aequoris speciēs est. Nocturnum iter tolerābile vidēbātur, quia rōre et mātūtīnō frīgore corpora levābantur. Cēterum cum ipsā lūce aestus oritur, omnemque hūmōrem absorbet siccitās: ōra vīsceraque penitus ūruntur.
continenti incendio—‘an endless conflagration.’
227. Sufferings of the Troops
Itaque prīmum animī, deinde corpora dēficere coepērunt. Pigēbat et cōnsistere et prōgredī. Paucī ā perītīs regiōnis admonitī praeparātā aquā paulisper repressēre sitim, deinde crēscente aestū rūrsus dēsīderium aquae accēnsum est. Itaque, quicquid vīnī oleīque erat, id ōribus ingerēbātur, tantaque dulcēdō bibendī fuit, ut in posterum sītis nōn timērētur. Gravēs deinde avidē haustō liquōre nōn sustinēre arma, nōn ingredī poterant. Ānxium rēgem tantīs malīs circumfūsī amīcī ut meminisset suī ōrābant: animī suī magnitūdinem ūnicum remedium dēficientis exercitūs esse. Interim ex hīs quī praecesserant ad capiendum locum castrīs duo occurrunt, utribus aquam gestantēs, ut fīliīs, quī in agmine erant, subvenīrent. Quī cum in rēgem incīdissent, alter ex iīs utre resolūtō vas quod simul ferēbat implētum rēgī porrigit. Ille accipit; tum percontātus quibus aquam portārent, fīliīs ferre cognōscit. Tūne pōculō plēnō sīcut oblātum erat redditō, Nec sōlus, inquit, bibere possum nec tam exiguum dīvidere omnibus. Vōs currite et līberīs vestrīs, quod propter illōs attulistis, date.
graves—‘overcome.’
228. The Crossing of the Oxus
Cum tandem ad flūmen Ōxum perventum esset, in ēditō monte rēx ignēs fierī iubet, ut iī quī aegrē sequēbantur haud procul castrīs sē abesse cognōscerent. Eōs autem quī prīmī agminis erant cibō ac pōtū firmātōs, implēre aliōs utrēs, aliōs vāsa, quibuscunque aquā portārī posset, ac suīs opem ferre iussit. Sed quī intemperantius hausērunt interclūsō spīritū exstīnctī sunt, multōque maior hōrum numerus fuit, quam ūllō āmīserat proeliō. Postrīdiē eius diēī sollicitum rēgem distinēbant cūrae, quia nec nāvigia habēbat nec pōns ērigī poterat, circum amnem nūdō solō neque māteriem suppeditante. Haerēbat rēx neque quid fierī oportēret sciēbat. Utrēs tandem quam plūrimōs strāmentīs refertōs mīlitibus dīvidit. Hīs incubantēs trānsnāvēre amnem, quīque prīmī trānsierant in statiōne erant dum trāiicerent cēterī. Hoc modo sextō dēmum diē in ulteriōre rīpā tōtum exercitum exposuit.
intercluso spiritu—‘by their breath being choked.’
multo--abl. of measure.
sollicitum--predicate, not epithet: to be taken after the verb.
materiem--‘timber.’
haerebat—‘was in doubt.’
multo--abl. of measure.
sollicitum--predicate, not epithet: to be taken after the verb.
materiem--‘timber.’
haerebat—‘was in doubt.’
229. Surrender of Bessus
Dum haec geruntur Spitamenēs, cui ex amīcīs praecipuē cōnfīdēbat Bessus, cum Dataphernem et Catēnem, quī et ipsī valdē ā Bessō dīligēbantur, sociōs facinoris fēcisset, pergit ad Bessum, et remōtīs arbitrīs comperisse ait sē īnsidiārī eī Dataphernem et Catēnem: ā sēmet occupātōs esse et vīnctōs tenērī. Quōs cum addūcī Bessus iussisset, trucī vultū intuēns cōnsurgit, manibus nōn temperātūrus. Tum illī circumsistunt eum et frūstrā repugnantem vinciunt, dīrepta ex capite corōna lacerātāque veste quam ē spoliīs occīsī rēgis induerat. Multitūdō an vindicātūra Bessum fuerit, incertum est, nisi illī quī vīnxerant, iussū Alexandrī fēcisse sē ēmentītī, dubiōs adhūc animōs terruissent. In equum impositum Alexandrō trāditūrī dūcunt. Rēx collaudātō Spitamene supplicium distulit ut eō locō, in quō Dārīum ipse occiderat, necārētur.
socios facinoris—‘partners in his treachery.’
230. Speech of the Scythian Ambassador
Posteā cum ad flūmen Tanaim perventum esset, lēgātī Scythārum mōre gentīs per castra equīs vectī nūntiārī iubent regī, velle sē ad eum mandāta perferre. Quibus in rēgis tabernāculum intrōductīs, ūnus ex hīs in hunc modum locūtus esse dīcitur. Sī dīī habitum corporis tuī aviditātī animī parem dedissent, orbis tē nōn caperet: alterā manū orientem, alterā occidentem contingerēs: hoc assecūtus, scīre vellēs ubi tantī nūminis fulgor conderētur. Sīc quoque concupīscis quae nōn capis. Ab Eurōpā petis Asiam; ex Asiā trānsīs in Eurōpam: deinde, sī hūmānum genus omne superāverīs, cum silvīs et nivibus et flūminibus ferīsque bēstiīs gestūrus es bellum.
Tanais—(Jaxartes or Syr Darya), flowing into the sea of Aral. The ancients, ignorant of the geography of these remote regions, supposed it to be the Tanais (Don), which flows into the sea of Azof.
more gentis--‘according to their national custom.’
conderetur—‘sets.’
more gentis--‘according to their national custom.’
conderetur—‘sets.’