241. Invasion of India
Alexandrō fīnēs Indiae ingressō rēgulī nōnnūllī occurrērunt imperāta factūrī, illum tertium Iove genitum ad sē pervēnisse memorantēs: patrem Līberum atque Herculem fāmā cognitōs esse, ipsum cōram adesse cernīque. Rēx benignē exceptōs sequī iussit, iīsdem itinerum ducibus sē utī velle dīxit. Cēterum cum amplius nēmō obviam fieret, Hēphaestiōnem et Perdiccam cum cōpiārum parte praemīsit ad subigendōs quī āversārentur imperium: iussitque ad flūmen Indum prōcēdere et nāvigia facere quis in ulteriōrem rīpam trānsportārī posset exercitus. Illī quia plūra flūmina superanda erant, sīc iūnxēre nāvēs, ut solūtae plaustrīs vehī possent rūrsusque coniungī.
iunxere—‘put together.’
242. Severity Shown to All Who Resist
Post sē Craterō cum phalange iussō sequī, equitātum et levem armātūram ēdūxit eōsque quī occurrerant levī proeliō in urbem proximam compulit. Iam supervēnerat Craterus; itaque ut prīncipiō terrōrem incuteret gentī nōndum arma Macedonum expertae, praecipit nē cui parcerētur, mūnīmentīs urbis, quam obsīdēbat, incēnsīs Cuius urbis dum obequitat moenibus, sagittā ictus est; oppidum tamen cēpit et omnibus eius incolīs trucīdātīs, etiam in tēcta saevīrī iussit, ita Indōs facilius suae ditiōnis factūrum sēsē ratus, sī palam fēcisset quantā crūdēlitāte in reluctantēs ūsūrus esset. Inde Nȳsam urbem in dēditiōnem accēpit, abstinērī caedibus iussit.
etiam—iussit—‘he ordered vengeance to be wreaked even on the houses,‘
palam fecisset—‘showed.‘
palam fecisset—‘showed.‘
243. Revels in Honor of Bacchus
Posteā rēx montem quendam Līberō sacrum praemissīs commeātibus ascendit. Multa hedera vītisque tōtō gignitur monte: multae perennēs aquae mānant. Pōmōrum quoque variī salūbrēsque sūcī sunt, suā sponte fortuitōrum sēminum frūgēs humō nūtriente. Laurī baccarisque multa in illīs rūpibus agrestis est silva. Crēdō equidem, nōn dīvīnō īnstīnctū, sed lascīviā esse prōvectōs, ut passim hederae ac vitium folia dēcerperent redimītīque fronde tōtō nemore similēs bacchantibus vagārentur. Vōcibus ergō tot milium praesidem nemoris eius deum adōrantium iuga montis collēsque resonābant, cum orta licentia ā paucīs, ut ferē fit, in omnēs sē repente vulgāsset, nam velut in mediā pāce per herbās prōstrāvēre corpora. Et rēx fortuitam laetitiam nōn āversātus, largē ad epulās omnibus praebitīs, per decem diēs Līberō Patrī operātum habuit exercitum. Quis neget eximiam quoque glōriam saepius fortūnae quam virtūtis esse beneficium? nam nē epulantēs quidem et sōpītōs merō aggredī ausus est hostis, haud secus bacchantium ululantiumque fremitū perterritus quam sī proeliantium clāmor esset audītus.
operatum habuit exercitum—‘kept the army engaged in sacrificing.‘
mero—The ancients looked upon the drinking of wine unmingled with water as something quite exceptional.
mero—The ancients looked upon the drinking of wine unmingled with water as something quite exceptional.
244. Capture of a Mountain Fastness
Inde post oppida nōnnūlla suae ditiōnis facta arcem in clīvō praecipitī abruptōque (locum Aornin vocant), ā barbarīs tenērī certior factus, eō summā alacritāte contendit. Hanc arcem ab Hercule frūstrā obsessam esse eundemque terrae mōtū coāctum obsidiōne dēsistere fāma vulgāverat. Quō ubi perventum est, Alexander suōs ad oppugnandam arcem dūxit. Inde locum praeruptō aditū adorientēs barbarī tēlīs saxīsque obruunt, prōmptissimum quemque dēturbant, rēgemque ipsum ad fastīgium clīvī ēvādentem vulnerant. Is tot suōrum strāge commōtus cum receptuī canī iussisset, itinera obsīdere et turrēs admōvēre iussit Cuius pertināciā exterritī Indī noctū per ignōtōs callēs in fugam sē recēpērunt. Rēx locōrum magis quam hostium victor sacrificia in honōrem deōrum fēcit.
vocant--‘people call.’
promptissimum quemque--‘all the most daring soldiers.'
receptui cani—‘the signal for retreat to be given.‘
promptissimum quemque--‘all the most daring soldiers.'
receptui cani—‘the signal for retreat to be given.‘
245. A Friendly King
Hinc ad flūmen Indum sextīs decimīs castrīs pervēnit. Rēgnābat in eā regiōne Omphis, quī patrī quoque fuerat auctor dēdendī rēgnī Alexandrō, et post mortem parentis lēgātōs mīserat, quī cōnsulerent eum, utrum rēgnāre sē interim vellet, an prīvātum opperīrī eius adventum. Itaque venientī obviam cum armātō exercitū ēgressus est: elephantī quoque per modica intervālla mīlitum agminī immixtī procul castellōrum speciem fēcēre. Ac prīmō Alexander nōn socium sed hostem adventāre ratus signum pugnae dedit. At Indus, cognitō Macedonum errōre, sōlus rēgī obviam factus, quid suae sententiae sit, expōnit. Quibus audītīs rēx laetus dextram fideī pignus dedit, rēgnum restituit. Omphis, permittente Alexandrō, et rēgium īnsigne sūmpsit, et mōre gentis suae nōmen quod patris fuerat: Taxilen appellāvēre populārēs, sequente nōmine imperium, in quemcumque trānsīret.
Indum - The Indus rises in the table-land of Tibet, and flows through the Punjab (the country of the Five rivers) into the Indian Ocean.
sextisdecimis castris--‘at the end of the sixteenth day’s march.’
quid--sit--‘his intentions.’
sequente—transiret—‘the name accompanying the sovereign power, into whoscever's hand it fell.’ The subjunctive is after the generic quemcunque
sextisdecimis castris--‘at the end of the sixteenth day’s march.’
quid--sit--‘his intentions.’
sequente—transiret—‘the name accompanying the sovereign power, into whoscever's hand it fell.’ The subjunctive is after the generic quemcunque
246. Porus Resolves to Resist
Posteā rēgem cui nōmen Pōrō esset in armīs esse certior factus, rēx nūntiōs mīsit quī dēnūntiārent eī ut stīpendium penderet, et in prīmō suōrum fīnium aditū occurreret Alexandrō. Pōrus alterum ex hīs factūrum sēsē respondit: intrantī rēgnum suum praestō fore, sed armātum. Mox ad amnem Hydaspēn perventum est, cuius in ulteriōre rīpā Pōrus cōnsēderat, trānsitū prohibitūrus hostēs. Magnae etiam equitum peditumque cōpiae in aciē stābant, cum magnā vī elephantōrum. Pōrum vehēbat elephantus, super cēterās bēluās ēminēns, armaque aurō et argentō distīncta corpus rārae magnitūdinis honestābant. Pār animus rōborī corporis, et, quanta inter rudēs poterat esse, sapientia.
alterum ex his—‘one of these two orders.’
Hydaspen—the Hydaspes (Jhelum) falls into the Acesines (Chenab), which in turn falls into the Indus.
Hydaspen—the Hydaspes (Jhelum) falls into the Acesines (Chenab), which in turn falls into the Indus.
247. Difficulty of Crossing the River
Macedonās nōn cōnspectus hostium sōlum, sed etiam flūminis, quod trānseundum erat, magnitūdō terrēbat: quātuor in lātitūdinem stadia diffūsum, profundō alveō, et nusquam vada aperiente, speciem vastī maris fēcerat. Nec prō spatiō aquārum lātē stāgnantium impetum coercēbat, sed, quasi in artum coeuntibus rīpīs, torrēns ferēbātur, occultaque saxa inesse ostendēbant plūribus locīs undae repercussae. Terribilior erat faciēs rīpae, quam equī virīque complēverant. Stābant ingentēs vastōrum corporum mōlēs et dē industriā irrītātae horrendō strīdōre aurēs fatīgābant. Hinc amnīs hīne hostīs pectora Macedonum imprōvīsō pavōre percutere, nam, quod ratium praestō erat, id nec dīrigī ad rīpam nec tūtō applicārī posse crēdēbant.
vada aperiente—‘disclosing fords.’
repercussae--‘dashed into foam.’
de industria--on purpose.‘
stridore—‘trumpeting.'
repercussae--‘dashed into foam.’
de industria--on purpose.‘
stridore—‘trumpeting.'
248. Alexander Crosses the River Unobserved
Alexander inops cōnsiliī tandem ad fallendum hostem dolō ūtī cōnstituit. Erat in flūmine īnsula silvestris et tegendīs īnsidiīs apta. Itaque cum sē cum aliquot suōrum post eam occultāsset, ducibus imperāvit ut aliō in locō suōs hostibus ostenderent, quasi flūmen trānsnātūrī forent. Quō cum sē recēpisset Pōrus, dolī ignārus, ipse clam flūmen trāiēcit, arma capere mīlitēs et īre in ōrdinēs iussit. Quod ubi sēnsit Pōrus suōs adversus Alexandrum dūxit. Macedonās nōn bēluārum modo, sed etiam ipsīus rēgis aspectus parumper inhibuit. Itaque Alexander contemplātūs et rēgem et aciem Indōrum, Tandem, inquit, pār animō meō perīculum videō. Cum bēstiīs simul et cum ēgregiīs virīs rēs est. Intuēnsque Coenon, Cum ego, inquit, in laevum hostium cornū, impetum fēcerō, ipse dextrum movē et turbātis signa īnfer. Hastae nostrae praelongae et validae nōn aliās magis quam adversus bēluās rēctōrēsque eārum ūsuī esse poterunt: dēturbātē eōs quī vehuntur, et ipsās cōnfodite. Anceps genus auxiliī est et in suōs ācrius furit. In hostem enim imperiō, in suōs pavōre agitur.
res est—‘we have to do.‘
movi--‘advance.’
signa infer--‘charge.’
anceps—‘not to be depended on.‘
movi--‘advance.’
signa infer--‘charge.’
anceps—‘not to be depended on.‘
249. Defeat of Porus
Haec ēlocūtus concitat equum prīmus, iamque, ut cōnstitūtum erat, ōrdinēs hostium invāserat, cum Coēnus ingentī vī in laevum cornū invehitur. Phalānx quoque mediam Indōrum aciem ūnō impetū perrūpit. Ācriter tamen ab hoste resistēbātur, magnum bēluīs iniicientibus terrōrem, īnsolitō strīdōre nōn equōs modō, tam pavidum ad omnia animal, sed virōs quoque ōrdinēsque turbante. Quō in discrīmine rērum Alexander levem armātūram ēmīsit in bēluās, datō negōtiō ut vulneribus eās territārent irrītārentque, ita modo dē Pōrō triumphārī posse ratus sī dolōre efferātī elephantī in suōs conversī essent. Neque praeceptōrum immemor mīles bēluās hastīs cōnfodere, pedēs necnōn amputāre coepit. Ergō elephantī vulneribus tandem fatīgātī in fugam sē recipere, et quicquid obviam fieret pedibus obterere. Fit strāgēs barbarōrum: rēx ipse Pōrus capitur.
250. Interview Between the Kings
Quem Alexander ut vīdit, nōn odiō sed miserātiōne commōtus, Quae, malum, inquit, āmentia tē cōgit, rērum meārum cognitā fāmā, bellī fortūnam experīrī, cum Taxilēs esset in dēditōs clēmentiae meae tam propinquum tibi exemplum? Contrā Pōrus, quoniam ille percontārētur, respōnsūrum sēsē eā lībertāte quam interrogandō fēcisset. Nēminem sē fortiōrem cēnsuisse; suās enim nōvisse vīrēs nōndum expertum illīus; fortiōrem illum bellī ēventum docuisse. Rūrsus interrogātus, quid ipse victōrem statuere dēbēre cēnsēret, Quod hic, inquit, diēs tibi suādet, quō expertus es, quam cadūca fēlīcitās esset. Plūs monendō prōfēcit, quam sī precātus esset, nam Alexander magnitūdinem animī eius interritam ac nē fortūna quidem frāctam nōn misericordiā modo, sed etiam honōre excipere dignātus, aegrum cūrāvit haud secus quam sī prō ipsō pugnāsset: cōnfirmātum in amīcōrum numerō recēpit, mox dōnāvit ampliōre rēgnō quam tenuit.
malum—used as an interjection, —‘and a plague on it.‘
plus profecit--‘he gained more.’
ne fortuna quidem--Fortuna being the emphatic word, is placed between ne and quidem.
confirmatum—‘after bidding him to be of good cheer.‘
plus profecit--‘he gained more.’
ne fortuna quidem--Fortuna being the emphatic word, is placed between ne and quidem.
confirmatum—‘after bidding him to be of good cheer.‘