251. Alexander Congratulates His Troops
Alexander tam memorābilī victōriā laetus, quā sibi orientis fīnēs apertōs esse cēnsēbat, sōlī victimīs caesīs, mīlitēs quoque, quō prōmptiōribus animīs reliqua bellī mūnia obīrent, prō conciōne laudātōs docuit, quicquid Indīs vīrium fuisset, illā dīmicātiōne prōstrātum: cētera opīmam praedam fore, celebrātāsque opēs ēminēre in eā regiōne quam peterent. Proinde iam vīlia et obsolēta esse spolia dē Persīs: gemmīs margarītīsque et aurō atque ebore Macedoniam Graeciamque, nōn suās tantum domōs, replētum īrī. Quā conciōne ita mīlitum animōs avidōs pecūniae et glōriae ērēxit, ut libenter operam pollicērentur: quās in regiōnēs ille ductūrus esset, in eāsdem sē summō studiō secūtūrōs, quōs nunquam spē victōriae praedaeque fefellisset. Ita cum bonā spē dīmissīs mīlitibus, nāvigia exaedificārī iussit, ut, cum tōtam Asiam percurrisset, fīnem terrārum, mare, vīseret.
252. Banyan Trees and Poisonous Serpents
Inde dēvictō Pōrō et amne superātō ad interiōra Indiae prōcessit. Silvae erant prope in immēnsum spatium diffūsae procerisque et in eximiam altitūdinem ēditīs arboribus umbrōsae. Plērīque rāmī īnstar ingentium stīpitum flexī, in humum rūrsus, quā sē curvāverant, ērigēbantur, adeō ut speciēs esset nōn rāmī resurgentis, sed arboris ex suā rādīce generātae. Caelī temperiēs salūbris; nam et vim sōlis umbrae levant et aquae largae mānant ē fontibus. Cēterum hic quoque serpentium magna vīs erat, squāmīs fulgōrem aurī reddentibus. Vīrus haud ūllum magis noxium est: morsum enim praesēns mors sequēbātur, dōnec ab incolīs remedium oblātum est.
arboribus—the Banyan-tree. The description is very correct.
253. Splendor of a Native King
Post aliquot ex itinere proelia cum barbarīs ēdita, in rēgnum Sopithis perventum est. Gēns, ut barbarī crēdunt, sapientia excellit bonīsque mōribus regitur. Huius gentis oppidum, cui Alexander admōverat cōpiās, ab ipsō Sopithe obtinēbātur. Clausae erant portae, sed nūllī in mūrīs turribusque sē armātī ostendēbant, dubitābantque Macedonēs, dēseruissentne urbem incolae an fraude sē occulerent, cum subitō patefactā portā, rēx Indus cum duōbus adultīs fīliīs occurrit, multum inter omnēs barbarōs ēminēns corporis speciē. Vestis erat aurō purpurāque distīnctā, quae etiam crūra vēlābat: aureīs soleīs īnseruerat gemmās, lacertī quoque et brāchia margarītīs ōrnāta erant. Pendēbant ex auribus īnsignēs candōre et magnitūdine lapillī Baculum aureum bēryllī distinguēbant: quō trāditō, precātus ut sospes acciperet, sē līberōsque et gentem suam dedit.
ex itinere—‘on the road.’
obtinebatur--‘was held.’
precatus--acciperet—‘with the prayer that he might take it in safety,’ i.e. ‘that it might prove a lucky gift.’
obtinebatur--‘was held.’
precatus--acciperet—‘with the prayer that he might take it in safety,’ i.e. ‘that it might prove a lucky gift.’
254. Fighting Dogs
Nōbilēs ad vēnandum canēs in eā regiōne sunt: lātrātū abstinēre dīcuntur vīsa fera, leōnibus maximē īnfēstī. Quōrum vim ut ostenderet Alexandrō, in conseptum leōnem eximiae magnitūdinis iussit ēmittī et quātuor omnīnō admovērī canēs, quī celeriter feram occupāvērunt. Tum ex hīs quī assuēverant tālibus ministeriīs, ūnus canis leōnī cum aliīs inhaerentīs crūs āvellere et, quia nōn sequēbātur, ferrō amputāre coepit: nē sīc quidem pertinācia victa, rūrsus aliam partem secāre īnstitit et inde nōn sēgnius inhaerentem ferrō subinde caedēbat. Ille in vulnere ferae dentēs moribundus quoque īnfīxerat, tantam in illīs animālibus ad vēnandum cupiditātem ingenerāsse nātūram memoriae prōditum est.
conseptum--‘a railed-off space.’
omnino--‘in all.’
omnino--‘in all.’
255. Complaints of the Troops
Inde ventum est in regiōnem Oxydracārum Mallōrumque quōs aliās bellāre inter sē solitōs tūne commūne perīculum iūnxerat. At Macedonēs quī omnī discrīmine iam dēfūnctōs sē esse crēdiderant, postquam integrum bellum cum ferōcissimīs Indiae gentibus superesse cognōvērunt, imprōvīsō metū territī rūrsus sēditiōsīs vōcibus rēgem increpāre coepērunt. Gangēn amnem et quae ultrā essent coāctum trānsmittere nōn tamen fīniisse, sed mūtāsse bellum. Indomitīs gentibus obiectōs sēsē ut sanguine suō aperīrent eī ōceanum. Trahī extrā sīdera et sōlem cōgīque adīre quae mortālium oculīs nātūra subdūxerit. Novīs identidem armīs novōs hostēs exsistere. Quōs ut omnēs fundant fugentque, quod praemium sē manēre? cālīginem scīlicet ac tenebrās et perpetuam noctem profundō incubantem marī, replētum immānium bēluārum gregibus fretum, immōbilēs undās, in quibus ēmoriēns nātūrā dēfēcerit.
Mallorum—Their capital was what is now Mooltan.
coactum--‘though he was compelled.’
transmittere--‘to give up.‘
extra sidera--‘beyond the constellations’ (they had been wont to observe).
subduxerit--‘had withdrawn.‘
ut omnes fundant--ut concessive.
defecerit—‘has failed.’ The soldiers had heard strange stories and were thoroughly alarmed.
coactum--‘though he was compelled.’
transmittere--‘to give up.‘
extra sidera--‘beyond the constellations’ (they had been wont to observe).
subduxerit--‘had withdrawn.‘
ut omnes fundant--ut concessive.
defecerit—‘has failed.’ The soldiers had heard strange stories and were thoroughly alarmed.
256. Alexander Recalls Them to a Sense of Duty
Rēx contrā nōn sua sed mīlitum sollicitūdine ānxius, conciōne advocātā docet imbellēs esse quōs metuant. Nihil deinde praeter hās gentēs obstāre quō minus terrārum spatia ēmēnsī ad fīnem simul mundī labōrumque perveniant. Cessisse sē illīs metuentibus Gangen et multitūdinem nātiōnum quae ultrā amnem essent: dēclīnāsse iter eō, ubi pār glōria minus perīculum esset. Iam prōspicere sē ōceanum, iam perflāre ad eōs auram maris: nē invidērent sibi laudem quam peteret. Paterentur, sē ex Indiā redīre, nōn fugere. Quibus audītis, ut sunt mōbilī ingeniō mīlitēs, clāmor ab exercitū est redditus iubentium, dūceret dīīs secundīs. Tum laetus rēx ad hostēs prōtinus castra movet.
cessisse—‘had given up.’
paterentur—indirect imperative.
paterentur—indirect imperative.
257. A Hairbreadth Escape
Perventum deinde est ad oppidum, caput rēgnī, in quod plērīque cōnfūgerant, haud maiōre fīdūciā moenium quam armōrum. Admōtīs scālīs rēx in mūrum ēvādit, pugnam prīnceps ciet, sed scālīs pondere ascendentium frāctīs, in mediīs hostibus dēstituitur. Neque autem hōc cāsū exterritus in urbem praecipitī saltū sē immīsit, rem ausus incrēdibilem neque eātenus audītam. Brevī autem sagitta saucius cadit: itaque ad spoliandum corpus, quī vulnerāverat, alacer gaudiō accurrit. Quem ut iniicere corporī suō manus sēnsit rēx, ultimī dēdecoris indignitāte commōtus, linquentem revocāvit animum et nūdum hostis lātus subiectō mucrōne hausit. Interim Macedonēs summō studiō dolābrīs perfrāctō mūrō irrumpunt. Nōn senibus nōn fēminīs nōn īnfantibus parcitur : quisquis occurrerat, ab illō vulnerātum rēgem esse crēdēbant. Cum tandem interneciōne hostium iūstae īrae parentātum esset, rēgem inter cadāvera exanimem cōnspiciunt et in tūtum repōnunt.
pugnam princeps ciet—‘heads the attack.’
nudum--‘exposed.‘
iustae—esset—‘had glutted their just wrath.‘
nudum--‘exposed.‘
iustae—esset—‘had glutted their just wrath.‘
258. A Successful Operation
Rēge in tabernāculum relātō medicī lignum sagittae corporī īnfīxum nē spīculum movērētur abscindunt. Corpore deinde nūdātō animadvertunt hāmōs inesse tēlō, nec aliter id sine perniciē corporis extrahī posse quam ut secandō augērent. Rēx cum affirmāsset nihil opus esse iīs quī sēmet continērent, sīcut praeceptum erat, sine mōtū praebuit corpus. Itaque patefactō lātius vulnere et spīculō ēvulsō, ingēns vīs sanguinis mānāre coepit linquīque animō rēx et cālīgine oculīs offūsa velutī moribundus extendī. Cumque sanguinem mānantem medicāmentīs frūstrā inhibērent, clāmor simul atque plōrātus amīcōrum oritur rēgem exspīrāsse crēdentium. Tandem cōnstitit sanguis, paulātimque animum recēpit, et circumstantēs coepit agnōscere. Tōtō eō diē ac nocte quae secūta est exercitūs tabernāculum obsēdit, nec prius recessit quam compertum est somnō paulisper illum acquiēscere.
quam—augerent—‘except by making the wound larger by cutting it.’
linqui animo--‘began to grow faint.’
inhiberent--‘tried to check.’
linqui animo--‘began to grow faint.’
inhiberent--‘tried to check.’
259. Rest After Toil
Rēx, septem diēbus cūrātō vulnere necdum obductā cicātrīce, cum audiisset convaluisse apud barbarōs fāmam mortis suae, duōbus nāvigiīs iūnctīs, statuī in medium undique cōnspicuum tabernāculum iussit, ex quō sē ostenderet periisse crēdentibus: cōnspectusque ab incolīs spem hostium falsō nūntiō conceptam inhibuit, Secundō deinde amne dēflūxit, aliquantum intervāllī ā cēterā classe praecipiēns, nē quiēs corporī invalidō adhūc necessāria pulsū rēmōrum impedīrētur. Quārtō, postquam nāvigāre coeperat, diē pervēnit in regiōnem dēsertam quidem ab incolīs, sed frūmentō et pecoribus abundantem. Placuit is locus et ad suam et ad mīlitum requiem.
curato—‘treated.‘
necdum obducta cicatrice--‘without being healed over.’
convaluisse--‘had got abroad.’
amne—either the Hydaspes or the Acesines. 246, note.
necdum obducta cicatrice--‘without being healed over.’
convaluisse--‘had got abroad.’
amne—either the Hydaspes or the Acesines. 246, note.
260. His Troops Beg Alexander to be Less Venturesome
Mōs erat nōnnūllīs ex amīcīs excubāre ante praetōrium, quotiēns adversā rēgī valētūdō incīdisset. Quōs cum forte in cubiculum intrantēs cōnspexisset, rēx sollicitus nē quid novī afferrent, num hostium recēns nūntiārētur adventus percontātur. Tum Craterus, cui mandātum erat ut amīcōrum precēs perferret ad eum, in hunc modum verba fēcit. Ōrāre sēsē atque dēprecārī nē tot sē perīculīs offerret. Quod sī adhūc cum Dārīō dīmicāret, etsī nēmō vellet, tamen nē admīrārī quidem posse tam prōmptum eum esse ad omnia perīcula obeunda: eius vērō capite ignōbilem vīcum ēmī, quem lātūrum, nōn mīlitum modo, sed ūllius gentis barbarae cīvem, quī virtūtem eius nōvisset? Ecquem mortuō rēge superstitem esse velle? Proinde memor precum suōrum nē prō vīlī mercēde capitis perīculum adīret.
ne admirari quidem posse—‘he could not even be surprised.’
capite—ablative of price.
capite—ablative of price.