261. Alexander's Reply
Iamque cōnfūsīs vōcibus flentēs eum ōrābant ut tandem exsatiātae laudī modum faceret ac salūtī suae omniumque parceret. Grāta erat rēgī pietās amīcōrum: itaque ubi singulōs amplexūs cōnsīdere iussit, grātō sē in illōs animō esse profitētur, neque precēs sprētūrum. Modo sē ab intestīnā fraude īnsidiīsque praestārent sēcūrum; bellī Mārtisque discrīmen impavidum subitūrum. Philippum in aciē tūtiōrem quam in theātrō fuisse: hostium! manūs saepe vītāsse, suōrum effugere nōn valuisse. Aliōrum quoque rēgum exitūs sī reputāverint, plūrēs ā suīs interēmptōs quam ab hoste inventūrōs. Quibus dictīs cum amīcōs dīmīsisset, per complūrēs diēs ibīdem statīva habuit, cum ob īnfirmam valētūdinem suam, tum quod fessō mīlitī tempus ad recreandōs animōs concēdī dēbēre exīstimābat.
pietas—‘the loyalty.’
grato animo--ablative of quality, or descriptive ablative, always with epithet.
praestarent securim--‘let them keep him safe.’
in theatro--where he had been assassinated.
stativa--understand castra. So hiberna, aestiva.
cum—tum—‘both—and.’
grato animo--ablative of quality, or descriptive ablative, always with epithet.
praestarent securim--‘let them keep him safe.’
in theatro--where he had been assassinated.
stativa--understand castra. So hiberna, aestiva.
cum—tum—‘both—and.’
262. A Duel Between Two Greeks
Erat in exercitū Dioxippus Athēniēnsis, pugil nōbilis et ob eximiam virtūtem rēgī grātus. Invidī malignīque increpābant sagīnātī corporis sequī inūtilem bēluam: cum ipsī proelium inīrent, illum nōnnisi epulīs studēre. Eadem igitur in convīviō Horratas Macedō iam tēmulentus exprobrāre eī coepit et postulāre, ut, sī vir esset, posterō diē sēcum ferrō dēcerneret: rēgem tandem vel dē suā temeritāte vel dē illīus ignāviā iūdicātūrum. Et ā Dioxippō contemptim mīlitārem ēlūdente ferōciam acceptā condiciō est. Posterō diē ingēns mīlitum convenit multitūdō: inter quōs quī erant Graecī Dioxippō studēbant. Macedō iūsta arma sūmpsit, clipeum hastamque laevā tenēns, dextrā lanceam, gladiōque cīnctus. Dioxippus oleō nītēns et corōnātus, laeva pūniceum amiculum, dextrā validum nōdōsumque stīpitem praeferēbat. Itaque Macedō, haud dubius ēminus eum interficī posse, lanceam ēmīsit: quam Dioxippus cum vītāsset, antequam ille hastam trānsferret in dextram, stīpite mediam frēgit. Āmissō utrōque tēlō Macedō gladium coeperat stringere, quem occupātum complexū Dioxippus in terram dēiēcit pedemque super cervīcem iacentī imposuit, occīsūrus quoque, nī ā rēge prohibitus esset.
saginati—The ancients had strange notions of training, and plenty of flesh and fat were supposed to stand a boxer in good stead.
studebant--‘backed.’
iacenti—A dative can be added anywhere with a notion of advantage or disadvantage. This dative is called Dativus Commodi or Incommodi. A variety of the same dative is called the Dativus Ethicus, and denotes a less strong sense of interest.
studebant--‘backed.’
iacenti—A dative can be added anywhere with a notion of advantage or disadvantage. This dative is called Dativus Commodi or Incommodi. A variety of the same dative is called the Dativus Ethicus, and denotes a less strong sense of interest.
263. Military Engineering
Inde Praestōrum dīrutā arce et omnibus captīvīs vēnumdātis, Sambī rēgis fīnēs ingressus est Alexander multīsque oppidīs in fidem acceptīs validissimam gentis urbem cunīculō cēpit. Barbarīs simile mōnstrī vīsum est, ignārīs mīlitārium operum; nam in mediā fermē urbe armātī terrā exsistēbant, nūllō suffossī specus ante vestīgiō factō. Octōgintā mīlia Indōrum in eā regiōne caesa Clītarchus est auctor, multōsque captīvōs sub corōnā vēniisse.
Sambi regis fines—near the mouth of the Indus.
in fidem--‘into alliance.’
cuniculo--derivation: cuniculus, a rabbit.
suffossi specus--‘of the cave dug underground.’
sub corona—‘by auction.’ Slaves exposed for sale wore chaplets of flowers.
in fidem--‘into alliance.’
cuniculo--derivation: cuniculus, a rabbit.
suffossi specus--‘of the cave dug underground.’
sub corona—‘by auction.’ Slaves exposed for sale wore chaplets of flowers.
264. A Victory Won by Strategem
Tum secundō amne pervēnit ad oppidum quod in rēgnō erat Sambī. Nūper sē ille dēdiderat, sed oppidānī dētrectābant imperium et clauserant portās. Quōrum paucitāte contempta rēx quīngentōs ē suīs moenia subīre iussit et sēnsim recēdentēs ēlicere extrā mūrōs hostem. Mīlitēs, sīcut imperātum erat, lacessītō hoste subitō terga vertunt, quōs barbarī temere īnsequentēs in aliōs, inter quōs ipse rēx erat, incīdunt. Redintegrātō igitur proeliō ex tribus mīlibus barbarōrum sexcentī caesī sunt, mīlle captī, cēterī moenibus urbis inclūsī.
secundo amne—‘down the stream,’ the Indus.
265. Poisoned Swords
Sed nōn, ut prīmā spē laeta victōria, ita ēventū quoque fuit, barbarī enim venēnō gladiōs tīnxerant. Itaque sauciī subinde moriēbantur, nec causā tam strēnuae mortis excōgitārī poterat ā medicīs, cum etiam levēs plāgae īnsānābilēs essent. Barbarī autem spērāverant incautum et temerārium rēgem excipī posse. Is forte inter prōmptissimōs dīmicāns intāctūs ēvāserat. Praecipuē Ptolemaeus, quem ex amīcīs potissimum dīligēbat, laevō humerō leviter quidem saucius, sed maiōre perīculō quam vulnere affectus rēgis sollicitūdinem in sē converterat. Idem corporis cūstōs prōmptissimusque bellātor et pācis artibus quam mīlitiae maior et clārior, modicō cīvīlīque cultū, līberālis in prīmīs aditūque facilī, nihil ex fastū rēgiae assūmpserat.
artibus—‘the pursuits.’
cultu—‘habits.’
cultu—‘habits.’
266. The King's Dream
Ob haec rēgī an populāribus cārior esset, dubitārī poterat, nam nōn levior illīs Ptolemaeī fuit cūra quam rēgī, quī et proeliō et sollicitūdine dēfessus cum Ptolemaeō assidēret, lectum, in quō ipse aliquid somnī caperet, īnferrī iussit. In quem ut sē recēpit, prōtinus altior īnsecūtus est somnus. Ex quō excitātus per quiētem vīdisse sē expōnit speciem dracōnis oblātam, herbam ferentis ōre, quam venēnī remedium esse mōnstrāsset : colōrem quoque herbae referēbat, agnitūrum sēsē, sī quis reperisset, cōnfirmāns. Inventam deinde—nam ā multīs simul erat requīsīta—vulnerī imposuit: prōtinusque dolōre fīnītō intrā breve spatium cicātrīx quoque obductā est. Barbarī posteā spē rēgis interficiendī dēiectī sē ipsōs urbemque dēdidērunt.
ob haec regi—First interrogative (utrum or ne), omitted.
per quietem--‘in his sleep.‘
agniturum—‘that he would acknowledge his obligation.’
per quietem--‘in his sleep.‘
agniturum—‘that he would acknowledge his obligation.’
267. The Indian Ocean is Reached
Posteā Alexander cupīdine vīsendī Ōceanum correptus, nōn sine perīculīs propter aestūs maritimōs, quī amnem subībant, et nautārum imperītiam, collīdentibus inter sē nāvibus, tandem vōtī suī compos redditur. Tum Nearchō nauticae reī perītissimō imperāvit, ut validissimās nāvium dēdūceret in Ōceanum, prōgressusque quoad tūtō posset, nātūram maris nōsceret: vel eōdem amne vel Euphrāte subīre eum posse, cum revertī ad sē vellet. Iamque nāvibus, quae inūtilēs vidēbantur, cremātīs terra dūcēbat exercitum.
voti--redditur—‘had his wish gratified.’
268. Sufferings on the March
Inde Macedonēs tripertītō Indōs populārī, magnās praedās agere. Mox ad maritimōs Indōs perventum. Dēsertam vastamque regiōnem lātē tenent ac nē cum fīnitimīs quidem ūllō commerciī iūre miscentur. Ipsa sōlitūdō nātūrā quoque immītia efferāvit ingenia: prōminent unguēs nunquam recīsī; comae hirsūtae et intōnsae sunt. Tuguria conchis īnstruunt; ferārum pellibus tēctī, piscibus sōle dūrātīs et maiōrum quoque bēluārum quās flūctūs ēiēcit, carne vēscuntur. Cōnsūmptīs igitur alimentīs Macedonēs prīmō inopiam, deinde ad ultimum famem sentīre coepērunt, rādīcēs palmārum, namque sōla eā arbor gignitur, rīmantēs. Quibus cōnsūmptīs iūmenta caedere coāctī, nē equīs quidem abstinēbant. Famem deinde pestilentia secūta est, nam īnsalūbrium cibōrum novī sūcī, ad hōc itineris labor et aegritūdō animī vulgāverat morbōs. Multum sānē dētrīmentī accēpisse exercitum satis cōnstat prius quam in fertiliōrēs regiōnēs pervenīrī posset.
commercii iure—‘right of trading.‘
ad ultimum--‘at last.‘
ad hoc—‘in addition.’
ad ultimum--‘at last.‘
ad hoc—‘in addition.’
269. Return to Persia. Feasting and Revelry
Iam tum rēx, mox in Persidem post tot tantōsque labōrēs reditūrus, Bacchī triumphum, victīs Indiae gentibus, imitārī cōnstituit. Vīcōs igitur, per quōs iter erat, flōribus corōnīsque sternī iubet, līminibus aedium crātērās vīnō replētās et alia eximiae magnitūdinis vāsa dispōnī: vehicula deinde cōnstrāta, ut plūrēs capere mīlitēs possent, in tabernāculōrum modum ōrnārī, alia candidīs vēlīs, aliā veste pretiōsa. Prīmī ībant amīcī variīs redimītī flōribus: alibī tībīcinum cantūs, alibī lyrae sonus audiēbātur: post hōs in vehiculīs prō cōpiā cuiusque adōrnātis cōmissābundus exercitus. Rēgem ipsum convīvāsque vehēbat currūs, crātērīs aureīs pōculīsque praegravīs. Itaque hoc modo per diēs septem bacchābundum agmen incessit, parāta praeda, sī quid victīs saltem adversus cōmissantēs animī fuisset; sed fortūna huiusmodī dēdecus in glōriam vertit, mīrantibus cūnctīs, per gentēs nōndum satis domitās incessisse tēmulentōs, barbarīs, quod temeritās erat, fīdūciam esse crēdentibus.
Bacchus was said to have conquered India in past ages.
constrata--‘carpeted.’
in tabernaculorum modum--‘like tents.‘
pro copia cuiusque—‘according to each man’s means.’
constrata--‘carpeted.’
in tabernaculorum modum--‘like tents.‘
pro copia cuiusque—‘according to each man’s means.’
270. Nearchus' Report
Haud multō post Nearchus, quem longius in Ōceanum prōcēdere iusserat, supervenit. Nūntiābat autem quaedam audīta, alia comperta: īnsulam ōstiō amnis subiectam aurō abundāre, inopem equōrum esse: singulōs eōs ab iīs, quī ex continentī trāiicere audērent, singulīs talentīs ēmī. Plēnum esse bēluārum mare: aestū secundō eās ferrī, magnārum nāvium corpora aequantēs: trucī cantū dēterritās sequī classem cum magnō aequoris strepitū, velut dēmersa nāvigia, subīsse aquās. Comperisse sēsē ex incolīs, rubrum mare nōn ā colōre undārum, ut plērīque crēderent, sed ab Erythrō rēge appellārī: esse haud procul ā continentī īnsulam palmīs frequentibus cōnsitam et in mediō ferē nemore columnam ēminēre, Erythrī rēgia monumentum, līterīs gentis eius scrīptam. Nāvigia etiam, quae lixās mercātōrēsque vēxissent, fāmam aurī secūtīs gubernātōribus, in īnsulam esse trānsmissa nec deinde posteā vīsa. Rēx cognōscendī plūra cupīdine accēnsus, rūrsus eōs terram legere iubet, dōnec ad Euphrātis ōstia appellerent classem, inde adversō amne Babylōna subīre.
amnis—the Indus.
aestu secundo--‘with the tide.‘
rubrum mare--the Indian Ocean, usually the Red Sea.
legere--‘to coast along.’
appellerent--‘brought to land.‘
adverso amne—‘up stream,’ abl. abs.
aestu secundo--‘with the tide.‘
rubrum mare--the Indian Ocean, usually the Red Sea.
legere--‘to coast along.’
appellerent--‘brought to land.‘
adverso amne—‘up stream,’ abl. abs.