281. Alexander's Last Campaign
Ut tamen paullisper ā lūctū āvocāret animum, in Cossaeōrum fīnēs expedītiōnem suscēpit. Iuga Mēdiae vīcīnā Cossaēī tenent, asperum et ācre genus et praedandō vītam tolerāre solitum. Ab hīs rēgēs Persārum annuō tribūtō pācem redimere cōnsuēverant, nē īnfēstam latrōciniīs regiōnem facerent. Nam vim tentantēs Persās facile repulerant, asperitāte locōrum dēfēnsī, in quae sē recipiēbant, quotiēns armīs superābantur. Iīdem mūneribus quotannīs plācābantur, ut rēgī Ecbatanīs, ubi aestātem solēbat agere, Babylōnem remigrantī tūtus per ea loca trānsitus esset. Hōs igitur Alexander bipartītō agmine aggressus intrā quadrāgintā diēs perdomuit; nam ab ipsō rēge et Ptolemaeō, quī partem exercitūs dūcēbat, nōn semel caesī, ut captīvōs suōs reciperent, victōrī sē permīsērunt. Ille validās urbēs opportūnīs locīs exstruī iussit, nē abductō exercitū fera gēns officiī oblīvīscerētur.
tributo—‘black mail.’
officii—‘their loyalty.‘
officii—‘their loyalty.‘
282. Return to Babylon
Mōtīs inde castrīs, ut mīlitem expedītiōne recentī fessum reficeret, lentō agmine Babylōnem prōcēdēbat. Tamque vix trīgintā ab urbe stadiīs aberat, cum Nearchus occurrit, quem, ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus, per Ōceanum et Euphrātīs ōstia Babylōnem praemīserat; ōrābatque nē fātālem sibi urbem vellet ingredī. Compertum id sibi ā Chaldaeīs, quī multīs iam praedictārum rērum ēventibus certā sē artē utī ostendissent. Rēx prīmō mōtus, contemptīs deinde Chaldaeōrum monitīs, urbem tandem intrat. Eō lēgātī ex ūniversō fermē orbe terrārum convēnerant. Quibus per complūrēs diēs studiōsē audītis, deinceps ad Hēphaestiōnis exequiās adiēcit animum. Quae summō omnium studiō ita celebrātae sunt, ut nūllīus ad id tempus rēgis fūnus sūmptū apparātūque nōn vīcerint.
oceanum—the Indian Ocean.
Chaldaeis--the Chaldaei were a tribe in the Babylonian empire. The term is often applied to all the inhabitants of the empire. They were celebrated for their knowledge of astrology and mathematics.
certa--‘infallible.’
nullius non—‘every.‘ Non nullus, ‘some.’
Chaldaeis--the Chaldaei were a tribe in the Babylonian empire. The term is often applied to all the inhabitants of the empire. They were celebrated for their knowledge of astrology and mathematics.
certa--‘infallible.’
nullius non—‘every.‘ Non nullus, ‘some.’
283. Alexander's Last Illness
Post haec cupidō incessit rēgī per Pallacopam amnem ad Arabum cōnfīnia nāvigandī: quō dēlātus, urbī condendae commodā sēde reperta, Graecōrum aetāte aut vulneribus invalidōs et sī quī sponte remānserant ibi collocat. Quibus ex sententiā perfectīs, iam sēcūrus futūrī Chaldaeōs irrīdēbat, quod Babylōnem nōn ingressus tantum esset incolumīs, vērum etiam excessisset. Enimvērō revertentī per palūdēs foedum ōmen oblātum est, nam rāmī dēsuper impendentēs dētractum capitī diadēma in flūctūs prōiēcērunt. Cum deinde alia super alia prōdigiōsa nūntiārentur, prōcūrandīs iīs Graecō simul barbarōque rītū continua sacra facta sunt, neque tamen expiārī praeterquam morte rēgis potuēre. Quī cum Nearchum excēpisset convīviō et tōtā nocte perpōtāsset, male habēre coepit. Ingravēscēns deinde morbus adeō omnēs vīrēs intrā sextum diem exhausit, ut nē vōcis quidem potestās esset.
Pallacopa—a river in the S. of Babylonia.
delatus--‘having arrived.’ De in composition denotes ‘down,‘ here ‘down the stream.’
non tantum--‘not only.‘
procurandis iis—‘to expiate them.’
delatus--‘having arrived.’ De in composition denotes ‘down,‘ here ‘down the stream.’
non tantum--‘not only.‘
procurandis iis—‘to expiate them.’
284. His Death
Intuentibus lacrimae obortae praebuēre speciem iam nōn rēgem sed fūnus eius vīsentīs exercitūs. Maeror tamen circumstantium lectum ēminēbat: quōs ut rēx adspexit, Num inveniētis, inquit, cum excesserō, dignum tālibus virīs rēgem? Incrēdibile dictū audītūque, in eōdem habitū corporis, in quem sē composuerat, cum mīlitēs admissūrus esset, dūrāvit, dōnec ā tōtō exercitū illud ultimum persalūtātus est: dīmissōque vulgō, velut omnī vītae dēbitō līberātus, fatīgāta membra reiēcit. Inde propius adīre iussīs amīcīs, nam et vōx dēficere iam coeperat, cum dētractum ānulum dē digitō Perdiccae trādidisset, adiectīs mandātīs ut corpus suum ad Hammōnem ferrī iubērent, paulō post exstinguitur, annōs nātūs trīgintā duo.
praebuere speciem visentis exercitus—‘looked as if the army were gazing at.’
habitu corporis--‘attitude.’
illud ultimum--‘for the last time.’
debito--‘duty.’
habitu corporis--‘attitude.’
illud ultimum--‘for the last time.’
debito--‘duty.’
285. Greece Becomes a Roman Province
Mortuō Alexandrō ducēs inter sē imperium partiuntur, cum tantō onerī ferendō per sē ipsum exsisteret nēmō. Et Macedonēs post obitum rēgis diū intestīnīs bellīs exagitātī, acceptō necnōn dētrīmentō ex incursiōnibus Gallōrum, aliquid tandem prīstinī rōboris ubi recēpērunt, Graecōs aliquamdiū in officiō continuērunt, dōnec Philippus rēx eōrum societātem cum Poenīs iniit. Ea dē caussā īnfēnsī Rōmānī Macedonibus bellum indīxēre, multāsque victōriās dē iīs reportāvērunt. Neque ita multō post ūniversā Graeciā, ut suprā dēmōnstrāvimus, in fōrmam prōvinciae redācta est.
tanto oneri ferendo—‘equal to support so great a burden.’