humphreys_alexander.md

title	author	date	lang	edited	license	original_scan	notes
Selections from the History of Alexander the Great by Quintus Curtius Rufus	Willard Humphreys, Ph.D.	1896	la	false	CC-BY-SA 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/	https://www.google.com/books/edition/Selections_from_the_History_of_Alexander/Ea8AAAAAYAAJ

Q. CURTI RUFI

Historiarum Alexandri magnī Macedonīs

LIBER III.

Cap. I.

Inter haec Alexander, ad condūcendum ex Peloponnēsō mīlitem Cleandrō cum pecūniā missō, Lyciae Pamphyliaeque rēbus compositīs, ad urbem Celaenās exercitum admōvit. Media illā tempestāte moenia interfluēbat Marsyās amnis, fābulōsīs Graecōrum carminibus inclutus. Fōns ēius, ex summō montis cacūmine excurrēns, in subiectam petram magnō strepitū aquārum cadit; inde diffūsus circumiectōs rigat campōs, liquidus et suās dumtaxat undās trahēns. Itaque color ēius placidō marī similis locum poētārum mendāciō fēcit; quippe traditum est nymphās, amōre amnis retentās, in illā rūpe cōnsīdere. Cēte-

1 Inter haec, intereā. 2 mīlitem, cōpiās. 4 tempestāte, tempore; media moenia, mediam urbem. 5 amnis, flūmen. 6 inclutus, celeber. 7 petram, rūpem. g trahēns, volvēns. 10 placidō, tranquillō, quiētō. 11 mendāciō, fābulae. 12 rūpe, saxō.

rum quamdiū intrā mūrōs fluit, nōmen suum retinet; at cum extrā mūnīmenta sē ēvolvit, māiōre vī āc mōle agentem undās Lycum appellant. Alexander qui- dem urbem dēstitūtam ab suīs intrat, arcem vērō, in quam cōnfūgerant, oppūgnāre adortus, cādūceātōrem praemīsit, quī dēnūntiāret, nī dēderent, ipsōs ūltima esse passūrōs. Illī cādūceātōrem, in turrem et sitū et opere multum ēditam perductum, quanta esset altitūdō intuērī iubent āc nūntiāre Alexandrō nōn eādem ipsum et incolās aestimātiōne mūnīmenta mētīrī: sē scīre inexpūgnābilēs esse, ad ūltimum prō fidē mori- tūrōs. Cēterum ut circumsedērī arcem et omnia sibi in diēs artiōra esse vīdērunt, sexāgintā diērum indūtiās pactī, ut, nisi intrā eōs auxilium Dārēus ipsīs mīsisset, dēderent urbem, postquam nihil inde praesidī mittē- bātur, ad praestitūtam diem permīsēre sē rēgī. Superveniunt deinde lēgātī Athēniēnsium, petentēs ut captī apud Grānīcum amnem redderentur sibi. Ille nōn hōs modo, sed etiam cēterōs Graecōs restituī suīs iūssūrum respondit, fīnītō Persicō bellō. Cēterum Dārēō imminēns, quem nōndum Eupbhrātēn superāsse cōgnōverat, undique omnēs cōpiās contrahit, tōtīs vīri- bus tantī bellī discrīmen aditūrus.

Phrygia erat per quam dūcēbātur exercitus, plū-

25 ribus vīcīs quam urbibus frequēns. 12. Tunc habēbat nōbilem quondam Midae rēgiam. Gordium nōmen est

5 cādūceātōrem, lēgātum pācis. 6 nī, nisi. — ā ēditam, altam. — 10 mūnīmenta, mūrōs. — 13 artiōra, angustiōra. — 16 permīsēre, dēdēre. — 17 petentēs, rogantēs. — 21 superāsse, trānsīsse. — 22 contrahit, conligit. — 23 discrīmen, perīculum. —26 nōbilem, celebrem.

urbī, quam Sangarius amnis praeterfluit, parī intervāllō Ponticō et Ciliciō marī dīstantem. 13. Inter haec maria angustissimum Asiae spatium esse comperimus, utrōque in artās faucēs compellente terram. Quae quia continentī adhaeret, sed māgnā ex parte cingi- tur fluctibus, speciem īnsulae praebet āc, nisi tenue discrīmen obiceret, quae nunc dīvidit maria, commit- teret. 14. Alexander, urbe in diciōnem suam redāctā, Iovis templum intrat. Vehiculum quō Gordium, Midae patrem, vēctum esse cōnstābat, aspēxit, cultū haud sānē ā vīliōribus volgātīsque ūsū abhorrēns. 15. Nōtābile erat iugum, astrictum complūribus nōdīs in sēmetipsōs implicātīs et cēlantibus nexūs. 16. Incolīs deinde adfīrmantibus ēditam esse ōrāculō sortem Asiae potī- tūrum quī inexplicābile vinculum solvisset, cupīdō incessit animō sortis ēius explendae. 17. Circā rēgem erat et Phrygum turba et Macedonum, illa exspectā- tiōne suspēnsa, haec sollicita ex temerāriā rēgis fīdūciā; quippe, seriē vinculōrum ita astrictā ut, unde nexus inciperet quōve sē conderet, nec ratiōne nec vīsū per- spicī posset, solvere aggressus iniēcerat cūram eī nē in ōmen verterētur inritum inceptum. 18. Ille nēquāquam diū lūctātus cum latentibus nōdīs, ‘Nihil; inquit, ‘interest quōmodo solvantur’; gladiōque ruptīs omnibus lōrīs, ōrāculī sortem vel ēlūsit vel implē- vit.

1 amnis, fluvius. — 3 angustissimum, artissimum. — 6 praebet, praefert. — ā diciōnem, potestātem. — 10 cultū, ōrnātū. — 18 sollicita, ānxia. — 23 nēquāquam, haudquāquam; latentibus, caecīs. —24 ruptīs, scissīs.

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19. Cum deinde Dārēum, ubicumque esset, occupāre statuisset, ut ā tergō tūta relinqueret Amphoterum classī ad ōram Hellēspontī, cōpiīs autem praefēcit Hegelochum, Lesbum et Chium Coumque praesidiīs hostium līberātūrōs. 20. Hīs talenta ad bellī ūsum quīngenta attribūta; ad Antipatrum et eōs quī Graecās urbēs tuēbantur sēscenta mīssa; ex foedere nāvēs sociīs imperātae, quae Hellēspontō praesidērent. 21. Nōndum enim Memnonem vītā excessisse cōgnōverat, in quem omnēs intenderat cūrās, satis gnārus cūncta in expedītō fore sī nihil ab eō movērētur.

20. Iamque ad urbem Ancȳram ventum erat, ubi numerō cōpiārum initō Paphlagoniam intrat: huic iūnctī erant Henetī, unde quīdam Venetōs trahere orīginem crēdunt. 28. Omnis haec regiō pāruit rēgī; datīsque obsidibus, tribūtum, quod nē Persīs quidem tulissent, pendere nē cōgerentur impetrāvērunt. 24. Calās huic regiōnī praepositus est: ipse, adsūmptīs quī ex Mace- doniā nūper advēnerant, Cappadociam petiit.

Cap. II.

1. Ar Dārēus, nūntiātā Memnonis morte, haud secus quam pār erat mōtus, omīssā omnī aliā spē, statuit ipse dēcernere; quippe quae per ducēs suōs ācta erant cūncta damnābat, ratus plūribus cūram, omnibus āfuisse

2 tūta, sērāra. — 3 praefēcit, praeposuit. —6 attribūta, data. —

7 tuēbantur, praesidēbant; foedere, pactō. — 13 jūnctī, proximā.

14 trahere, dūcere.— 20 hauū secus quam, ut. — 22 dēcernere,

pāgnāre. — 23 āfuisse, aēruisse.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 2.

fōrtūnam. 2. Igitur castrīs ad Babylōna positīs, quō māiōre animō capesserent bellum ūniversās vīrēs in cōnspectum dedit et, circumdatō vāllō quod decem mīlium armātōrum multitūdinem caperet, Xerxis exem- plō numerum cōpiārum iniit. 3. Ortō sōle ad noctem āgmina, sīcut dīscrīpta erant, intrāvēre vāllum. Inde ēmīssa occupāverant Mesopotamiae campōs, equitum peditumque propemodum innumerābilis turba, māiōrem quam prō numerō speciem ferēns. 4. Persārum erant centum milia, in quīs eques xxx implēbat. Mēdī decem equitum, quīnquāgintā mīlia peditum habēbant. S. Bar- cānōrum equitum duo mīlia fuēre, armātī bipennibus levibusque scūtīs caetrae māximē speciem reddentibus: peditum decem mīlia parī armātū sequēbantur.... 10. Nec quicquam illī minus quam multitūdō mīlitum dēfuit. Cūius tum ūniversae aspectū admodum laetus, purpurātīs solitā vānitāte spem ēius īnflantibus, con- versus ad Charidēmum Athēniēnsem, bellī perītum et ob exsilium īnfestum Alexandrō — quippe Athēnīs iubente eō fuerat expulsus — percontārī coepit satisne eī vidērētur īnstrūctus ad obterendum hostem. 11. At ille et suae sortis et rēgiae superbiae oblītus, ‘Vērum,; inquit, “et tū fōrsitan audīre nōlēs et ego, nisi nunc dīxerō, aliās nēquīquam cōnfitēbor. 12. Hīc tantī appa- rātūs exercitus, haec tot gentium et tōtīus Orientis excīta sēdibus suīs mōlēs, fīnitimīs potest esse terribi-

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4 armātōrum, māitum. —3 turba, grex.—g ferēns, praeferēns. — 14 armātū, armātūra. — 16 aspectū, cōnspectā ; admodum, valdē. — 183 bellī, reī mālitāris. — 19 īnfestum, īnfēnsum. — 20 per- contārī, interrogāre.— 23 fōrsitan, fortasse. — 26 sēdibus, domitus.

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lis: nitet purpurā aurōque, fulget armīs et opulentiā quantam quī oculīs nōn subiēcēre, animīs concipere nōn possunt. 13. Sed Macedonum aciēs, torva sānē et inculta, clipeīs hastīsque immōbilēs cuneōs et cōnferta rōbora virōrum tegit. Ipsī phalangem vocant peditum stabile āgmen: vir virō, armīs arma cōnserta sunt; ad nūtum monentis intentī, sequī sīgna, ōrdinēs servāre didicērunt. 14. Quod imperātur omnēs exaudiunt: obsi- stere, circumīre, discurrere in cornū, mūtāre pūgnam nōn ducēs magis quam militēs callent. 15. Āc nē aurī argentīque studiō tenērī putēs, adhūc illa disciplīna paupertāte magistrā stetit: fatīgātīs humus cubiīle est, cibus quem occupārunt satiat, tempora somnī artiōra quam noctis sunt. 16. Iam Thessalī equitēs et Acarnā- nes Aetōlīque, inviīcta bellō manus, fundīs, crēdō, et hastīs īgne dūrātīs repellentur! Parī rōbore opus est. In illā terrā quae hōs genuit auxilia quaerenda sunt: argentum istud atque aurum ad condūcendum mīlitem mitte.” 17. Erat Darēō mīte āc tractābile ingenium, nisi etiam nātūram plērumque fōrtūna corrumperet. Itaque, vēritātis impatiēns, hospitem āc supplicem, tunc cum māximē ūtilia suādentem, abstrahī iussit ad capi- tāle supplicium. 18. Ille, nē tum quidem libērtātis oblītus: ‘Habeō,’ inquit, ‘parātum mortis meae ultōrem: expetet poenās cōnsilī meī sprētī is ipse contrā quem tibi suāsī. Tū quidem, licentiā rēgnī tam subitō mūtātus,

1 opulentiā, dīvitiīs. — 5vocant, appellant.— ē exaudiunt, fārenit.

— 10 callent, sciunt. — 11 studiō, cupītine. — 13 satiat, sugīcit; artiōra, breviōra. — 16 rōbore, vī. — 17 genuit, tulit. — i9 mīte, lēne. — 21 impatiēns, intolerāns. — 23 supplicium, pgoenam. — 25 sprētī, dēspectī.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 2. 3.

documentum eris posterīs, hominēs, cum sē permisēre fōrtūnae, etiam nātūram dēdiscere. Haec vōciferan- tem, quibus imperātum erat, iugulant. 19. Sēra deinde paenitentia subiit rēgem āc, vēra dīxisse cōnfessus, sepelīrī eum iussit.

Cap. III.

(Darius appoints Pharnabazus successor to Memnon, and puts Thymodes in command of all the foreign auxiliaries. He is much alarmed by strange omens and by visions which appear to him in his sleep, but his soothsayers reassure both him and his army with favorable interpretations, and he gives the com- mand to march towards the Euphrates.)

8. PATRIŌ mōre Persārum trāditum est ortō sōle dē- mum prōcēdere. Diē iam inlūstrī sīgnum ē tabernā- culō rēgis būcinā dabātur. Super tabernāculum, unde ab omnibus cōnspicī posset, imāgō sōlis crystallō in- clūsa fulgēbat. 9. Ōōrdō autem āgminis erat tālis. īgnis, quem ipsī sacrum et aeternum vocābant, argenteīs altāribus praeferēbātur. 10. Magī proximī patrium carmen canēbant. Magōs trecentī et sexāgintā quīn- que iuvenēs sequēbantur, pūniceīs amiculīs vēlātī, diē- bus tōtīus annī parēs numerō; quippe Persīs quoque in totidem diēs dīscrīptus est annus. 11. Currum deinde Iovī sacrātum albentēs vehēbant equī: hōs eximiae

1 documentum, exemplum. — 2 vīōciferantem, clāmantem. —

6 trāditum est, mōs est.—37 inlūstrī, clārō. — g9 cōnspicī, cernī.

10 fulgēbat, splendēbat. — 12 altāribus, ārīs. — i4 pūniceīs, pur- pureīs ; vēlātī, indātī. — 16 dīscrīptus, dīvisus. — 17 albentēs, altī.

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māgnitūdinis equus, quem Sōlis appellābant, sequēbā- tur. Aureae virgae et albae vestēs regentēs equōs adōrnābant. 22. Haud procul erant vehicula decem multō aurō argentōque caelāta. 183. Sequēbātur haec equitātus duodecim gentium variīs armīs et mōribus. Proximī ībant quōs Persae Immortālēs vocant, ad decem mīlia. Cultus opulentiae barbarae nōn aliōs magis honestābat: illī aureōs torquēs, illī vestem aurō dīstinctam habēbant manicātāsque tunicās, gemmīs etiam adōrnātās. 14. Exiguō intervāllō, quōs cōgnātōs rēgis appellant, decem et quīnque mīlia hominum. Haec vērō turba, muliebriter propemodum culta, lūxū magis quam decōrīs armīs cōnspicua erat. 15. Dory- phoroe vocābantur proximum hīs āgmen, solitī vestem excipere rēgālem: hī currum rēgis anteībant, quō ipse ēminēns vehēbātur. 16. Utrumque currūs latus deōrum simulācra ex aurō argentōque expressa decorābant: dīstinguēbant internitentēs gemmae iugum, ex quō ēminēbant duo aurea simulācra cubitālia, quōrum alterum Ninī, alterum erat Bēlī. Inter haec aquilam auream pinnās extendentī similem sacrāverant. 17, 18. Cultus rēgis inter omnia lūxuriā notābātur: purpureae tunicae medium album intextum erat, pallam aurō dī- stinctam aureī accipitrēs, velut rōstrīs inter sē concur- rerent, adōrnābant et 2ōnā aureā muliebriter cīnctus acīnacem suspenderat, cui ex gemmā vāgīna erat.

2 aureae, aurātae.—17 cultus, habitus. — r0 exiguō, parō. 11 appellant, vocant. — 12 turba, turma; culta, vestīta. — anteībant, praecēdēbant. — r7 simulācra, efīgiēs; expressa,

sculpta, fīcta. — 18 internitentēs, interlācentēs. — 19 ēminēbant, exstābant. — 23 pallam, pallium. — 25 1ōnā, cingulō.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 3.

19. Cidarim Persae vocābant rēgium capitis īnsīgnē: hōc caerulea fascia albō dīstincta circumībat. 20. Cur- rum decem mīlia hastātōrum sequēbantur: hastās argentō exōrnātās, spīcula aurō praefīxa gestābant.
20. Dextrā laevāque rēgem ducentī fermē nōbilissimī propīnquōrum comitābantur. Hōrum āgmen claudēbā- tur trīgintā mīlibus peditum, quōs equī rēgis cccc sequē- bantur. 22. Intervāllō deinde unīus stadī mātrem Dārēī Sisigambim currus vehēbat et in aliō erat coniux. Turba fēminārum rēgīnās comitantium equīs vēctābātur. 28, 24. Quīndecim deinde quās armamaxās appellābant sequēbantur. In hīs erant līberī rēgis et quae ēdūcā- bant eōs, ... post quōs pecūniam rēgis sēscentī mūlī et trecentī camēlī vehēbant, praesidiō sagittāriōrum prōsequente. 25. Propīnquōrum amīcōrumque coniugēs huic āgminī proximae lixārumque et cālōnum gregēs vehēbantur. Ōltimī erant cum suīs quisque ducibus, quī cōgerent āgmen, leviter armātī. 26, 27. Contrā sī quis aciem Macedonum intuērētur, dispār faciēs erat equīs virīsque nōn aurō, nōn discolōrī veste, sed ferrō atque aere fulgentibus: āgmen et stāre parātum et sequī, nec turbā nec sarcinīs praegrave, intentum ad ducis nōn sīgnum modo, sed etiam nūtum. Et castrīs locus et exercituī commeātus suppetēbant. 28. Ergō Alexandrō in aciē mīles nōn dēfuit: Dārēus, tantae multitūdinis rēx, locī in quō pūgnāvit angustiīs redāc- tus est ad paucitātem quam in hoste contempserat.

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4 gestābant, gerēbant.— 10 vēctābātur, vehkēbātur. — 19 faciēs, speciēs. — 21 fulgentibus, nitentiēbus. — 27 contempserat, sprēverat,

dēspēxerat.

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Cap. IV.

1. INTEREā Alexander, Abistamene Cappadociae praepositō, Ciliciam petēns cum omnibus cōpiīs in re- giōnem quae castra Cȳrī appellātur pervēnerat. Statīva illīc habuerat Cȳrus cum adversus Croesum in Lydiam dūceret. 2. Aberat ea regiō quīnquāgintā stadia ab aditū quō Ciliciam intrāmus: Pylās incolae dīcunt artissimās faucēs, mūnīmenta quae manū pōnimus nātūrālī sitū imitantēs. 3. Igitur Arsamēs, quī Ciliciae praeerat, reputāns quid initiō bellī Memnō suāsisset, quondam salūbre cōnsilium sērō exsequī statuit: īgnī ferrōque Ciliciam vāstat, ut hostī sōlitūdinem faciat: quidquid ūsuī potest esse corrumpit, sterile āc nūdum solum quod tuērī nequībat relīctūrus. 14, 5. Sed longē ūtilius fuit angustiās aditūs quī Ciliciam aperit validō occupāre praesidiō iugumque opportūnē itinerī immi- nēns obtinēre, unde inultus subeuntem hostem aut prohibēre aut opprimere potuisset: nunc paucīs, quī callibus praesidērent, relīctīs retrō ipse concessit, popu- lātor terrae quam ā populātiōnibus vindicāre dēbēbat. Ergō quiī relīcti erant, prōditōs sē ratī, nē cōnspectum quidem hostis sustinēre valuērunt, cum vel pauciōrēs locum obtinēre potuissent. 6. Namque perpetuō iugō mōntis asperī āc praeruptī Cilicia inclūditur: quod cum ā marī adsurgat, velut sinū quōdam flexūque curvātum,

3 statīva, castra. — 4 aūversus, contrā.— 6 aditū, accessā.—

7 manū, arte; pōnimus, acdificānus. — 9 reputāns, dēlāerāns, eēritāns. — io salūbre, salūtāre. — 8 populātor, vāstātor. — 22 per- petuō, continuō.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI 11I1, 4.

rūrsus alterō cornū in dīversum litus excurrit. 7. Per hōc dorsum, quā māximē intrōrsus marī cēdit, asperī trēs aditūs et perangustī sunt, quōrum ūnō Cilicia intranda est. 8. Campestris eadem quā vergit ad mare, plānitiem ēius crēbrīs dīstinguentibus rīvis: Pȳramus et Cydnus, inclutī amnēs, fluunt. Cydnus nōn spatiō aquārum sed liquōre memorābilis, quippe lēnī tractū ē fontibus lābēns pūrō solō excipitur nec torrentēs incur- runt quī placidē mānantis alveum turbent. 9. Itaque incorruptus īdemque frīgidissimus, quippe multā riīpā- rum amoenitāte inumbrātus, ubīque fontibus suīs similis in mare ēvādit. 10. Multa in eā regiōne monumenta volgāta carminibus vetustās exēderat. Mōnstrābantur urbium sēdēs Eyrnessī et Thēbēs, Typhōnis quoque specus et Cōrycium nemus, ubi crocum gīgnitur, cētera- que in quibus nihil praeter fāmam dūrāverat.

11. Alexander faucēs iugī quae Pylae appellantur intrāvit. Contemplātus locōrum situm nōn aliās magis dīcitur admīrātus esse fēlīcitātem suam: obruī potuisse vel saxīs cōnfitēbātur, sī fuissent quī in subeuntēs prōpellerent. 122. Iter vix quaternōs capiēbat armātōs: dorsum mōntis imminēbat viae nōn angustae modo, sed plērumque praeruptae, crēbrīs oberrantibus rīvīs, quī ex rādīcibus mōntium mānant. 13. Thrācas tamen leviter armātōs praecēdere iusserat scrūtārīque callēs, nē occultus hostis in subeuntēs ērumperet. Sagittāri-

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4 vergit, tendit.—s35 crēbrīs, multīs; rīvīs, fuviīs. —6 spatiō, lātitādine. — 7 lēnī, lentō. — 8 lābēns, mānāns. — 12 ēvādit, cadit. — 13 mōnstrābantur, ostendēbantur. — 17 faucēs, angustiēs. —

i9 fēlīcitātem, fōrtānam. — 25 praecēdere, anteīire.

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ōrum quoque manus occupāverat iugum: intentōs arcūs habēbant, monitī nōn iter ipsōs inīre, sed proelium. 14. Hōc modō āgmen pervēnit ad urbem Tarson, cui tum māximē Persae subiciēbant īgnem, nē opulentum

5 oppidum hostis invāderet. 15. At ille, Parmeniōne ad inhibendum incendium cum expedītā manū praemīssō, postquam barbarōs adventū suōrum fugātōs esse cōgnō- vit, urbem ā sē cōnservātam intrat.

Cap. V.

1. MEDIAM Cydnus amnis, dē quō paulō ante dictum

10 est, interfluit. Et tunc aestās erat, cūius calor nōn aliam magis quam Ciliciae ōram vapōre sōlis accendit,

et diēī fervidissimum tempus esse coeperat. 2. Pulvere simul āc sūdōre perfūsum rēgem invītāvit liquor flū- minis ut calidum adhūc corpus ablueret. Itaque veste

15 dēpositā in cōnspectū āgminis — decōrum quoque fu- tūrum ratus, sī ostendisset suīs levī et parābilī cultū corporis sē esse contentum — dēscendit in flūmen. S. Vixque ingressī subitō horrōre artūs rigēre coepērunt, pallor deinde suffūsus est et tōtum propemodum corpus

20 vītālis calor līquit. 4. Exspīrantī similem ministrī manū excipiunt nec satis compotem mentis in tabernāculum dēferunt. Ingēns sollicitūdō et paene iam lūctus in castrīs erat. 5. Flentēs querēbantur in tantō impetū

2 proelium, fāgnam. —j5 invāderet, intrāret. — 11 ōram, terram; accendit, exārit. — 15 dēpositā, exātā; āgminis, exercitās. — 16 levī, modieē. — 18 horrōre, frīgcore.— 19 propemodum, paene. — 20 exspīrantī, morientī. — 22 lūctus, maestitia.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI I1II, 5.

cursūque rērum omnis aetātis āc memoriae clārissimum rēgem nōn in aciē saltem, nōn ab hoste dēiectum, sed abluentem aquā corpus ēreptum esse et exstinctum. 6. īnstāre Dārēum, vīctōrem antequam vīidisset hostem. Sibi eāsdem terrās quās vīctōriā peragrāssent repe- tendās; omnia aut ipsōs aut hostēs populātōs; per vāstās sōlitūdinēs, etiam sī nēmō īnsequī velit, euntēs famē atque inopiā dēbellārī posse. 7. Quem sīgnum datūrum fugientibus ? quem ausūrum Alexandrō succē- dere ? Iam ut ad Hellēspontum fugā penetrārint, clas- sem quā trānseant quem praeparātūrum? 8. Rūrsus in ipsum rēgem misericordiā versā, illum flōrem iuventae, illam vim animī, eundem rēgem et commīlitōnem dīvellī ā sē et abrumpī immemorēs suī querēbantur. 9. Inter haec līberius meāre spīritus coeperat adlevābatque rēx oculōs et paulātim redeunte animō circumstantēs amī- cōs āgnōverat; laxātaque vīs morbī ob hōc sōlum vidē- bātur, quia māgnitūdinem malī sentiēbat. 10. Animī autem aegritūdō corpus urguēbat, quippe Dārēum quīntō diē in Ciliciā fore nūntiābātur. Vinctum ergō sē trādī et tantam vīctōriam ēripī sibi ex manibus obscūrāque et īgnōbilī morte in tabernāculō exstinguī sē querēbātur. Admīssīsque amīcīs pariter āc medicīs, 11. ‘In quōmē, inquit, “articulō rērum meārum fōrtūna dēprehenderit, cernitis. Strepitum hostīlium armōrum exaudīre mihi videor et, quī ūltrō intulī bellum, iam prōvocor. 12. Dā- rēus ergō cum tam superbās litterās scrīberet, fōrtūnam

13

IO

I5

20

25

5 peragrāssent, trānsīssent.— 8 dēbellārī, cōnfīeī. — 12 iuventae, iuventātis. — 15 spīritus, anima. — 18 sentiēbat, percipiēbat. — 22 exstinguī, morī — 24 articulō, discrīmine. — 27 superbās, adro-

santēs.

14

IO

Q. CURTI RUFI

meam in cōnsiliō habuit: sed nēquīquam, sī mihi arbi- triō meō cūrārī licet. 13. Lenta remedia et sēgnēs medicōs nōn exspectant tempora mea: vel morī strēnuē quam tardē convalēscere mihi melius est. Proinde, sī quid opis, si quid artis in medicīs est, sciant mē nōn tam mortis quam bellī remedium quaerere.’ 14, 15. In- gentem omnibus incusserat cūram tam praeceps teme- ritās ēius. Ergō prō sē quisque precārī coepēre nē festīnātiōne perīculum auggēret, sed esset in potestāte medentium: inexperta remedia haud iniūriā ipsīs esse suspecta, cum ad perniciem ēius etiam ā latere ipsīus pecūniā sollicitāret hostis. 16. Quippe Dārēus miīlle talenta interfectōrī Alexandrī datūrum sē prōnūntiārī iusserat. Itaque nē ausūrum quidem quemquam arbi-

15 trābantur experīrī remedium quod propter novitātem

posset esse suspectum.

Cap. VI.

1. ERrAT inter nōbilēs medicōs ex Macedoniā rēgem secūtus Philippus, nātiōne Acarnān, fīdus admodum rēgī; puerō comes et custōs salūtis datus nōn ut rēgem

20 modo, sed etiam ut alumnum eximiā cāritāte dīligēbat.

2. Is nōn praeceps sē, sed strēnuum remedium adferre tantamque vim morbī pōtiōne medicātā levātūrum esse

1 arbitriō, iādiciō. — 3 tempora, status. — 4 convalēscere, sā-

nārī; proinde, igitur.— 5 opis, auxilī.—7 incusserat, iniēcerat. —3 precārī, supplicāre.— io haud iniūriā, iāre. — 11 perniciem, exitium. — 15 remedium, medicāmentum. —r17 nōbilēs, celebrōs.— 18 fīdus, fidēlis; admodum, valdē.

l

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 6.

prōmīsit. 3. Nūllī prōmīssum ēius placēbat praeter ipsum cūius perīculō pollicēbātur. Omnia quippe faci- lius quam moram perpetī poterat: arma et aciēs in oculīs erant et vīctōriam in eō positam esse arbitrābā- tur, sī tantum ante sīgna stāre potuisset, id ipsum, quod post diem tertium medicāmentum sūmptūrus esset— ita enim medicus praedīxerat — aegrē ferēns. 4. Inter haec ā Parmeniōne, fīdissimō purpurātōrum, litterās accipit, quibus eī dēnūntiābat nē salūtem suam Philippō committeret: miīlle talentīs ā Dārēō et spē nūptiārum sorōris ēius esse corruptum. S. Ingentem animō sollici- tūdinem litterae incusserant et quidquid in utramque partem aut metus aut spēs subiēcerat sēcrētā aestimā- tiōne pēnsābat. 6. ‘Bibere persevērem, ut, sī venēnum datum fuerit, nē immeritō quidem quidquid acciderit ēvēnisse videātur? Damnem medicī fidem? in taber- nāculō ergō mē opprimī patiar? At satius est aliēnō mē morī scelere quam metū nostrō.’ 7. Diū animō in dīversa versātō nūllī, quid scrīptum esset, ēnūntiat epistulamque sigillō ānulī suī impressō pulvinō cui incubābat, subiēcit. s. Inter hās cōgitātiōnēs bīduō absūmptō inlūxit ā medicō dēstinātus diēs, et ille cum p—ōculō, in quō medicāmentum dīluerat, intrāvit. 9. Quō visō Alexander levātō corpore in cubilī epistulam ā Parmeniōne mīssam sinistrā manū tenēns accipit pōcu- lum et haurit interritus: tum epistulam legere Philip-

15

1 nūllī, nēminī. — rī sollicitūdinem, anxietātem. — i14 pēnsā- bat, pendēbat. — 17 ergō, igitur; satius, melius; aliēnō, aliōrum. — 18 scelere, facinore; nostrō, meō. — 21 incubābat, iacēātat.—

23 dīluerat, miscuerat. — 24 cubīlī, lectē. — 26 haurit, tilbit.

16 Q. CURTI RUFI

pum iubet nec ā voltū legentis mōvit oculōs, ratus aliquās cōnscientiae notās in ipsō ōre posse dēprehen- dere. 10. Ille epistulā perlēctā plūs indīgnātiōnis quam pavōris ostendit prōiectīsque amiculō et litterīs ante

5 lectum, ‘Rēx,’ inquit, ‘semper quidem spīritus meus ex tē pependit, sed nunc vērē, arbitror, sacrō et venerā- bilī ōre tuō trahitur. 113. Crīmen parricīdī, quod mihi obiectum est, tua salūs dīluet: servātus ā mē vītam mihi dederis. Orō quaesōque, omīssō metū patere 10 medicāmentum concipī vēnīs: laxā paulisper animum, quem intempestīvā sollicitūdine amīcī sānē fidēlēs, sed molestē sēdulī turbant. Nōn sēcūrum modo haec vōx, sed etiam laetum rēgem āc plēnum bonae speī fēcit. 12. Itaque, Sī dī, inquit, ‘Philippe, tibi permīsissent,

15 quō māximē modō vellēs animum experīrī meum, aliō profectō voluissēs, sed certiōre quam expertus es, nē optāssēs quidem. Hāc epistulā acceptā tamen, quod dīluerās, bibī; et nunc crēde mē nōn minus prō tuā fidē quam prō meā salūte esse sollicitum Haec ēlo- 20 cūtus dextram Phnilippō offert. 183. Cēterum tanta vīs medicāmentī fuit ut quae secūta sunt crīminātiōnem Parmeniōnis adiūverint. Interclūsus spīritus artē meā- bat. 14. Nec Phnilippus quicquam inexpertum omīsit: ille fomenta corporī admōvit, ille torpentem nunc cibī,

25 nunc vīnī odōre excitāvit. 15. Atque ut prīmum mentis compotem esse sēnsit, modo mātris sorōrumque, modo

1 voltū, raciē. —2 notās, indicia. — 4 pavōris, metās. —5 spīri- tus, anima. —6 arbitror, opīnor.—7 trahitur, dācitur; parricīdī, homicidī. — g patere, permitte, sinc.— 12 vōx, verba.—r15 experīrī, tentāre. — 20 offert, dat, porrigit.—21 crīminātiōnem, crīmen.— 23 omīsit, relījuit.— 24 admōvit, applicāvit.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI I11, 6-5.

tantae vīctōriae appropīnquantis admonēre nōn dēstitit. 16. Ut vērō medicāmentum sē diffūdit in vēnās et sēn- sim tōtō corpore salūbritās percipī potuit, prīmum ani- mus vigōrem suum, deinde corpus quoque exspectātiōne mātūrius recuperāvit; quippe post tertium diem quam in hōc statū fuerat, in cōnspectum miīlitum vēnit. 17. Nec avidius ipsum rēgem quam Philippum intuēbā- tur exercitus: prō sē quisque dextram ēius amplexī grātēs habēbant velut praesentī deō. Namque haud facile dictū est, praeter ingenitam illī gentī ergā rēgēs suōs venerātiōnem, quantum hūius utique rēgis vel admīrātiōnī dēditī fuerint vel cāritāte flagrāverint. 18. Iam prīmum nihil sine dīvīnā ope aggredī vidēbā- tur; nam cum praestō esset ubīque fōrtūna, temeritās in glōriam cesserat. 19, 20. Aetās quoque vix tantīs mātūra rēbus, sed abundē sufficiēns, omnia ēius opera honestābat et, quae leviōra habērī solent, plērumque mīlitārī grātiōra volgō sunt: exercitātiō corporis inter ipsōs, cultus habitusque paulum ā prīvātō abhorrēns, mīlitāris vigor; quīs ille vel ingenī dōtibus vel animī artibus ut pariter cārus āc venerandus esset effēcerat.

(Cap. VII-IX. — As soon as Darius hears of Alexander’s illness he crosses the Euphrates and marches rapidly towards Eastern Cilicia in the hope of reaching it before Alexander. But before he has arrived at the mountain chain which separates

3 salūbritās, sānitās; percipī, sentīrī — 4 vigōrem, vim.

5 mātūrius, citius. — 6 statū, habitī. — 7 avidius, cupidius.

9 grātēs habēbant, grātiās agēbant. — io ingenitam, innātam.

17

IŌ

b-4

5

20

12 flagrāverint, arserint. — 13 aggreūī, cōnārī. — r7 leviōra, minōra. — 118 volgō, turbae.— 19 abhorrēns, dissimilis. — 2i pariter, aequē.

183

Q. CURTI RUFI

Cilicia from Syria, Alexander has crossed the river Pyramus, marched around the coast of the Gulf of Issus past the town of the same name, and is proceeding southward towards Phoenicia. (See diagram in Notes.) Darius, on entering the north- eastern corner of Cilicia by the Amanic Gates and finding that the enemy has already passed there and is marching south, sup- poses him to be fleeing; and, sending his treasures to Damascus, he sets forth in pursuit. Alexander leams of his approach and returns from the Syrian Gates to meet him at the river Pinarus, where the battle of Issus is fought.

The Macedonians seem to have taken a stand on the south bank of the river, and, according to Quintus Curtius, Alexander drew up his line of battle as follows: The main body of the army was composed of the serried ranks of the Macedonian phalanx; the right wing (toward the hills) was in command of Nicanor and several Greek generals, and the left wing (toward the sea-coast) was commanded by Parmenio. Troops of cavalry were stationed at each end of the line, the Macedonians and Thessalians on the right, and the Peloponnesians on the left. In the front of the main line went detachments of skirmishers and light-armed troops, and at the extreme right, on the slope of the hnills, were placed a number of Greek auxiliaries.

The forces of Darius were arranged in this way: The right wing was commanded by Nabarzanes with some 20,c00 slingers and archers, together with Thymodes and his 30,000 Greek mercena- ries, who constituted the main strength of the army. On the left wing was stationed Aristomedes of Thessaly with 20,000 Persian infantry, and Darius himself with his chosen body-guard of 3000 horsemen and some 40,000 additional infantry. Cavalry were placed at both ends of the line and light-armed troops preceded it. The hillside had at first been occupied by Persian forces, but these fled at the approach of Alexander’s Greeks.— The army of Darius was several times as large as Alexander’s, but the latter had chosen his ground to great advantage, and the narrow- ness of the battle-field made it impossible for Darius to bring all his troops into action.)

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, r0.

Car. X.

1. IAM in cōnspectū, sed extrā tēlī iactum utraque aciēs erat, cum priōrēs Persae inconditum et trucem sustulēre clāmōrem. 2. Redditur et ā Macedonibus, māior exercitūs numerō, iugīs mōntium vāstīsque salti- bus repercussus; quippe semper circumiecta nemora petraeque, quantamcumque accēpēre vōcem, multipli- cātō sonō referunt. 8. Alexander ante prīma sīgna ībat, identidem manū suōs inhibēns, nē suspēnsī ācrius ob nimiam festīnātiōnem concitātō spīritū capesserent proelium. 4. Cumque āgminī obequitāret, variā ōrā- tiōne, ut cūiusque animīs aptum erat, mīlitēs adloquē- bātur. Macedones, tot bellōrum in Eurōpā vīctōrēs, ad subigendam Asiam atque ūltima Orientis, nōn ipsīus magis quam suō ductū profectī, inveterātae virtūtis admonēbantur. 5. Illōs terrārum orbis līberātōrēs; ēmēnsōsque ōlim Herculis et Līberī patris terminōs nōn Persīs modo, sed etiam omnibus gentibus impositūrōs iugum. Macedonum prōvinciās Bactra et Indōs fore. Minima esse quae nunc intuērentur, sed omnia vīctōriā aperīrī. 6. Nōn in praeruptīs petrīs Illyriōrum et Thrā- ciae saxīs sterilem labōrem fore, spolia tōtīus Orientis offerrī. Vix gladiō futūrum opus, tōtam aciem suō

19

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20

1 iactum, coniectum.— 2 inconditum, turōbidum; trucem, ferōcem. — 355 repercussus, resonāns; nemora, silvae. — 38 ībat, equitābat; identidem, iterum atque iterum. — 9 capesserent, inīrent. — 11 adloquēbātur, appellāat. — 13 subigendam, vincendam. — 16

ēmēnsōs, trānsgressēs; terminōs, fīuēs.— 20 aperīrī, patēre.

20

5

I0

I5

20

Q. CURTI RUFI

pavōre fluctuantem umbōnibus posse prōpellī. 7. Victor ad haec Athēniēnsium Phnhilippus pater invocābātur domitaeque nūper Boeōtiae et urbis in eā nōbilissimae ad solum dīrutae speciēs repraesentābātur animīs. Iam Grānīcum amnem, tot urbēs aut expūgnātās aut in fidem acceptās, omnia quaecunque post tergum erant, strāta et pedibus ipsōrum subiecta memorābat. 8. Cum adierat Graecōs, admonēbat ab hīs gentibus inlāta Graeciae bella Dārēī prius, deinde Xerxis īnsolentiā, aquam ipsōs terramque poscentium, ut neque fon- tium haustum nec solitōs cibōs relinquerent dēditīs. 9. Ab hīs templa ruīnīs et īgnibus esse dēlēta, urbēs eōrum expūgnātās, foedera dīvīnī hūmānīque iūris vio- lāta referēbat. 10. Illyriōs vērō et Thrācas, raptō vīvere adsuētōs, aciem hostium aurō purpurāque fulgentem intuērī iubēbat, praedam, nōn arma gestantem: īrent et imbellibus fēminīs aurum virī ēriperent, aspera mōn- tium suōrum iuga nūdāsque callēs et perpetuō rigentēs gelū dītibus Persārum campīs agrīsque mūtārent.

Cap. XI.

1. IaM ad tēlī iactum pervēnerant, cum Persārum equitēs ferōciter in laevum cornū hostium invēctī sunt; quippe Dārēus equestrī proeliō dēcernere optābat, pha-

1 prōpellī, fugārī. — 2 ad haec, ad hōc. — 3 domitae, subāctae. 4 dīrutae, dēmēōlītae. — ; subiecta, subdita. — 9 īnsolentiā, adro-

gantiā.—tio poscentium, postulantium.—t1 cibōs, alimenta. —13 foe- dera, pactiōnēs; violāta, rupta. — r7 imbellibus, īnācīs. — iq9 gelū, rigōre; ūītibus, opulentīs. — 21 ferōciter, saeviter.— 22 optābat, mālēbat.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 151.

langem Macedonicī exercitūs rōbur esse coniectāns. Iamque etiam dextrum Alexandrī cornū circumībātur. 2. Quod ubi Macedō cōnspēxit, duābus ālīs equitum ad iugum mōntis iūssīs subsistere, cēterōs in medium bellī discrīmen strēnuē trānsfert. 3S. Subductīs deinde ex aciē Thessalīs equitibus, praefectum eōrum occultē circumīre tergum suōrum iubet Parmeniōnīque coniungī et quod is imperāsset impigrē exsequī. 4. Iamque im- mīssī in medium Persārum undique circumfūsī ēgregiē rēgem tuēbantur, sed cōnfertī et quasi cohaerentēs tēla vibrāre nōn poterant: simul erant ēmīssa, in eōsdem concurrentia implicābantur, levīque et vānō ictū pauca in hostem, plūra in humum innoxia cadēbant. Frgō comminus pūgnam coāctī cōnserere gladiōs impigrē stringunt. 5. Tum vērō multum sanguinis fūsum est; duae quippe aciēs ita cohaerēbant ut armīs arma pul- sārent, mucrōnēs in ōra dērigerent. Nōn timidō, nōn īgnāvō cessāre tum licuit: conlātō pede, quasi singulī inter sē dīmicārent, in eōdem vestīgiō stābant dōnec vincendō locum sibi facerent. 6. Tum dēmum ergō prōmovēbant gradum, cum hostem prōstrāverant. At illōs novus excipiēbat adversārius fatīgātōs, nec vol- nerātī, ut aliās solent, aciē poterant excēdere, cum hostis īnstāret ā frōnte, ā tergō suī urguērent. 7. Alexan- der nōn ducis magis quam mīlitis mūnia exsequēbātur,

1 coniectāns, ratus. —s strēnuē, celeriter. — 6 occultē, clam.

21

25

——

8 imperāsset, iussīsset. — 9 circumfūsī, circumdatī. — 11 vibrāre, iacere. — 12 vānō, inātilī. — r5 stringunt, ēdūcunt. — iō6 pulsārent,

ferīrent.— 17 mucrōnēs, gladiōs. — ig dīmicārent, piāgnārent.

—

20 locum, spatium; ūēmum, tandem. — 22 adversārius, hostis; fatī-

gātōs, fessē. — 25 mūnia, ofācia.

22

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IS

20

25

Q. CURTI RUFI

opīmum decus caesō rēge expetēns; quippe Dārēus currū sublīmis ēminēbat, et suīs ad sē tuendum et hostibus ad incessendum ingēns incitāmentum. 8. Ergō frāter ēius Oxathrēs, cum Alexandrum īnstāre eī cer- neret, equitēs quibus praeerat ante ipsum currum rēgis obiēcit. Armīs et rōbore corporis multum super cēterōs ēminēns, animō vērō et pietāte in paucīs īnsi- gnis, illō utique proeliō clārus, aliōs imprōvidē īnstantēs prōstrāvit, aliōs in fugam āvertit. 9. At Macedonēs quī circā rēgem erant mūtuā adhortātiōne firmātī cum ipsō in equitum āgmen inrumpunt. Tum vērō similis ruīnae strāgēs erat. Circā currum Dārēī iacēbant nōbilissimī ducēs, ante oculōs rēgis ēgregiā morte dēfūnctī, omnēs in ōra prōnī, sīcut dīmicantēs prōcu- buerant, adversō corpore volneribus acceptīs. 10. Inter hōs Atizyēs et Rheōmithrēs et Sabacēs, praetor Aegyptī, māgnōrum exercituum praefectī, nōscitābantur: circā eōs cumulāta erant peditum equitumque obscūrior turba. Macedonum quoque nōn quidem multī, sed prōmptissimī tamen caesī sunt; inter quōs Alexandrī dextrum femur leviter mucrōne perstrictum est. 13. Iamque quī Dārēum vehēbant equī, cōnfossī hastīs et dolōre efferātī iugum quatere et rēgem currū excutere coeperant, cum ille, veritus nē vīvus venīret in hos- tium potestātem, dēsilit et in equum, quī ad hōc ipsum

1 opīmum decus, spolia opīma. — 2 sublīmis, altus. — 3 ingēns,

māgnum. — 6 obiēcit, opposuit. — 7 īnsīgnis, inlāstris. — 8 imprō- vidē, temerē, incautē. — 12 strāgēs, clādēs. — 3 ēgregiā, praeclārā. — 16 praetor, satrapēs.— r7 nōscitābantur, āgnōscēbantur. — 18 ob- scūrior, īrnōbilior. — 20 prōmptissimī, fortissimī — 25 dūēsilit, aP- scendit.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 11.

sequēbātur, impōnitur, īnsīgnibus quoque imperī, nē fugam prōderent, indecōrē abiectīs. 12. Tum vērō cēterī dissipantur metū et, quā cuique ad fugam patē- bat via, ērumpunt arma iacientēs quae paulō ante ad tūtēlam corporum sūmpserant: adeō pavor etiam auxilia formīdat. 18. īnstābat fugientibus eques ā Parmeniōne ēmiīssus, et fōrte in illud cornū omnēs fuga abstulerat. At in dextrō Persae Thessalōs equitēs vehementer urguēbant. 14. Iamque ūna āla ipsō im- petū prōculcāta erat, cum Thessalī, strēnuē circumāctīs equīs, dīlapsī rūrsus in proelium redeunt sparsōsque et incompositōs vīctōriae fīdūciā barbarōs ingentī caede prōsternunt. 15. Equī pariter equitēsque Persārum seriē lāminārum gravēs id genus pūgnae, quod celeri- tāte māximē cōnstat, aegrē mōliēbantur; quippe in circumagendīs equīs suīs eōs Thessalī inultī occupā- verant.

16. Hāc tam prōsperā pūgnā nūntiātā Alexander, nōn ante ausus persequī barbarōs, utrimque iam vīctor īinstāre fugientibus coepit. 17. Haud amplius rēgem quam mīlle equitēs sequēbantur, cum ingēns multitūdō hostium cēderet. Sed quis aut in vīctōriā aut in fugā cōpiās numerat? Agēbantur ergō ā tam paucīs pe- corum modō et īdem metus quī cōgēbat fugere fugien- tēs morābātur. 18. At Graecī quī in Dārēī partibus steterant Amyntā duce — praetor hic Alexandrī fuerat,

23

20

25

2 indecōrē, īgnōminiōsē. — 5 tūtēlam, praesidium. — 6 formīdat, metuit; eques, equitātus.— g9 impetū, incursā.— 11 rūrsus, iterum; sparsōs, fāsōs. — 15 aegrē, difīculter. — 16 inultī, impānīti. — 20 īnstāre, īnsequī; amplius, plūs. — 22 cēderet, fugeret.— 24 metus,

Pfavor. — 25 morābātur, tardābat.

24

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20

25

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tunc trānsfuga — abruptī ā cēterīs haud sānē fugienti- bus similēs ēvāserant. 19. Barbarī longē dīversam fugam intendērunt: aliī, quā rēctum iter in Persidem dūcēbat, quīdam circuitū rūpēs saltūsque mōntium oc- cultōs petīvēre, paucī castra Dārēī. 20. Sed iam illa quoque vīctor intrāverat, omnī quidem opulentiā dītia. Ingēns aurī argentīque pondus, nōn bellī sed lūxuriae apparātum, dīripuerant mīlitēs. Cumque plūs raperent quam capere possent, passim strāta erant itinera vīliō- ribus sarcinīs, quās in comparātiōne meliōrum avāritia contempserat. 21. Iamque ad fēminās perventum erat, quibus, quō cāriōra ōrnāmenta sunt, violentius dētrahē- bantur: nē corporibus quidem vīs āc libīdō parcēbat. 22. Omnī planctū tumultūque, prout cuique fōrtūna erat, castra replēverant, nec ūlla faciēs malī deerat, cum per omnēs ōrdinēs aetātēsque victōris crūdēlitās āc licentia vagārētur. 28. Tunc vērō impotentis fōrtūnae speciēs cōnspicī potuit, cum iī quī Dārēō tabernāculum exōrnāverant, omnī lūxū et opulentiā īnstrūctum, eadem illa Alexandrō, quasi veterī dominō, reservābant. Nam- que id sōlum intāctum omīserant miīlitēs, ita trāditō mōre ut vīctōrem vīctī rēgis tabernāculō exciperent. 24. Sed omnium oculōs animōsque in sēmet āverterant captīvae māter coniuxque Dārēī: illa nōn māiestāte sōlum, sed etiam aetāte venerābilis, haec fōrmae pulchri-

1 abruptī, sē?parātī. — 2 longē, multō. — 3 iter, via. —7 lūxu-

ria, lāxus. — 10 avāritia, cupiditās. — 14 planctū, plangōrē. —

15

faciēs, speciēs. — i6 crūdēlitās, saevitia. — r7 vagārētur, gras-

sārētur; impotentis, incōnstantis. — 3 tabernāculum, tentōrium.—

19

īnstrūctum, parātum. — 23 animōs, mentēs. — 24 captīvae,

capgtae.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 11. 12. 25

tūdine nē illā quidem sorte corruptae. Recēperat in sinum fīlium nōndum sextum annum aetātis ēgressum, in spem tantae fōrtūnae quantam pater ēius paulō ante āmīserat genitium. 25. At in gremiō anūs aviae iacēbant adultae duae virginēs, nōn suō tantum, sed s5 etiam illīus maerōre cōnfectae. Ingēns circā eam nō- bilium fēminārum turba cōnstiterat lacerātīs crīnibus abscissāque veste, prīstinī decoris inmemorēs, rēgīnās domināsque vērīs quondam, tunc aliēnīs nōminibus in- vocantēs. 26. Illae suae calamitātis oblītae, in utrō i10 cornū Dārēus stetisset, quae fōrtūna discrīminis fuisset, requīrēbant: negābant sē captās, sī vīveret rēx. Sed illum equōs subinde mūtantem longius fuga abstulerat. 27. In aciē autem caesa sunt Persārum peditum c mīlia, decem equitum. At ā parte Alexandrī ad quat- r5 tuor mīlia quīngentī sauciī fuēre, ex peditibus ccc omnīnō et duo dēsīderātī sunt, equitum centum quīn- quāgintā interfectī. Tantulō impendiō ingēns vīctōria stetit.

Cap. XII.

1. RĒx quidem Dārēum persequendō fatīgātus, post- quam et nox appetēbat et cōnsequendī spēs nōn erat, 20 in castra paulō ante ā suīs capta pervēnit. 2, S. Invi- tārī deinde amīcōs quibus māximē adsuēverat, iussit,

1 sorte, fōrtānā. — 2 sinum, gremium. — 4 genitum, nātum. — 5 tantum, modo. — 6 maerōre, lāctū.—7 cōnstiterat, stātat.—3ē im- memorēs, oblītae. —11 discrīminis, giāgnae. — 13 subinde, interdum. — 14 caesa, occīsa. — 16 sauciī, volnerātī. — 18 tantulō, tam parīō. — 20 appetēbat, agpropīnquātat.

26 Q. CURTI RUFI

quippe summa dumtaxat cutis in femine perstricta nōn prohibēbat interesse convīviō, — cum repente ē proximō tabernāculō lūgubris clāmor barbarō ululātū planctū- que permīxtus epulantēs conterruit. Cohors quoque, 5 quae excubābat ad tabernāculum rēgis, verita nē māiōris mōtūs prīncipium esset, armāre sē coeperat. 4. Causa subitī pavōris fuit quod māter uxorque Dārēī cum captivīs nōbilibus rēgem, quem interfectum esse crēdēbant, ingentī gemitū ēiulātūque dēflēbant. 10 5. Onus namque ē captivīs, quī fōrte ante ipsārum tabernāculum steterat, amiculum quod Dārēus, sīcut paulō ante dictum est, nē cultū prōderētur, abiēcerat, in manibus ēius quī repertum ferēbat āgnōvit, ratusque interfectō dētractum esse falsum nūntium mortis ēius 15 attulerat. 6. Hōc mulierum errōre compertō Alexander fōrtūnae Dārēī et pietātī eārum inlacrimāsse fertur. Āc prīmō Mithrēnem, quī Sardīs trādiderat, perītum linguae Persicae, īre ad cōnsōlandās eās iusserat. 7. Veritus deinde nē prōditor captīvārum īram dolōrem- 20 que renovāret, Leonnātum ex purpurātīs suīs mīsit, iūssum indicāre falsō lāmentārī eās vīvum. Ille cum paucīs armigerīs in tabernāculum in quō captīvae erant, pervēnit mīssumque sē ā rēge nūntiāre iubet. 8. At iī quī in vestibulō erant, ut armātōs cōnspēxēre, ratī 25 āctum esse dē dominīs, in tabernāculum currunt, vōci-

1 dumtaxat, tantum modo. — 2 convīviō, efulīs; repente, subitō. — 5 excubābat, vigiliāēs agēbat; verita, timēns. — 6 prīncipium, initium. — j uxor, coniux. —3 interfectum, occīsum. —gq dēflēbant, lāmentābantur. — 12 dictum, nārrātum. — 14 dētractum, exā?tum; nūntium, fāmam. — i16 inlacrimāsse, dēflēvisse. — 18 linguae, ser- mōnis. — 21 indicāre, nāntiāre. — 24 cōnspēxēre, vīdēre.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 12.

ferantēs adesse suprēmam hōram mīssōsque quī occi- derent captās. 9. Itaque, ut quae nec prohibēre possent nec admittere audērent, nūllō respōnsō datō tacitae opperiēbantur vīctōris arbitrium. 10. Leonnātus, ex- spectātō diū quī sē intrōdūceret, postquam nēmō prō- cēdere audēbat, relīctīs in vestibulō satellitibus intrat in tabernāculum. Ea ipsa rēs turbāverat fēminās, quod inrūpisse nōn admīssus vidēbātur. 11. Itaque māter et coniux prōvolūtae ad pedēs ōrāre coepērunt ut, priusquam interficerentur, Dārēī corpus ipsīs patriō mōre sepelīre permitteret: fūnctās suprēmō in rēgem officiō impigrē sēsē moritūrās. 12. At Leonnātus: et vīvere Dārēum et ipsās nōn incolumēs modo, sed etiam apparātū prīstinae fōrtūnae rēgīnās fore. Tum dēmum Dārēī māter adlevārī sē passa est.

13. Alexander posterō diē, cum cūrā sepultīs militi- bus quōrum corpora invēnerat, Persārum quoque nōbi- lissimīs eundem honōrem habērī iubet mātrīque Dārēī permittit quōs vellet patriō mōre sepelīret. 14. Illa pau- cōs artā propīnquitāte coniūnctōs prō habitū praesentis fōrtūnae humārī iussit, apparātum fūnerum quō Persae suprēma officia celebrārent, invidiōsum fore exīstimāns, cum vīctōrēs haud pretiōsē cremārentur. 15. Iamque iūstīs dēfūnctōrum corporibus solūtis praemittit ad captīvās quī nūntiārent ipsum venīre, inhibitāque

27

I15

20

25

1 suprēmam, extrēmam; occīderent, trucīdārent. — 4 opperiē- bantur, exspectābant. — 5 prōcēdere, ēgredī. — 7 turbāverat, agitā-

verat. — 10 priusquam, antequam. — 11 permitteret, sineret.

13 īncolumēs, salvās. — 16 posterō diē, postrāliē. — 17 corpora, ca-

dāvera ; invēnerat, reppererat. — 20 propīnquitāte, cānātiōne.

22 officia, rītās; inviūiōsum, odiēsum. — 24 solūtīs, ractis.

wn

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25

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Q. CURTI RUFI

comitantium turbā tabernāculum cum Hēphaestiōne intrat. 16. Is longē omnium amīcōrum cārissimus erat rēgī, cum ipsō pariter ēductus, sēcrētōrum omnium arbiter: lībērtātis quoque in admonendō eō nōn alius magis iūs habēbat, quod tamen ita ūsūrpābat ut magis ā rēge permīssum quam vindicātum ab eō vidērētur; et sīcut aetāte pār erat rēgī, ita corporis habitū prae- stābat. 17. Ergō rēgīnae illum esse rēgem ratae suō mōre venerātae sunt. Inde ex captīvīs quis Alexander esset mōnstrantibus, Sisigambis advolūta est pedibus ēius, īgnōrātiōnem numquam anteā vīsī rēgis excīū- sāns. Quam manū adlevāns rēx, ‘Nōn errāstī,’ inquit, “māter, nam et hīc Alexander est.” 18. Equidem hāc continentiā animī sī ad ūltimum vitae persevērāre po- tuisset, fēlīciōrem fuisse crēderem quam viīsus est esse cum Liberī patris imitārētur triumphum, usque ab Hellēspontō ad Ōceanum omnēs gentēs vīctōriā ēmēn- sus. 19. Sīc vīcisset profectō superbiam atque īram, mala invīcta; sīc abstinuisset inter epulās caedibus amīcōrum, ēgregiōsque bellō virōs et tot gentium sēcum domitōrēs indictā causā veritus esset occīdere. 20. Sed nōndum fōrtūna sē animō ēius superfūderat: itaque orientem tam moderātē et prūdenter tulit, ad ūltimum māgnitūdinem ēius nōn cēpit. 21-28. Tunc quidem ita sē gessit ut omnēs ante eum rēgēs et continentiā et clēmentiā vincerentur. Virginēs rēgīnās excellentis

1 comitantium, comitum. — 2 intrat, init. —4 arbiter, particeps. 5 ūsūrpābat, ātēv6;ātur. —7; pār, aequus. — 14 continentiā, mode-

rātiōne; persevērāre, persistere. —15 fēlīciōrem, beātiōrem. — 183 vī- cisset, superāvisset. — 20 ēgregiōs, eximiēs. — 23 orientem, inci- bientem. — 26 excellentis, praestantis.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI III, 12. 13.

fōrmae tam sānctē habuit quam sī eōdem quō ipse parente genitae forent: omnem cultum reddī fēminīs iussit, nec quicquam ex prīstinae fōrtūnae māgnificen- tiā captīvīs praeter fīdūciam dēfuit. 24. Itaque Sisi- gambis, ‘Rēx,’ inquit, merēris, ut ea precēmur tibi quae Dārēō nostrō quondam precātae sumus, nec invi- diā dīgnus es, quī tantum rēgem nōn fēlīcitāte sōlum, sed etiam aequitāte superāveris. 25. Tū quidem mātrem mē et rēgīnam vocās, sed ego mē tuam famulam esse cōnfiteor. Et praeteritae fōrtūnae fastīgium capiō et praesentis iugum patī possum: tuā interest, quantum in nōs licuerit, sī id potius clēmentiā quam saevitiā vīs esse testātum.’ Rēx bonum animum habēre eās iussit. 26. Dārēī fīlium collō suō admōvit: atque nihil ille cōnspectū tum prīmum ā sē vīsī conterritus cervīcem ēius manibus amplectitur. Mōtus ergō rēx cōnstantiā puerī Hēphaestiōnem intuēns, ‘Quam vellem, inquit, “Dārēus aliquid ex hāc indole hausisset” Tum taber nāculō ēgressus.

27. Tribus ārīs in rīpā Pīnarī amnis Iovī atque Her- culī Minervaeque sacrātīs Syriam petit, Damascum, ubi rēgis gaza erat, Parmeniōne praemīssō.

(Cap. XIII. — Parmenio goes to Damascus, and the town is betrayed into his hands by its commander’s treachery to Darius. An immense amount of money and vast quantities of other treas- ures are captured, and some 30,000 prisoners, — among them

29

20

1 sānctē, reverenter.— 3 māgnificentiā, splendōre. — 6 invidiā, odiō. — ē aequitāte, iāstitiī. — 9 famulam, servam. — r10 fastī- gium, culmen.— 12 clēmentiā, lēnitāte. — 16 mōtus, affectus.—

18 indole, ingeniō. — a22 gaza, thēsaurus.

30

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many Persian noblemen and members of the royal family and a number of distinguished Greek refugees. The traitor is murdered by one of his accomplices, and his head is sent to Darius.)

(Lib. IV, Cap. I. — Whnile Alexander continues his march southwards into Syria, Darius hastens in flight to the Euphrates. From there he sends a letter to Alexander offering a ransom for his captured family and suggesting terms of peace. The latter is offended at the haughty tone of the letter and indignantly rejects its proposals. — Alexander proceeds into Phoenicia and the town of Byblos surrenders to him.)

15. Inde ad Sīdōna ventum est, urbem vetustāte fāmāque conditōrum inclutam. 16. Rēgnābat in eā Stratō, Dārēī opibus adiūtus.... Sed quia dēditiōnem magis populārium quam suā sponte fēcerat, rēgnō vīsus indīgnus, Hēphaestiōnīque permīssum ut quem eō fastīgiō ē Sīdōniīs dīgnissimum arbitrārētur cōnstitueret rēgem. 17. Erant Hēphaestiōnī duo hospitēs, clārī inter suōs iuvenēs, quī, factā ipsīs potestāte rēgnandī, negāvērunt quemquam patriō mōre in id fastīgium recipī, nisi rēgiā stirpe ortum. 18. Admīrātus Hē- phaestiōn māgnitūdinem animī spernentis quod aliī per iīgnēs ferrumque peterent, ‘Vōs quidem māctī vir- tūte,” inquit, estōte, quī prīmī intellēxistis quantō māius esset rēgnum fastīdīre quam accipere. Cēterum

date aliquem rēgiae stirpis, quī meminerit ā vōbīs

acceptum habēre sē rēgnum.” 19. Atque illī, cum

I vetustāte, antīyuitāte. — 3 dēditiōnem, trāditiēnem.— 4 rēgnō,

prīncipātā. —6 fastīgiō, summō honōre. —3 factā, datā.— o0 stirpe, genere ; ortum, nātum. — i3 intellēxistis, cōnōvistis. — 14 fastī- dīre, repudiāre. — 16 habēre, tenēkre.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI VIV, 1.

multōs imminēre tantae spei cernerent singulīs amīcō- rum Alexandrī ob nimiam rēgnī cupiditātem adūlantēs, statuunt nēminem esse potiōrem quam Abdalonymum quendam, longā quidem cōgnātiōne stirpī rēgiae ad- nēxum, sed ob inopiam suburbānum hortum exiguā colentem stipe. 20. Causa eī paupertātis sīcut plērīs- que probitās erat, intentusque operī diurnō strepitum’ armōrum quī tōtam Asiam concusserat nōn exaudiēbat. 21. Subitō deinde dē quibus ante dictum est cum rēgiae

vestis īnsīgnibus hortum intrant, quem fōrte sterilēs io

herbās ēligēns Abdalonymus repūrgābat. 22. Tum rēge eō salūtātō alter ex hīs, ‘Habitus,’ inquit, “hīc vestis quem cernis in meīs manibus cum istō squālōre permūtandus tibi est. Ablue corpus inluviē taetrīsque sordibus squālidum: cape rēgis animum et in eam fōr- 15 tūnam quā dīgnus es istam continentiam perfer. Et cum in rēgālī soliō residēbis, vītae necisque omnium cīvium dominus, cavē oblīvīscāris habitūs in quō accipis rēgnum, immō, hercule, propter quem. 23. Somniō similis rēs Abdalonymō vidēbātur: interdum satisne 20 sānī essent quī tam protervē sibi inlūderent, percon- tābātur. Sed ut cunctantī squālor ablūtus est et in- iecta vestis purpurā aurōque dīstincta et fidēs ā iūran- tibus facta, sēriō iam rēx iīsdem comitantibus in rē-

giam pervēnit. 24. Fāma deinde, ut solet, strēnuē tōtā 25

urbe discurrit. Aliōrum studium, aliōrum indīgnātiō

1 cernerent, vidērent. — 2 adūlantēs, adsentantēs. — 3 potiōrem, dīgniōrem. — 4 longā, longīnquā; adnēxum, coniūnctum. — 5 in- opiam, paupertātem. —7 operī, labōrī. — 10 sterilēs, initilēs. — 14 taetrīs, foedīs. — 17 soliō, thronō; necis, mertis. — 21 protervē,

impudenter. — 22 iniecta, indūta. — 26 discurrit, volgātur.

32 Q. CURTI RUFI

ēminēbat: dīvitissimus quisque humilitātem inopiam- que ēius apud amīcōs Alexandrī crīminābātur. 25. Ad- mittī eum rēx prōtinus iussit diūque contemplātus, “Corporis,’ inquit, habitus fāmae generis nōn repū-

5 gnat; sed libet scīre inopiam quā patientiā tuleris?’ Tum ille, ‘Utinam,’ inquit, ‘eōdem animō rēgnum patī possim ! hae manūs suffēcēre dēsīderiō meō: nihil habentī nihil dēfuit” 26. Māgnae indolis specimen ex hōc sermōne Abdalonymī cēpit. Itaque nōn Stratōnis

10 modo rēgiam supellectilem attribuī eī iussit, sed plē- raque etiam ex Persicā praedā; regiōnem quoque urbī appositam diciōnī ēius adiēcit.

(Tn a brief digression, Curtius narrates the adventures of Ampyntas, a former general of Alexander, who deserted him and, after serving for a time under Darius, led an expedition of Greek freebooters on a plundering expedition into Egypt and was there slain. — An account is also given of the conflicts in Asia Minor and the islands off the coast between the satraps of Darius

and the Macedonian troops and fleet which Alexander had left behind to hold the conquered territory in subjection.)

Cap. II.

1. Iaum tōta Syria, iam Phoenīcē quoque, exceptā Tyrō, Macedonum erat, habēbatque rēx castra in con-

15 tinentī, ā quā urbem angustum fretum dirimit. 2, S. Tyros, et māgnitūdine et clāritāte ante omnēs urbēs

1 ēminēbat, apfārēbat. — 2 crīminābātur, accūsābat. — 3 prōti- nus, statim. — 5 libet, velim. — 7 suffēcēre, suppetivēre.— 10 attri- buī, darī. — 12 appositam, vīcīnam.— 15 fretum, eurīpus; dirimit, sēparuat.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI IV, 2.

Syriae Phoenīcēsque memorābilis, facilius societātem Alexandrī acceptūra vidēbātur, quam imperium. Corō- nam igitur auream dōnum lēgātī adferēbant commeātūs- que largē et hospitāliter ex oppidō advēxerant. Ille dōna ut ab amīcīs accipī iussit benīgnēque lēgātōs adlo- cūtus Herculī, quem praecipuē Tyriī colerent, sacrifi- cāre velle sē dīxit: Macedonum rēgēs crēdere ab illō deō ipsōs genus dūcere, sē vērō ut id faceret etiam ōrā- culō monitum. 4. Lēgātī respondent esse templum Herculis extrā urbem in eā sēde quam Palaetyron ipsī vocent: ibī rēgem deō sacrum rīte factūrum. 5. Nōn tenuit īram, cūius aliōquī potēns nōn erat. Itaque, ‘Vōs quidem,’ inquit, fīdūciā locī, quod īnsulam inco- litis, pedestrem hunc exercitum spernitis: sed brevī ostendam in continentī vōs esse. Proinde sciātis licet aut intrātūrum mē urbem aut oppūgnātūrum.” 6. Cum hōc respōnsō dīmīssī suōs monēre coepērunt ut rēgem quem Syria, quem Phoenīcē recēpisset, ipsī quoque urbem intrāre paterentur. 7. At illī locō satis fīsī obsi- diōnem ferre dēcrēverant. Namque urbem ā conti- nentī quattuor stadiōrum fretum dividit: Āfricō mā- ximē obiectum crēbrōs ex altō fluctūs in lītus ēvolvit. 8. Nec accipiendō operī quō Macedones continentī īnsulam iungere parābant quicquam magis quam ille ventus obstābat. Quippe vix lēnī et tranquillō marī

33

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25

1 memorābilis, notābilis. — 2 imperium, diciōnem.— 3 commeā- tūs, cibāria. — s5 benīgnē, comiter. — 6 praecipuē, māximē. — 3 ūū- cere, trahere. — 9 templum, aedem. — i0 sēde, locō. — 12 tenuit, continuit. — 13 incolitis, habitātis. — i4 brevī, mox. — i9 locō, sitā ; obsidiōnem, oppāgnātiōnem. — 20 dēcrēverant, statuerant. — 21 dī-

vidit, dirimit. — 22 obiectum, apertum. — 25 lēnī, quiētō.

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mōlēs agī possunt; Āfricus vērō prīma quaeque con- gesta pulsū inlīsa maris subruit, nec ūlla tam fīrma mōlēs est quam nōn exedant undae et per nexūs operum mānantēs et, ubi ācrior flātus exsistit, summī operis fastīgiō superfūsae. 9. Praeter hanc difficultātem haud minor alia erat: mūrōs turrēsque urbis praealtum mare ambiēbat; nōn tormenta nisi ē nāvibus procul excussa mittī, nōn scālae moenibus applicārī poterant; praeceps in salum mūrus pedestre intercēperat iter; nāvēs nec habēbat rēx et, sī admōvisset, pendentēs et īnstabilēs mīssilibus arcērī poterant. 10. Inter quae parva dictū rēs Tyriōrum fīdūciam accendit. Carthā- giniēnsium lēgātī ad celebrandum sacrum anniversā- rium mōre patriō tunc vēnerant; quippe Carthāginem Tyriī condidērunt, semper parentum locō cultī. 11. Hor- tārī ergō Poenī coepērunt ut obsidiōnem fortī animō paterentur: brevī Carthāgine auxilia ventūra. Namque eā tempestāte māgnā ex parte Pūnicīs classibus maria obsidēbantur. 122. Igitur bellō dēcrētō per mūrōs tur- rēsque tormenta dispōnunt, arma iūniōribus dīvidunt, opificēs, quōrum cōpiā urbs abundābeat, in officīnās dis- tribuunt. Ōmnia bellī apparātū strepunt: ferreae quo- que manūs — harpagōnas vocant — quās operibus hostium inicerent, corvīque et alia tuendīs urbibus excōgitāta praeparābantur. 18. Sed cum fornācibus

2 fīrma, solida. — 4 mānantēs, fuentēs.— 6 mūrōs, mānīmenta. 7 ambiēbat, circumībat. — 8 excussa, ēmīssa. — 9 salum, marre. 11 mīssilibus, tēXīs. — 13 anniversārium, annuum. — rs5 cultī,

venerātī. — 20 ūdispōnunt, conlocant. — 21 opificēs, fabrī; cōpiā, numerō; officīnās, fabricās. —a22 apparātū, praeparātiōne.— 24 tu- endīs, aēfendendīs.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI U, 2.

ferrum quod excūdī oportēbat impositum esset, admō- tīsque follibus īgnem flātū accenderent, sanguinis rīvī sub ipsīs flammīs exstitisse dīcuntur: idque ōmen in Macedonum interitum vertērunt Tyriī. 14. Apud Macedonas quoque cum fōrte pānem quīdam mīlitum frangerent, mānantis sanguinis guttās notāvērunt, ter- ritōque rēge, Aristander, perītissimus vātum, sī extrīn- secus cruor flūxisset, Macedonibus id trīste futūrum ait: contrā, cum ex interiōre parte mānāverit, urbī quam obsidēre dēstināssent exitium portendere. 15. Alexander cum et classem procul habēret et longam obsidiōnem māgnō sibi ad cētera impedīmentō vidēret fore, cādūceātōrēs quī ad pācem eōs compellerent mī- sit: quōs Tyriī contrā iūs gentium occīsōs praecipi- tāvērunt in altum. Atque ille suōrum tam indīgnā morte commōtus urbem obsidēre statuit. 16. Sed ante iacienda mōlēs erat, quae continentī urbem committeret. Ingēns ergō animīs mīlitum dēspērātiō incessit cer- nentibus profundum mare, quod vix dīvīnā ope posset implērī. Quae saxa tam vāsta, quās tam prōcērās arborēs posse reperīrī? exhauriendās esse regiōnēs ut illud spatium exaggerārētur: exaestuāre semper fretum, quōque artius volūtētur inter īnsulam et continentem, hōc ācrius furere. 17. At ille haudquāquam rudis per- tractandī mīlitārēs animōs speciem sibi Herculis in

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1 excūdī, tundī. — 2 sanguinis, cruōris. — 4 interitum, exitium. — 6 notāvērunt, percētērunt. —3 trīste, īnfēlīx. — 10 dēstināssent, dēerēvissent. — 12 impedīmentō, morae. — 15 altum, mare. — 17 iacienda, struenda. — ig profundum, praealtum.— 20 vāsta, māgna; prōcērās, altās. — 23 artius, angustius. — 24 rudis, imperītus.—

265 speciem, vīsiōnem.

36 Q. CURTI RUFI

somnō oblātam esse prōnūntiat dextram porrigentis: illō duce, illō aperiente in urbem intrāre sē vīsum. Inter haec cādūceātōrēs interfectōs, gentium iūra vio- lāta referēbat: ūnam esse urbem quae cursum vīctōris 5 morārī ausa esset. 18. Ducibus deinde negōtium datur ut suōs quisque castīget, satisque omnibus sti- mulātīs opus ōrsus est. Māgna vīs saxōrum ad manum erat, Tyrō vetere praebente: māteriēs ex Lībanō mōnte ratibus et turribus faciendīs advehēbātur. 19, 20. Iam- 10 que ā fundō maris in altitūdinem modicam opus crē- verat, nōndum tamen aquae fastīgium aequābat; cum Tyriī, parvīs nāvigiīs admōtīs, per lūdibrium exprobrā- bant illōs armīs inclutōs dorsō sīcut iūmenta onera gestāre : interrogābant etiam num māior Neptūnō 15 Alexander esset? Haec ipsa īnsectātiō alacritātem mīlitum accendit. 21. Iamque paulum mōlēs aquā ēmi- nēbat et simul aggeris lātitūdō crēscēbat urbīque admo- vēbātur: cum Tyriī, māgnitūdine mōlis, cūius incrē- mentum eōs anteā fefellerat, cōnspectā, levibus nāvigiīs 20 nōndum commīssum opus circumīre coepērunt, mīssili- bus quoque eōs quī prō opere stābant incessēre. 22. Multīs ergō impūne volnerātīs, cum et removēre et appellere scaphās in expedītō esset, ad cūram sēmet ipsōs tuendī ab opere converterant; et quō longius 25 mōlēs agēbātur ā lītore, hōc magis quidquid ingerē- bātur praealtum absorbēbat mare. 23. Igitur rēx

1 porrigentis, offerentis. — 4 referēbat, memorābat. — s5 negō- tium, ogīcium. —7 ōrsus est, incēpit; vīs, cōia. — 12 nāvigiīs, scaphīs; exprobrābant, obiciēbant. — 14 gestāre, portāre. — ig levi- bus, parvīs. — 21 incessēre, aggressī sunt.— 23 in expedītō, racile. —:325 lītore, ōrā.— 26 absorbēbat, hauriētat.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI IV, 2. 3.

mūnientibus coria vēlaque iussit obtendī, ut extrā tēlī iactum essent, duāsque turrēs ex capite mōlis ērēxit, ē quibus in subeuntēs scaphās tēla ingerī possent. 24. Contrā Tyriī nāvigia procul ā cōnspectū hostium lītorī appellunt expositīsque mīlitibus eōs quī saxa gestābant obtruncant. In Libanō quoque Arabum agrestēs incompositōs Macedonas adortī xxx ferē inter- ficiunt, haud pauciōribus captīs.

Cap. III.

1. EA rēs Alexandrum dīvidere cōpiās coēgit; et, nē sēgniter adsidēre ūnī urbī vidērētur, operī Perdiccān Crateronque praefēcit: ipse cum expedītā manū Ara- biam petiit.

2, S. Inter haec Tyriī nāvem māgnitūdine eximiā saxīs harēnāque ā puppī onerātam ita ut multum prōrā ēminēret, bitūmine āc sulfure inlitam, rēmīs concitā- vērunt et, cum māgnam vim ventī vēla quoque con- cēpissent, celeriter ad mōlem successit: tum prōrā ēius accēnsā, rēmigēs dēsiluēre in scaphās, quae ad hōc ipsum praeparātae sequēbantur. Nāvis autem, īgne conceptō, lātius fundere incendium coepit, quod, prius- quam posset occurrī, turrēs et cētera opera in capite mōlis posita comprehendit. 4. At quī dēsiluerant in parva nāvigia facēs et quidquid alendō īgnī aptum erat

37

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ē]

6 obtruncant, trucīdant. — 7 agrestēs, rīsticī. — 10 sēgniter, īgnāvē; urbī, oppidō.— 15 concitāvērunt, impulērunt.— 17 mōlem,

aggerem. — 23 facēs, taedās; aptum, idōneum.

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in eadem opera ingerunt. Iamque nōn modo iīmae Macedonum turrēs, sed etiam summa tabulāta con- cēperant īgnem, cum iī quī in turribus erant partim haurīrentur incendiō, partim armīs omīssīs in mare sēmet ipsī immitterent. 5. At Tyriī, quī capere eōs quam interficere māllent, natantium manūs stīpitibus saxīsque lacerābant, dōnec dēbilitātī impūne nāvigiīs excipī possent. 6. Nec incendiō sōlum opera cōnsūmpta, sed fōrte eōdem diē vehementior ventus mōtum ex profundō mare inlīsit in mōlem, crēbrisque fluctibus compāgēs operis verberātae laxāvēre sē saxaque inter- fluēns unda medium opus rūpit. 7. Prōrutīs igitur lapidum cumulīs quibus iniecta terra sustinēbātur, praeceps in profundum ruit, tantaeque mōlis vix ūlla vestīgia invēnit Arabiā rediēns Alexander. Hīc, quod in adversīs rēbus solet fierī, alius in alium culpam referēbant, cum omnēs vērius dē saevitiā maris querī possent. 8. Rēx, novī operis mōlem ōrsus, in adversum ventum nōn latere, sed rēctā frōnte dērēxit: ea cētera opera, velut sub ipsā latentia, tuēbātur. Lātitūdinem quoque aggerī adiēcit, ut turrēs in mediō excitātae procul tēlī iactū abessent. 9. Tōtās autem arborēs cum ingentibus rāmīs in altum iaciēbant, deinde saxīs onerābant rūrsusque cumulō eōrum aliās arborēs in- iciēbant, tum humus aggerābātur; super quae aliā strue saxōrum arborumque cumulātā; velut quōdam

I ingerunt, iniciunt.— 4 omīssīs, abiectīs. —6 stīpitibus, sudibus. 9 vehementior, dcrior. — i10 inlīsit, incussit. — 11 compāgēs,

nexīās. — 12 rūpit, aīrāpit. — i3 lapidum, saxōrum. — 15 vestīgia, indicia. — 16 culpam, vitium. — 20 velut, tamquam. — 21 adiēcit, addidit; excitātae, exstriietae.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI IV, 3. 39

nexū continēns opus iūnxerant. Nec Tyriī, quidquid ad inpediendam mōlem excōgitārī poterat, sēgniter ex- sequēbantur. 10. Praecipuum auxilium erat, quī procul hostium cōnspectū subībant aquam occultōque lapsū ad mōlem usque penetrābant, falcibus palmās arborum s ēminentium ad sē trahentēs, quae ubi secūtae erant, plēraque sēcum in profundum dabant; tum levātōs onere stīpitēs truncōsque arborum haud aegrē mōliē- bantur; deinde tōtum opus, quod stīpitibus fuerat innīxum, fundāmentō lapsō sequēbatur. 10

11. Aegrō animī Alexandrō nec persevērāret an ab- īret satis certō, classis Cyprō advēnit, eōdemque tem- pore Cleander cum Graecīs mīlitibus in Asiam nūper advēctīs. c et xc nāvigia in duo dīvidit cornua: lae- vum Pnytagorās, rēx Cypriōrum, cum Craterō tuēbātur, r15 Alexandrum in dextrō quīnquerēmis rēgia vehēbat.

12. Nec Tpyriī, quamquam classem habēbant, ausī nāvāle inīre certāmen: trīs omnīnō ante ipsa moenia opposuērunt, quibus rēx invēctus ictū ipsō dēmersit.

13. Posterā diē classe ad moenia admōtā undique 20 tormentīs et māximē arietum pulsū mūrōs quatit: quōs Tyriī raptim obstrūctīs saxīs refēcērunt, interiōrem quoque mūrum, ut, sī prior fefellisset, illō sē tuērentur, undique ōrsī. 14. Sed undique vīs malī urguēbat: mōlēs intrā tēlī iactum erat, classis moenia circumībat; 25 terrestrī simul nāvālīque clāde obruēbantur.

2 excōgitārī, invenīrī. — 4 lapsū, natātiōne. — 5 palmās, palmitēs. —6 ēminentium, exstantium. —7 dabant, trahēbant. — ē8 haud aegrē, facile; mōliēbantur, movēbant. — 14 nāvigia, nāvēs. —i3 cer- tāmen, pāgnam. — 23 prior, exterior.— 25 moenia, mīūrōs.

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(Various expedients are adopted by Alexander’s engineers in their endeavors to overcome the besieged city, but without any immediate success, and the siege drags on for months. The Tyrians are alarmed by unfavorable omens and disappointed at not receiving the promisēd aid from Carthage, but they continue their resistance with the energy of despair.)

(Cap. IV. — Alexander is on the point of abandoning the siege and departing for Egypt, but he is ashamed to confess himself beaten, and renews his efforts. A successful naval battle greatly encourages him, and he prepares for a final assault.)

10, 11. Bīduō deinde ad quiētem datō militibus iūs- sīsque et classem et māchinās pariter admovēre, ut undique territīs īnstāret, ipse in altissimam turrem ascendit ingentī animō, perīculō māiōre; quippe rēgiō īnsīgnī et armīs fulgentibus cōnspicuus ūnus praecipuē tēlīs petēbātur. Et dīgna prōrsus spectāculō ēdidit: multōs ē mūrīs prōpūgnantēs hastā trānsfīxit, quōsdam etiam comminus gladiō clipeōque impulsōs praecipitāvit, quippe turris ex quā dīmicābat mūrīs hostium prope- modum cohaerēbat. 122. Iamque crēbrīs arietibus saxōrum compāge laxātā mūnīmenta dēfēcerant et classis intrāverat portum et quīdam Macedonum in turrēs hostium dēsertās ēvāserant, cum Tyriī, tot simul malīs vīctī, aliī supplicēs in templa confugiunt, aliī fori- bus aedium obserātīs occupant līberum mortis arbitrium, nōnnūllī ruunt in hostem haud inultī tamen peritūrī, māgna pars summa tēctōrum obtinēbat, saxa et quid- quid fōrs in manūs dederat ingerentēs subeuntibus.

3 altissimam, excelsam. — 4 rēgiō, rēgālī. — 6 ēdidit, fēcit.—

7 trānsfīxit, perfōdit.— 8ē praecipitāvit, aēturbāvift. — 14 malīs, incommodīs ; foribus, ōstiīs. — 16 peritūrī, moritārī.

HISTORIARUM ALEXANDRI IV, 4.

13. Alexander, exceptīs quī in templa cōnfūgerant, om- nēs interficī īgnemque tēctīs inicī iubet. 14. Hīs per praecōnēs prōnūntiātīs nēmō tamen armātus opem ā dīs petere sustinuit: puerī virginēsque templa complēverant, virī in vestibulō suārum quisque aedium stābant, pa- rāta saevientibus turba. 15. Multīs tamen salūtī fuēre Sidōniī, quī intrā Macedonum praesidia erant. Hī urbem quidem inter vīctōrēs intrāverant, sed cōgnā- tiōnis cum Tyriīs memorēs — quippe utramque urbem Agēnorem condidisse crēdēbant — multōs Tyriōrum, clam prōtegentēs, ad sua perdūxēre nāvigia, quibus occultātī Sīdōna dēvēctī sunt. xv mīlia hōc fūrtō sub- ducta saevitiae sunt. 16. Quantumque sanguinis fūsum sit vel ex hōc aestimārī potest, quod intrā mūnīmenta urbis vi mīlia armātōrum trucīdāta sunt. 127. Triīste deinde spectāculum vīctōribus īra praebuit rēgis. n mīlia, in quibus occīdendīs dēfēcerat rabiēs, crucibus adfīxī per ingēns lītoris spatium pependērunt. 18. Car- thāginiēnsium lēgātīs pepercit, additā dēnūntiātiōne bellī, quod praesentium rērum necessitās morārētur.
14. Tyros septimō mēnse quam oppūgnārī coepta erat, capta est, urbs et vetustāte orīginis et crēbrā fōrtūnae varietāte ad memoriam posteritātis īnsīgnis. Condita ab Agēnore diū mare, nōn vīcīnum modo, sed quodcumque classēs ēius adiērunt, diciōnis suae fēcit. Et, sī fāmae libet crēdere, haec gēns litterās prīma aut docuit aut didicit. Colōniae certē ēius paene orbe

2 tēctīs, aedibus. — 7 praesidia, auxilia. — 11 clam, fārtim. 12 occultātī, abditī; fūrtō, rallāciā. — r7 rabiēs, furor. — 22 crēbrā, multā. — 23 īnsīgnis, notābilis. — 27 orbe, munadō.

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tōtō diffūsae sunt: Carthāgō in Āfricā, in Boeōtiā Thēbae, Gādēs ad Ōceanum. 20. Crēdō līberō com- meantēs marī saepiusque adeundō cēterīs incōgnitās terrās ēlēgisse sēdēs iuventūtī, quā tunc abundābant, 5 sīve quia crēbrīs mōtibus terrae — nam hōc quoque trāditur — cultōrēs ēius fatīgātī, nova et externa domi- cilia armīs sibimet quaerere cōgēbantur. 21. Multīs ergō cāsibus dēfūncta, et post excidium renāta, nunc tandem, longā pāce cūncta refovente, sub tūtēlā Rō- 10 mānae mānsuētūdinis adquiēscit.

1 diffūsae, sparsae. — 6 domicilia, sēdēs. — 9 cūncta, omnia. — 10 mānsuētūdine, clēmentiā.