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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.104.1-17.104.8

Sacrifices at the Ocean and the Mission of Nearchus

Passage 709 of 723 · Greek

Summary

After reaching the Ocean and performing sacrifices, Alexander returned to Patala, entrusted the fleet to Nearchus, and marched by land to conquer Gedrosia and Oreitis, eventually founding Alexandria near the sea.

§17.104.1αὐτὸς δὲ καταπλεύσας εἰς τὸν Ὠκεανὸν μετὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ δύο νήσους ἐνταῦθα κατιδὼν ἔθυσεν ἐν αὐταῖς τοῖς θεοῖς μεγαλοπρεπῶς καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἐκπώματα καὶ μεγάλα χρυσᾶ κατεπόντισε ταῖς σπονδαῖς συναφιείς, βωμοὺς δὲ Τηθύος καὶ Ὠκεανοῦ κατασκευάσας ὑπέλαβεν τετελευτηκέναι τὴν προκεχειρισμένην στρατείαν.
He himself, having sailed down to the Ocean with his friends and having spotted two islands there, sacrificed magnificently to the gods on them, and plunged many large golden drinking cups into the sea, joining them with libations, and having constructed altars of Tethys and Ocean, he supposed that his projected campaign had come to an end.
ἀναζεύξας δʼ ἐντεῦθεν εἰς τοὐπίσω διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ παρέπλευσεν εἰς Πάταλα, πόλιν ἐπίσημον.
Having departed from there backward through the river, he sailed to Patala, an illustrious city.
§17.104.2αὕτη δὲ τὴν πολιτείαν εἶχε διατεταγμένην ὁμοίως τῇ Σπάρτῃ· ἀπὸ δύο γὰρ οἴκων ἐν αὐτῇ διεδέχοντο δύο βασιλεῖς, αἰεὶ τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἡγούμενοι πραττομένων, τὸ δὲ τῶν γερόντων ἀρχεῖον τῶν ὅλων προειστήκει.
This city had its constitution organized similarly to Sparta; for two kings from two houses succeeded each other in it, always leading in matters concerning war, while the office of the elders presided over the whole.
§17.104.3ὁ δʼ οὖν Ἀλέξανδρος τὰ πεπονηκότα τῶν σκαφῶν ἐνέπρησε, τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν στόλον παραδοὺς Νεάρχῳ καί τισιν ἄλλοις τῶν φίλων προσέταξε τὴν παραλίαν πᾶσαν παραπλεῦσαι διʼ Ὠκεανοῦ καὶ πάντα κατασκεψαμένους ἀπαντᾶν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκβολὰς τοῦ Εὐφράτου ποταμοῦ.
Alexander, therefore, burned those of the vessels which were damaged, and having handed over the remaining fleet to Nearchus and some others of his friends, he ordered them to sail along the entire coast through the Ocean and, after exploring everything, to meet him at the mouth of the Euphrates River.
§17.104.4αὐτὸς δὲ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν ἐπῆλθε πολλὴν χώραν καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐναντιουμένους κατεπολέμησε, τοὺς δὲ πειθαρχοῦντας φιλανθρώπως προσεδέχετο.
He himself, taking up the army, traversed much country and subdued those who opposed him, while receiving those who obeyed him kindly.
τοὺς μὲν γὰρ Ἀβρίτας ὀνομαζομένους καὶ τοὺς τὴν Κεδρωσίαν οἰκοῦντας χωρὶς κινδύνων προσηγάγετο, §17.104.5μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πολλὴν μὲν ἄνυδρον, οὐκ ὀλίγην δὲ ἔρημον διελθὼν ἐπὶ τὰ Ὠρείτιδος ὅρια κατήντησεν.
For he brought over without danger those called Abritae and those inhabiting Gedrosia, and after this, having passed through much waterless and not a little desert country, he arrived at the borders of Oreitis.
εἰς τρία δὲ μέρη τὴν δύναμιν διελόμενος τοῦ μὲν πρώτου μέρους ἀπέδειξεν ἡγεμόνα Πτολεμαῖον, τοῦ δὲ δευτέρου Λεοννάτον, §17.104.6καὶ τὴν μὲν παραθαλαττίαν λεηλατεῖν προσέταξε Πτολεμαῖον, τὴν μεσόγειον δὲ κατασῦραι Λεοννάτον,τὴν δʼ ὑπώρειαν καὶ τὴν ὀρεινὴν αὐτὸς ἐπόρθησεν.
Having divided his army into three parts, he appointed Ptolemy as commander of the first part, and Leonnatus of the second, and he ordered Ptolemy to plunder the coastal region, Leonnatus to ravage the inland, while he himself devastated the foothills and the mountainous country.
ἅμα δʼ ὑφʼ ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν πολλῆς χώρας δῃουμένης ἔγεμε πᾶς τόπος πυρὸς καὶ διαρπαγῆς καὶ πολλῶν φόνων.
At one and the same time, as much country was being ravaged, every place was filled with fire and pillage and many slaughters.
§17.104.7διόπερ ταχέως οἱ μὲν στρατιῶται πολλῆς λείας ἐκυρίευσαν, τῶν δʼ ἀναιρεθέντων σωμάτων ἀριθμὸς ἐγένετο πολλῶν μυριάδων.
Wherefore the soldiers quickly became masters of much booty, and the number of the slain bodies reached many tens of thousands.
τῇ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν τούτων ἀπωλείᾳ πάντες οἱ πλησιόχωροι περίφοβοι γενόμενοι προσεχώρησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ.
Because of the destruction of these nations, all the neighbors became terrified and surrendered to the king.
§17.104.8ὁ δʼ Ἀλέξανδρος παρὰ θάλατταν ἐφιλοτιμήθη κτίσαι πόλιν καὶ λιμένα μὲν εὑρὼν ἄκλυστον, πλησίον δʼ αὐτοῦ τόπον εὔθετον ἔκτισεν ἐν αὐτῷ πόλιν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν.
Alexander was eager to found a city near the sea, and having found a harbor free from waves, near it in a suitable place he founded a city, Alexandria.

Notes

  1. §17.104.1ταῖς σπονδαῖς συναφιείς — The participle `συναφιείς` (present active participle of `συναφίημι`, meaning 'to release together with, connect') governs the dative `ταῖς σπονδαῖς` (libations), representing an attendant circumstance to the main verb `κατεπόντισε` (plunged into the sea). It indicates that the throwing of the cups was performed in conjunction with the ritual libations.
  2. §17.104.2τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἡγούμενοι πραττομένων — The participle `ἡγούμενοι` ('leading, ruling') governs the genitive case, taking the substantivized neuter plural participle `τῶν πραττομένων` ('things being done') with its modifier `κατὰ πόλεμον` as its object.
  3. §17.104.5τοῦ δὲ δευτέρου Λεοννάτον — In contrast to the preceding clause `τοῦ μὲν πρώτου μέρους ἀπέδειξεν ἡγεμόνα Πτολεμαῖον`, the verb `ἀπέδειξεν` ('appointed'), the noun `ἡγεμόνα` ('commander'), and `μέρους` ('part') are omitted, leaving `Λεοννάτον` to function as the accusative object.
  4. §17.104.6πολλῆς χώρας δῃουμένης — A genitive absolute construction with the present passive participle `δῃουμένης`. It expresses either the cause or the temporal background of simultaneity for the main clause `ἔγεμε πᾶς τόπος...` ('every place was filled...').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.104.1-17.104.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.104.1-17.104.8

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