§17.18.1ὁ δʼ Ἀλέξανδρος ἀποδεξάμενος τὴν τοῦ μάντεως πρόρρησιν τῇ μὲν Ἀθηνᾷ λαμπρὰν ἐπετέλεσε θυσίαν καὶ τὸ μὲν ἴδιον ὅπλον ἀνέθηκε τῇ θεῷ, τῶν δʼ ἐν τῷ νεῷ κειμένων ὅπλων τὸ κράτιστον ἀναλαβὼν καὶ τούτῳ καθοπλισθεὶς ἐχρήσατο κατὰ τὴν πρώτην μάχην, ἣν διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀνδραγαθίας κρίνας περιβόητον ἔσχε τὴν νίκην.
Alexander, accepting the prediction of the seer, performed a magnificent sacrifice to Athena and dedicated his own armor to the goddess. Having taken the finest of the arms lying in the temple and equipped himself with it, he used it in the first battle, in which, having decided the issue through his own valor, he obtained a celebrated victory.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον ἡμέραις ὀλίγαις ἐπράχθη.
But these things were done a few days later.
§17.18.2οἱ δὲ τῶν Περσῶν σατράπαι καὶ στρατηγοὶ τοῦ μὲν κωλῦσαι τῶν Μακεδόνων τὴν διάβασιν ὑστέρησαν, ἀθροισθέντες δʼ ἐβουλεύοντο πῶς χρὴ διαπολεμεῖν τοῖς περὶ Ἀλέξανδρον.
The Persian satraps and generals failed to prevent the crossing of the Macedonians, but having assembled they deliberated on how they should carry on the war to the end against those around Alexander.
Μέμνων μὲν οὖν ὁ Ῥόδιος, διαβεβοημένος ἐπὶ συνέσει στρατηγικῇ, συνεβούλευε κατὰ στόμα μὲν μὴ διακινδυνεύειν, τὴν δὲ χώραν φθείρειν καὶ τῇ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων εἴργειν τοὺς Μακεδόνας τῆς εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείας, διαβιβάζειν δὲ καὶ δυνάμεις εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν ναυτικάς τε καὶ πεζικὰς καὶ τὸν ὅλον πόλεμον εἰς τὴν Εὐρώπην μεταγαγεῖν.
Now Memnon the Rhodian, celebrated for his military understanding, advised not to risk a battle face to face, but to devastate the land and by the scarcity of provisions to bar the Macedonians from their onward march, and also to transport naval and land forces into Macedonia and transfer the whole war into Europe.
§17.18.3ὁ δʼ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἄριστα μὲν συνεβούλευεν, ὡς ἐκ τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων ἐγενήθη φανερόν, οὐ μὴν ἔπεισε τοὺς ἄλλους ἡγεμόνας, ὡς ἀνάξια συμβουλεύων τῆς Περσῶν μεγαλοψυχίας.
This man gave the best advice, as became clear from the results, yet he did not persuade the other leaders, since they regarded him as advising things unworthy of the Persian greatness of soul.
§17.18.4διόπερ ἐπικρατούσης τῆς τοῦ διαγωνίζεσθαι γνώμης οὗτοι μὲν τὰς πανταχόθεν δυνάμεις μεταπεμψάμενοι καὶ πολλαπλάσιοι γενόμενοι τῶν Μακεδόνων προῆγον ἐπὶ Φρυγίας τῆς ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντου.
Therefore, since the opinion to fight it out prevailed, they, having summoned their forces from all sides and having become many times more numerous than the Macedonians, advanced toward Phrygia on the Hellespont.
κατεστρατοπέδευσαν δὲ παρὰ τὸν Γρανικὸν ποταμόν, προβαλλόμενοι τὸ ῥεῖθρον τοῦ προειρημένου ποταμοῦ.
And they encamped beside the river Granicus, putting forward the stream of the aforementioned river as a barrier.