§17.20.1τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων εὐρώστως ἀγωνιζομένων καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν θυμοὺς ταῖς τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀρεταῖς ἀντιταττόντων ἡ τύχη συνήγαγεν εἰς ἕνα τόπον τοὺς ἀρίστους εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς νίκης κρίσιν.
While the barbarians fought stoutly and opposed their own spirits to the valor of the Macedonians, fortune brought together the finest men into one place for the decision of the victory.
§17.20.2ὁ γὰρ τῆς Ἰωνίας σατράπης Σπιθροβάτης, γένει μὲν ὢν Πέρσης, Δαρείου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως γαμβρός, ἀνδρείᾳ δὲ διαφέρων, μετὰ μεγάλης δυνάμεως ἱππέων ἐπέρραξε τοῖς Μακεδόσιν, ἔχων δὲ συναγωνιστὰς τεταγμένους τεσσαράκοντα συγγενεῖς ἀρεταῖς διαφόρους ἐνέκειτο τοῖς ἀνθεστηκόσι καὶ θρασέως ἀγωνιζόμενος οὓς μὲν ἀνῄρει τῶν ἀνθισταμένων, οὓς δὲ κατετραυμάτιζε.
For Spithrobates, the satrap of Ionia, a Persian by birth and a son-in-law of King Darius, outstanding in courage, charged the Macedonians with a large force of cavalry. Having forty of his kinsmen drawn up as companions in arms, men outstanding in valor, he pressed upon those who opposed him, and fighting boldly, he slew some of his opponents and wounded others.
§17.20.3δυσυποστάτου δὲ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν οὔσης βίας ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπιστρέψας τὸν ἵππον ἐπὶ τὸν σατράπην ἐφίππευσε τῷ βαρβάρῳ.
Since the violence around him was hard to withstand, Alexander turned his horse toward the satrap and charged the barbarian.
ὁ δὲ Πέρσης νομίσας παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῷ δεδόσθαι τὸν τῆς μονομαχίας καιρόν, εἰ συμβήσεται διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀνδραγαθίας ἐλευθερωθῆναι τῶν μεγίστων φόβων τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τὴν περιβόητον Ἀλεξάνδρου τόλμαν ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ καταλυθῆναι καὶ τὴν τῶν Περσῶν δόξαν μὴ καταισχυνθῆναι φθάνει βαλὼν τὸ σαυνίον ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ οὕτω μετὰ σφοδρᾶς εἰσπεσὼν ῥύμης καὶ βιαίως τὸ δόρυ ὠσάμενος διαρρήξας τε τήν τε ἀσπίδα Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν ἐπωμίδα διήλασε διὰ τοῦ θώρακος.
The Persian, thinking that the opportunity for a single combat had been granted to him by the gods—if it should happen that through his own prowess Asia would be delivered from its greatest fears, the celebrated daring of Alexander would be destroyed by his own hands, and the glory of the Persians would not be disgraced—anticipated him by casting his javelin at Alexander, and then charging with vehement force and violently thrusting his spear, he tore through Alexander's shield and his right shoulder-piece and drove it through his breastplate.
§17.20.4ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὸ μὲν βέλος τῷ βραχίονι παρελκόμενον ἀπέρριψε, τῷ δʼ ἵππῳ προσβαλὼν τὰ κέντρα καὶ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς φορᾶς συνεργῷ χρησάμενος εἰς μέσον τοῦ σατράπου τὸ στῆθος ἐνήρεισε τὸ ξυστόν.
But the king flung aside the weapon as it glanced off his arm, and applying the spurs to his horse and using the impetus of his charge as an ally, he drove his spear into the middle of the satrap's chest.
§17.20.5οὗ συντελεσθέντος αἱ μὲν πλησίον τάξεις παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἀνδρείας ἀνεβόησαν, τῆς δʼ ἐπιδορατίδος περὶ τὸν θώρακα συντριβείσης καὶ τοῦ θραύσματος ἀποπηδήσαντος ὁ μὲν Πέρσης σπασάμενος τὸ ξίφος ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἐπεφέρετο, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διαλαβὼν τὸ ξυστὸν ἔφθασεν ἐνερεῖσαι τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ διήλασε τὴν πληγήν.
When this was accomplished, the nearby files of both sides shouted aloud at the excess of their courage, but the spearhead being shattered against the breastplate and its fragment flying off, the Persian drew his sword and rushed upon Alexander, while the king, grasping his spear firmly, anticipated him by thrusting it into his face and drove home the blow.
§17.20.6καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ πεσόντος Ῥωσάκης προσιππεύσας κατήνεγκε τῷ ξίφει κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου οὕτως ἐπικίνδυνον πληγὴν ὥστε τὸ μὲν κράνος διαπτύξαι, τοῦ δὲ χρωτὸς βραχέως ἐπιψαῦσαι.
At that very moment, Rhoesaces, the brother of the fallen man, rode up and brought down his sword upon Alexander's head with a blow so dangerous that it split the helmet and grazed his skin slightly.
§17.20.7κατὰ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν διαίρεσιν ἐπιφέροντος ἄλλην πληγὴν τοῦ Ῥωσάκου Κλεῖτος ὁ μέλας ἐπικαλούμενος προσελάσας τὸν ἵππον ἀπέκοψε τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ βαρβάρου.
While Rhoesaces was bringing down another blow at the same split, Cleitus, surnamed the Black, rode up his horse and cut off the barbarian's arm.