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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.34.1-17.34.9

Flight of Darius and Rout of the Persian Army

Passage 639 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Despite the fierce resistance of Darius' brother Oxathres, Alexander's assault forces Darius into extreme danger, leading him to change his chariot and flee, which triggers a general and catastrophic collapse and rout of the Persian army.

§17.34.1οἱ δὲ ἑκάστης τάξεως ἡγεμόνες τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων προαγωνιζόμενοι διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀνδραγαθεῖν προετρέψαντο.
The commanders of each unit of those placed under them, fighting in front, encouraged the common soldiers to act bravely through their own valor.
διὸ καὶ παρῆν ὁρᾶν πολλὰς μὲν διαθέσεις τραυμάτων γινομένας, ποικίλους δὲ καὶ μεγάλους ἀγῶνας συνισταμένους ὑπὲρ τῆς νίκης.
For this reason, it was possible to see many kinds of wounds being inflicted, and diverse and great struggles taking place for the sake of victory.
§17.34.2Ὀξάθρης δʼ ὁ Πέρσης, ἀδελφὸς μὲν ὢν Δαρείου, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἐπαινούμενος, ὡς εἶδεν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἀκατασχέτως ἱέμενον ἐπὶ τὸν Δαρεῖον, ἐφιλοτιμήθη τῆς αὐτῆς τύχης κοινωνῆσαι τἀδελφῷ.
Oxathres the Persian, who was the brother of Darius and praised for his courage, when he saw Alexander rushing uncontrollably against Darius, was eager to share the same fortune as his brother.
§17.34.3ἀναλαβὼν οὖν τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἱππέων τῶν μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τεταγμένων μετὰ τούτων ἐπέρραξε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ νομίσας τὸ φιλάδελφον τῆς ψυχῆς οἴσειν αὐτῷ περιβόητον παρὰ Πέρσαις δόξαν προεμάχετο τοῦ Δαρείου τεθρίππου καὶ μετʼ ἐμπειρίας εὐτόλμως τοῖς πολεμίοις συμπλεκόμενος πολλοὺς ἀπέκτεινε.
Therefore, taking the best of the cavalry stationed with him, he charged with them against Alexander and his men, and thinking that his brotherly love of soul would bring him famous glory among the Persians, he fought in front of Darius' four-horse chariot, and clashing boldly with the enemy with experience, he killed many.
§17.34.4τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ὑπερβαλλομένων ταῖς ἀνδραγαθίαις περὶ μὲν τὸ τοῦ Δαρείου τέθριππον ταχὺ νεκρῶν ἐσωρεύθη πλῆθος· πάντες γὰρ ἐφιέμενοι τοῦ βασιλέως ψαῦσαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐκθυμότατα διηγωνίζοντο καὶ τοῦ ζῆν οὐδεμίαν ἐποιοῦντο φειδώ.
But as Alexander and his men surpassed them in deeds of valor, a multitude of dead bodies quickly piled up around the four-horse chariot of Darius; for all, eager to touch the king, fought against one another with the greatest spirit and made no sparing of their lives.
§17.34.5ἔπεσον δʼ ἐν τῷ κινδύνῳ τούτῳ πολλοὶ τῶν παρὰ Πέρσαις ἐπιφανῶν ἡγεμόνων, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχεν Ἀντιξύης καὶ Ῥεομίθρης καὶ ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου σατράπης Τασιάκης.
In this danger many of the prominent commanders among the Persians fell, among whom were Antixyes, Rheomithres, and Tasiaces the satrap of Egypt.
ὁμοίως δὲ πολλῶν καὶ παρὰ τοῖς Μακεδόσι πεσόντων συνέβη καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον τρωθῆναι τὸν μηρόν, περιχυθέντων αὐτῷ τῶν πολεμίων.
Likewise, while many fell on the side of the Macedonians as well, it happened that Alexander himself was wounded in the thigh, as the enemy poured around him.
§17.34.6οἱ δὲ τὸν τοῦ Δαρείου τεθρίππου ζυγὸν ἐπέχοντες ἵπποι, τραυματιζόμενοι πυκνῶς καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς σωρευομένων νεκρῶν πτυρόμενοι, τὰ μὲν χαλινὰ διεσείοντο, παρʼ ὀλίγον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Δαρεῖον εἰς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐξήνεγκαν.
The horses holding the yoke of Darius' four-horse chariot, being repeatedly wounded and terrified because of the multitude of dead bodies piled up around them, shook off their reins and almost carried Darius himself out into the midst of the enemy.
διὸ καὶ κινδυνεύων ἐσχάτως ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς ἥρπασε τοὺς ῥυτῆρας, συναναγκαζόμενος λῦσαι τὴν σεμνότητα τῆς προστασίας καὶ τὸν παρὰ Πέρσαις τοῖς βασιλεῦσι κείμενον νόμον ὑπερβῆναι.
For this reason, the king himself, being in extreme danger, seized the reins, being forced to abandon the dignity of his position and to transgress the law established for the kings among the Persians.
§17.34.7προσήχθη δὲ καὶ τέθριππον ἕτερον ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν τῷ Δαρείῳ καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰς τοῦτο μετάβασιν ταραχῆς γενομένης ὁ μὲν Δαρεῖος ἐπικειμένων τῶν πολεμίων εἰς ἔκπληξιν καὶ δέος ἐνέπιπτεν, οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι τὸν βασιλέα κατανοήσαντες ταραττόμενον εἰς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν.
Another four-horse chariot was brought to Darius by his attendants, and when confusion arose during his transfer to this, Darius, with the enemy pressing upon him, fell into panic and fear, and the Persians, perceiving the king in confusion, rushed into flight.
τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ τῶν ἐχομένων ἱππέων ποιησάντων ταχὺ πάντες ἐτράπησαν.
When the adjoining cavalry did the same, quickly all were turned to flight.
§17.34.8τῆς δὲ φυγῆς οὔσης ἐν τόποις στενοῖς καὶ τραχέσι συμπίπτοντες ἀλλήλους συνεπάτουν καὶ πολλοὶ χωρὶς πολεμίας πληγῆς ἀπέθνησκον.
As the flight was in narrow and rough places, they collided with and trampled upon one another, and many died without a blow from the enemy.
ἔκειντο γὰρ ὁμοῦ σωρευθέντες οἱ μὲν ἄνευ τῶν ὅπλων, οἱ δὲ τηροῦντες τὰς πανοπλίας· τινὲς δὲ γεγυμνωμένα τὰ ξίφη διαφυλάξαντες τοὺς περὶ ταῦτα ἀναπειρομένους ἀνῄρουν· οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι εἰς τὰ πεδία διεκπεσόντες διὰ τούτων ἀπὸ κράτους ἐλαύνοντες τοὺς ἵππους εἰς τὰς συμμαχίδας πόλεις κατέφευγον.
For they lay piled up together, some without their weapons, others keeping their full armor; and some, keeping their drawn swords, killed those who were impaled upon them; but the majority, escaping into the plains, rode their horses at full speed through these and fled to the allied cities.
§17.34.9ἡ δὲ τῶν Μακεδόνων φάλαγξ καὶ τὸ τῶν Περσῶν πεζὸν στράτευμα βραχὺν χρόνον ἐν τῇ μάχῃ διέμεινεν· προηττημένων γὰρ τῶν ἱππέων οἱονεί τις προαγὼν ἐγεγόνει τῆς ὅλης νίκης.
The phalanx of the Macedonians and the infantry force of the Persians remained in the battle for only a short time; for since the cavalry had been defeated beforehand, this had become, as it were, a preliminary contest for the entire victory.
πάντων δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων ταχὺ τραπέντων καὶ τοσούτων μυριάδων ἐν στενοῖς τόποις τὴν φυγὴν ποιουμένων ταχὺ πᾶς ὁ συνεχὴς τόπος νεκρῶν ἐπληρώθη.
When all the barbarians were quickly turned to flight and so many tens of thousands made their escape in narrow places, quickly the whole continuous region was filled with dead bodies.

Notes

  1. §17.34.1τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων — This genitive phrase can be interpreted either as modifying the preceding noun "commanders" (ἡγεμόνες), meaning "the commanders of those placed under them", or as depending on the participle "fighting in front" (προαγωνιζόμενοι), meaning "fighting in front of their subordinates". Here, it is translated according to the former interpretation.
  2. §17.34.2κοινωνῆσαι τἀδελφῷ — The verb κοινωνέω (to share, partake in) takes the object shared in the genitive case (τῆς αὐτῆς τύχης) and the person with whom it is shared in the dative case (τἀδελφῷ, "with his brother") simultaneously.
  3. §17.34.5τρωθῆναι τὸν μηρόν — The accusative τὸν μηρόν ("the thigh") is an accusative of part affected (or accusative of respect) accompanying the passive infinitive τρωθῆναι ("to be wounded"), specifying which part of Alexander's body was injured.
  4. §17.34.6παρʼ ὀλίγον — This is an idiomatic expression consisting of the preposition παρά with the accusative, meaning "almost" or "narrowly missed", indicating that an event came very close to happening but did not.
  5. §17.34.8ἀναπειρομένους — This is the present passive participle of the verb ἀναπείρω (to impale, pierce), referring to those who, in the chaos, were being impaled on the previously mentioned drawn swords.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.34.1-17.34.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.34.1-17.34.9

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