§17.49.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀριστοφάνους ἐν Ῥώμῃ κατεστάθησαν ὕπατοι Σπούριος Ποστόμιος καὶ Τῖτος Οὐετούριος.
When Aristophanes was archon in Athens, Spurius Postumius and Titus Veturius were established as consuls in Rome.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ περὶ τὴν Γάζαν διοικήσας Ἀμύνταν μὲν μετὰ δέκα νεῶν εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἐξέπεμψε, προστάξας τῶν νέων τοὺς εὐθέτους ἐπιλέξαι πρὸς στρατείαν, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως παρῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ παρέλαβε πάσας τὰς ἐν αὐτῇ πόλεις χωρὶς κινδύνων·
During their term, King Alexander, having settled the affairs around Gaza, sent Amyntas to Macedonia with ten ships, ordering him to select those of the young men who were suitable for military service, while he himself with all his forces advanced into Egypt and took possession of all the cities in it without danger.
§17.49.2οἱ γὰρ Αἰγύπτιοι τῶν Περσῶν ἠσεβηκότων εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ βιαίως ἀρχόντων ἄσμενοι προσεδέξαντο τοὺς Μακεδόνας.
For the Egyptians, since the Persians had committed acts of impiety against their sanctuaries and ruled violently, gladly welcomed the Macedonians.
καταστήσας δὲ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον προῆλθεν εἰς Ἄμμωνος, βουλόμενος χρήσασθαι τῷ θεῷ.
Having established order in Egypt, he advanced to the temple of Ammon, wishing to consult the god.
κατὰ μέσην δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ πρέσβεις παρὰ Κυρηναίων στέφανον κομίζοντες καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῆ δῶρα, ἐν οἷς ἦγον ἵππους τε πολεμιστὰς τριακοσίους καὶ πέντε τέθριππα τὰ κράτιστα.
Midway on his journey, ambassadors from the Cyreneans met him, bringing a crown and magnificent gifts, among which they brought three hundred war horses and five of the finest four-horse chariots.
§17.49.3ὁ δὲ τούτους μὲν ἀποδεξάμενος φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν συνέθετο πρὸς αὐτούς, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῶν συναποδημούντων προῆγεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερόν· καὶ διανύσας ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ ἄνυδρον, ὑδρευσάμενος διῄει τὴν χώραν ἔχουσαν ἄμμου μέγεθος ἀέριον.
He, having received them, concluded friendship and alliance with them, while he himself with his fellow travelers advanced toward the temple; and having traversed the desert and waterless region, and having taken in water, he passed through the country which had an immense, wind-blown amount of sand.
ἐν ἡμέραις δὲ τέσσαρσιν ἐξαναλωθέντων τῶν κομιζομένων ὑδάτων εἰς δεινὴν σπάνιν παρεγένοντο.
Within four days, when the water they carried was exhausted, they came into extreme scarcity.
§17.49.4εἰς ἀθυμίαν οὖν πάντων ἐμπεσόντων ἄφνω πολὺς ὄμβρος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατερράγη, τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν τῶν ὑγρῶν ἔνδειαν παραδόξως διωρθούμενος· διὸ καὶ τὸ συμβὰν ἔδοξεν ἀνελπίστως σωθεῖσι θεῶν προνοίᾳ γεγονέναι.
When everyone, therefore, fell into despair, suddenly a great rain poured down from heaven, paradoxically correcting the existing lack of water; wherefore the event seemed, to those unexpectedly saved, to have occurred by the providence of the gods.
§17.49.5ὑδρευσάμενοι δʼ ἔκ τινος κοιλάδος, ἐπὶ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἔχοντες ἀρκοῦσαν τὴν βοήθειαν καὶ διελθόντες ἡμέρας τέσσαρας διεξεπέρασαν τὴν ἄνυδρον.
Having taken in water from a certain valley, having sufficient supply for four days, and having traveled for four days, they crossed the waterless region.
ἀδήλου δὲ τῆς ὁδοῦ καθεστώσης διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἄμμου οἱ καθηγούμενοι τῆς ὁδοῦ προσήγγειλαν τῷ βασιλεῖ διότι κόρακες δεξιοὶ κλάζοντες τὴν τρίβον τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν φερούσης ἀτραποῦ προσημαίνουσιν.
But as the path was unclear on account of the abundance of sand, the guides of the way reported to the king that ravens on the right, cawing, were showing the path of the trail leading to the sanctuary.
§17.49.6οἰωνισάμενος δὲ τὸ συμβαῖνον ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ διαλαβὼν δέχεσθαι τὸν θεὸν ἀσμένως τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ προῆγε κατὰ σπουδήν.
Alexander, taking this event as an omen and conceiving that the god welcomed his presence gladly, advanced in haste.
καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον κατήνυσεν ἐπὶ τὴν πικρὰν καλουμένην λίμνην, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πορευθεὶς σταδίους ἑκατὸν παρήλλαξε τὰς ἐπικαλουμένας Ἄμμωνος πόλεις· ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ὁδοιπορήσας μίαν ἡμέραν συνήγγισε τῷ τεμένει.
And first he arrived at the so-called Bitter Lake, and after this, having marched one hundred stades, he passed the so-called towns of Ammon; and traveling from there for one day, he drew near to the sacred precinct.