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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.60.1-17.60.8

The Flight of Darius and the Struggle of Parmenion

Passage 665 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Alexander pursues Darius directly, causing panic and leading to Darius's flight after his charioteer is struck down. Meanwhile, Parmenion on the left wing struggles against Mazaeus's fierce attack but manages to rout the enemy with the Thessalian cavalry.

§17.60.1δευτέρου δὲ προτερήματος τοῖς Πέρσαις γενομένου ὁ μὲν Ἀλέξανδρος σπεύδων διʼ ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἧτταν διορθώσασθαι τῶν ἰδίων μετὰ τῆς βασιλικῆς εἴλης καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἱππέων ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἤλαυνε τὸν Δαρεῖον.
When a second success had occurred for the Persians, Alexander, hastening to correct the defeat of his own men by himself, rode with the royal squadron and the other most distinguished cavalrymen against Darius himself.
§17.60.2ὁ δὲ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς δεξάμενος τὴν ἐπιφορὰν τῶν πολεμίων αὐτὸς μὲν ἐφʼ ἅρματος ἀγωνιζόμενος ἠκόντιζεν εἰς τοὺς ἐπιφερομένους, πολλῶν δʼ αὐτῷ συναγωνιζομένων καὶ τῶν βασιλέων ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους ἱεμένων ὁ μὲν Ἀλέξανδρος ἀκοντίσας ἐπὶ τὸν Δαρεῖον τούτου μὲν ἥμαρτεν, τοῦ δὲ παρεστῶτος ἡνιόχου τοῦ βασιλέως κατατυχὼν κατέβαλεν.
The king of the Persians, receiving the onset of the enemy, himself fought from his chariot and hurled javelins at those rushing upon him; and while many were fighting along with him and the kings were rushing at each other, Alexander, having hurled a javelin at Darius, missed him, but hitting the charioteer standing beside the king, struck him down.
§17.60.3τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Δαρεῖον ἀναβοησάντων οἱ πορρώτερον ἀφεστηκότες ὑπέλαβον αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα πεπτωκέναι· καὶ τούτων τῆς φυγῆς ἀρξαμένων οἱ συνεχεῖς συνείποντο καὶ τὸ συνεστὸς αἰεὶ τῷ Δαρείῳ σύνταγμα κατʼ ὀλίγον παρερρήγνυτο.
When those around Darius cried out, those standing further away supposed that the king himself had fallen; and when these began to flee, those next to them followed, and the squadron that was always assembled around Darius was gradually broken.
διὸ καὶ τῆς ἑτέρας πλευρᾶς παραγυμνωθείσης τῶν συναγωνιζομένων καὶ αὐτὸς καταπλαγεὶς πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησεν.
Therefore, since the other side also was laid bare of those fighting along with him, he himself was terrified and hastened to flight.
§17.60.4τούτων δὲ οὕτως φευγόντων καὶ τοῦ κονιορτοῦ τῶν ἱππέων πρὸς ὕψος αἰρομένου καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἐκ ποδὸς ἑπομένων διὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὴν πυκνότητα τοῦ κονιορτοῦ συνιδεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἦν τὸν Δαρεῖον ὅποι ποιεῖται τὴν φυγήν, στεναγμὸς δὲ τῶν πιπτόντων ἀνδρῶν καὶ κτύπος τῶν ἱππέων, ἔτι δὲ τῶν μαστίγων συνεχὴς ψόφος ἐγίνετο.
While these were fleeing in this manner, and the dust from the cavalry was rising high, and those around Alexander were following close behind, because of the abundance and density of the dust it was not possible to see where Darius was making his flight, but there was the groaning of falling men, the clatter of horses, and further the continuous sound of whips.
§17.60.5ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Μαζαῖος ὁ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρατος ἡγούμενος, πλείστους ἔχων καὶ κρατίστους ἱππεῖς, βαρὺς ἐπέκειτο τοῖς κατʼ αὐτὸν τεταγμένοις· Παρμενίων δὲ μετὰ τῶν Θετταλῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν μετʼ αὐτοῦ κινδυνευόντων ὑπέστη τοὺς πολεμίους.
While these things were happening, Mazaeus, the leader of the right wing, having the most and strongest cavalry, pressed heavily upon those stationed against him; but Parmenion, with the Thessalian cavalry and the others risking their lives with him, withstood the enemy.
§17.60.6τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον λαμπρῶς ἀγωνιζόμενος διὰ τὰς ἀρετὰς τῶν Θετταλῶν προετέρει· τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Μαζαῖον τῷ τε πλήθει καὶ βάρει τοῦ συστήματος ἐγκειμένων κατεπονεῖτο τὸ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἱππικόν.
At first, indeed, fighting brilliantly due to the valor of the Thessalians, he had the upper hand; but as those around Mazaeus pressed upon them with both the number and the weight of their formation, the Macedonian cavalry was being worn down.
§17.60.7πολλοῦ δὲ φόνου γινομένου καὶ τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων βίας δυσυποστάτου γινομένης ὁ Παρμενίων ἐξέπεμψέ τινας τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἱππέων πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον, λέγων κατὰ τάχος βοηθῆσαι.
Since much slaughter was occurring and the violence of the barbarians was becoming hard to withstand, Parmenion dispatched some of the cavalry around him to Alexander, telling him to help quickly.
ὀξέως δὲ τούτων τὸ παραγγελθὲν πραττόντων καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον πυθομένων πολὺ τῆς τάξεως ἀπεσπάσθαι κατὰ τὸν διωγμὸν οὗτοι μὲν ἐπανῆλθον ἄπρακτοι,
When these had quickly done what was commanded, but learned that Alexander had been drawn far away from his line during the pursuit, they returned without success.
§17.60.8ὁ δὲ Παρμενίων ταῖς τῶν Θετταλῶν εἴλαις χρώμενος ἐμπειρότατα καὶ πολλοὺς καταβαλὼν μόλις ἐτρέψατο τοὺς βαρβάρους, μάλιστα καταπλαγέντας τῇ κατὰ τὸν Δαρεῖον φυγῇ.
But Parmenion, employing the squadrons of the Thessalians with the greatest skill and striking down many, with difficulty routed the barbarians, who were especially terrified by the flight of Darius.

Notes

  1. 17.60.4τὸν Δαρεῖον ὅποι ποιεῖται τὴν φυγήν — Prolepsis. τὸν Δαρεῖον, which is logically the subject of the indirect question ὅποι ποιεῖται τὴν φυγήν ('where he is making his flight'), is anticipated and placed as if it were the direct object of the infinitive συνιδεῖν in the main clause.
  2. 17.60.7λέγων κατὰ τάχος βοηθῆσαι — Indirect command. The participle λέγων from λέγω ('to say') is used with the infinitive βοηθῆσαι to convey a command or request ('telling him to help').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.60.1-17.60.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.60.1-17.60.8

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