§17.7.1Δαρεῖος γὰρ παραλαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν πρὸ μὲν τῆς Φιλίππου τελευτῆς ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο τὸν μέλλοντα πόλεμον εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἀποστρέψαι· ἐκείνου δὲ τελευτήσαντος ἀπελύθη τῆς ἀγωνίας, καταφρονήσας τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου νεότητος.
When Darius assumed the kingship, before the death of Philip, he was eager to divert the coming war into Macedonia; but when Philip died, Darius was relieved of his anxiety, having underestimated the youth of Alexander.
§17.7.2ἐπεὶ δʼ ἡ διὰ τῶν πράξεων ἐνέργεια καὶ ὀξύτης ἐποίησε μὲν τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡγεμονίαν πᾶσαν ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ νεανίσκου γενέσθαι περιβόητον, τότε δὴ νουθετηθεὶς τοῖς ἔργοις ὁ Δαρεῖος ἐπιμέλειαν μεγάλην ἐποιεῖτο τῶν δυνάμεων, τριήρεις τε πολλὰς κατασκευαζόμενος καὶ δυνάμεις ἀξιολόγους συνιστάμενος, ἡγεμόνας τε τοὺς ἀρίστους προκρίνων, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχε καὶ Μέμνων ὁ Ῥόδιος, διαφέρων ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ συνέσει στρατηγικῇ.
But when the energy and speed of Alexander's actions caused him to assume the entire hegemony of the Greeks and made the excellence of the young man famous far and wide, then indeed, admonished by these deeds, Darius began to take great care of his forces, building many triremes, assembling noteworthy armies, and selecting the best commanders, among whom was Memnon the Rhodian, who excelled in courage and strategic intelligence.
§17.7.3τούτῳ δὲ δοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς μισθοφόρους πεντακισχιλίους προσέταξε παρελθεῖν ἐπὶ πόλιν Κύζικον καὶ πειρᾶσθαι ταύτην χειρώσασθαι.
To him the king gave five thousand mercenaries and ordered him to advance against the city of Cyzicus and attempt to subdue it.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν μετὰ τοσούτων στρατιωτῶν προῆγε διὰ τῆς Ἴδης.
He, therefore, with this many soldiers, advanced through Mount Ida.
§17.7.4τὸ δʼ ὄρος τοῦτο μυθολογοῦσί τινες τυχεῖν ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας ἀπὸ τῆς Μελισσέως Ἴδης.
Some mythologize that this mountain obtained this appellation from Ida, the daughter of Melisseus.
μέγιστον δʼ ὑπάρχον τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἔχει κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἄντρον θεοπρεπές, ἐν ᾧ φασι κριθῆναι τὰς θεὰς ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου.
Being the largest of those in the Hellespont region, it has in its middle a god-befitting cave, in which they say the goddesses were judged by Alexander.
§17.7.5γενέσθαι δʼ ἐν τούτῳ λέγεται καὶ τοὺς Ἰδαίους Δακτύλους, οὓς σίδηρον ἐργάσασθαι πρώτους, μαθόντας τὴν ἐργασίαν παρὰ τῆς τῶν θεῶν μητρός.
It is also said that the Idaean Dactyls were born on this mountain, who were the first to work iron, having learned the craft from the Mother of the Gods.
ἴδιον δέ τι καὶ παράδοξον συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι περὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄρος.
Something unique and wondrous also happens to occur around this mountain.
§17.7.6κατὰ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ κυνὸς ἐπιτολὴν ἐπʼ ἄκρας τῆς κορυφῆς διὰ τὴν νηνεμίαν τοῦ περιέχοντος ἀέρος ὑπερπετῆ γίνεσθαι τὴν ἄκραν τῆς τῶν ἀνέμων πνοῆς, ὁρᾶσθαι δὲ τὸν ἥλιον ἔτι νυκτὸς οὔσης ἀνατέλλοντα, τὰς ἀκτῖνας οὐκ ἐν κυκλοτερεῖ σχήματι γεγραμμένον, ἀλλὰ τὴν φλόγα κατὰ πολλοὺς τόπους ἔχοντα διεσπαρμένην, ὥστε δοκεῖν πυρὰ πλείω θιγγάνειν τοῦ τῆς γῆς ὁρίζοντος.
For at the rising of the Dog Star, upon the very summit, because of the windlessness of the surrounding air, the limit of the blowing of the winds is carried high above the peak, and the sun is seen rising while it is still night, having its rays not drawn in a circular shape, but having its flame scattered in many places, so that many fires seem to touch the horizon of the earth.
§17.7.7μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ συνάγεται ταῦτα πρὸς ἓν μέγεθος, ἕως ἂν γένηται τρίπλεθρον διάστημα· καὶ τότʼ ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιλαβούσης τὸ φαινόμενον τοῦ ἡλίου μέγεθος πληρωθὲν τὴν τῆς ἡμέρας διάθεσιν κατασκευάζει.
Shortly after, these merge into a single magnitude, until it becomes an interval of three plethra; and then, when the day has already begun, the visible size of the sun, having been filled out, establishes the usual condition of the day.
§17.7.8ὁ δʼ οὖν Μέμνων διελθὼν τὴν ὀρεινὴν ἄφνω τῇ πόλει τῶν Κυζικηνῶν προσέπεσεν καὶ παρʼ ὀλίγον αὐτῆς ἐκυρίευσεν· ἀποπεσὼν δὲ τῆς ἐπιβολῆς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν ἐπόρθησε καὶ πολλῶν λαφύρων ἐκυρίευσεν.
Memnon, at any rate, having passed through the mountainous region, fell suddenly upon the city of the Cyzicenes and came within a little of capturing it; but having failed in the attempt, he ravaged their land and secured much booty.
§17.7.9ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Παρμενίων Γρύνιον μὲν πόλιν ἑλὼν κατὰ κράτος ἐξηνδραποδίσατο, Πιτάνην δὲ πολιορκοῦντος αὐτοῦ Μέμνων ἐπιφανεὶς καὶ καταπληξάμενος τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἔλυσε τὴν πολιορκίαν.
While these things were being done, Parmenion captured the city of Gryneium by force and enslaved its inhabitants. But while Parmenion was besieging Pitane, Memnon appeared, threw the Macedonians into consternation, and raised the siege.
§17.7.10μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Κάλλας μὲν ἔχων Μακεδόνας καὶ μισθοφόρους στρατιώτας ἐν τῇ Τρῳάδι συνῆψε μάχην πρὸς τοὺς Πέρσας, ὄντας πολλαπλασίους, καὶ λειφθεὶς ἀπεχώρησεν εἰς τὸ Ῥοίτειον.
After this, Kallas, having Macedonian and mercenary soldiers, joined battle in the Troad against the Persians, who were many times more numerous, and being defeated, retreated to Rhoeteium.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
Such was the situation of affairs in Asia.