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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.81.1-17.81.3

Visit to the Evergetae and Subjugation of Arachosia

Passage 686 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Alexander visited and rewarded the Evergetae and Cedrosians, and upon learning of Satibarzanes' revolt, dispatched generals to suppress it while he himself subdued Arachosia.

§17.81.1ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων γενόμενος καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Δραγγινὴν καταστήσας ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπὶ τοὺς πρότερον μὲν Ἀριμασπούς, νῦν δʼ Εὐεργέτας ὀνομαζομένους διὰ τοιαύτας τινὰς αἰτίας.
Having finished with these matters and having settled the affairs in Drangiana, Alexander marched with his army against the people who were formerly called Arimaspi, but are now named Evergetae for some such reason as follows.
Κῦρος ὁ τὴν Μήδων ἀρχὴν μεταστήσας εἰς Πέρσας ἔν τινι στρατείᾳ περιληφθεὶς ἐν ἐρήμῳ χώρᾳ πάσῃ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἦλθε μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐσχάτους κινδύνους, διὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν τῆς τροφῆς ἀναγκαζομένων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀλλήλους σαρκοφαγεῖν, τῶν δʼ Ἀριμασπῶν τρισμυρίας ἁμάξας σίτου γεμούσας παρακομισάντων σωθεὶς παραδόξως ἀτελείαις τε καὶ ἄλλαις δωρεαῖς ἐτίμησε τὸ ἔθνος καὶ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν προσηγορίαν ἀφελόμενος προσηγόρευσεν Εὐεργέτας. §17.81.2τότε δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος εἰς τὴν τούτων χώραν στρατεύσας καὶ τῶν ἐγχωρίων φιλοφρόνως αὐτὸν προσδεξαμένων ἐτίμησε τὸ ἔθνος ταῖς ἁρμοζούσαις δωρεαῖς.
Cyrus, who transferred the dominion of the Medes to the Persians, was in a certain campaign surrounded in a desert region with a total lack of provisions, and came into the ultimate danger, the soldiers being forced to eat one another due to the scarcity of food. But when the Arimaspi brought thirty thousand wagons laden with corn, he was unexpectedly saved; he honored the nation with exemptions from taxes and other gifts, and taking away their pre-existing name, he called them Evergetae. At this time Alexander, having marched into their territory and the inhabitants having received him kindly, honored the nation with suitable gifts.
τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ τῶν ὁμόρων τῶν ὀνομαζομένων Κεδρωσίων ποιησάντων καὶ τούτους ταῖς πρεπούσαις χάρισιν ἠμείψατο.
When the neighboring people called Cedrosians did the same thing, he rewarded them also with appropriate favors.
ἀμφοτέρων δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐθνῶν τὴν στρατηγίαν Τιριδάτῃ παρέδωκεν. §17.81.3περὶ ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ διατρίβοντος ἧκόν τινες ἀπαγγέλλοντες ὅτι Σατιβαρζάνης ἐκ τῆς Βακτριανῆς μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς ἱππικῆς παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸ τῶν Ἀρίων ἔθνος ἀπέστησε τοὺς ἐγχωρίους ἀπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου.
He then committed the command of both the aforementioned nations to Tiridates. While he was occupied with these matters, some came reporting that Satibarzanes, having arrived in the country of the Arians from Bactria with a large force of cavalry, had made the inhabitants revolt from Alexander.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀκούσας τὸ γεγονὸς ἀπέστειλεν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν μέρος τῆς δυνάμεως, στρατηγοὺς ἐπιστήσας Ἐριγυιὸν καὶ Στασάνορα, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν Ἀραχωσίαν καταστρεψάμενος ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ὑπήκοον ἐποίησεν.
The king, having heard of what had happened, sent a part of his force against him, appointing Erigyius and Stasanor as generals, while he himself, having subdued Arachosia, made it subject to him in a few days.

Notes

  1. §17.81.1ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων γενόμενος — The participle γενόμενος, used with the preposition ἀπό, forms an idiomatic expression meaning "having departed from" or "having finished with" these matters, referring to the completion of the aftermath of the executions of Philotas and Parmenion.
  2. §17.81.1ἀναγκαζομένων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀλλήλους σαρκοφαγεῖν — A genitive absolute construction. The subject of the participle ἀναγκαζομένων is "the soldiers" (τῶν στρατιωτῶν), distinct from Cyrus, the subject of the main verb ἦλθε. It serves an adverbial function explaining the cause or circumstances of the extreme danger resulting from the lack of food.
  3. §17.81.1τῶν δʼ Ἀριμασπῶν ... παρακομισάντων — Another genitive absolute construction. It functions as a contrastive (marked by δέ) clause detailing the action of the Arimaspians that brought about Cyrus's unexpected rescue, distinct from the main subject Cyrus.
  4. §17.81.3ἀπέστησε τοὺς ἐγχωρίους ἀπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου — The verb ἀφίστημι (here in the active aorist ἀπέστησε) is used in a causative, transitive sense meaning "to make A (accusative) revolt or depart from B (ἀπό + genitive)."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.81.1-17.81.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.81.1-17.81.3

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