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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.83.1-17.83.9

Crossing the Caucasus, Founding Cities, and Fall of Bessus

Passage 688 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Alexander crosses the Caucasus Mountains, founds Alexandria and other cities, and advances into Bactriana, while in Aria Erigyius defeats the rebel leader Satibarzanes in single combat. Meanwhile, Bessus is betrayed by his own associates and delivered to Alexander, who hands him over to Darius's family for execution.

§17.83.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρελθὼν πλησίον τοῦ Καυκάσου κατεστρατοπέδευσεν, ὅ τινες Παροπάνισον ὄρος προσαγορεύουσι.
After this, he advanced and encamped near the Caucasus, which some call Mount Paropanisus.
τὸ δʼ ὄρος τοῦτο κατὰ πλάτος διελθὼν ἐν ἡμέραις ἑκκαίδεκα πόλιν ἔκτισε κατὰ τὴν εἰσβολὴν τὴν φέρουσαν εἰς τὴν Ἰνδικήν, ἣν ὠνόμασεν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν.
Having crossed this mountain in its breadth in sixteen days, he founded a city at the pass leading into India, which he named Alexandria.
κατὰ δὲ μέσον τὸν Καύκασον ἔστι πέτρα δέκα σταδίων ἔχουσα τὴν περίμετρον, τεττάρων δὲ σταδίων τὸ ὕψος, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὸ Προμηθέως σπήλαιον ἐδείκνυθʼ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων καὶ ἡ τοῦ μυθολογηθέντος ἀετοῦ κοίτη καὶ τὰ τῶν δεσμῶν σημεῖα.
In the middle of the Caucasus there is a rock having a circumference of ten stades and a height of four stades, on which the cave of Prometheus was pointed out by the inhabitants, as well as the nesting-place of the legendary eagle and the marks of his chains.
§17.83.2ὁ δʼ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ἄλλας πόλεις ἔκτισεν, ἡμέρας ὁδὸν ἀπέχουσας τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας.
Alexander also founded other cities at a distance of a day's journey from Alexandria.
κατῴκισε δʼ εἰς ταύτας τῶν μὲν βαρβάρων ἑπτακισχιλίους, τῶν δʼ ἐκτὸς τάξεως συνακολουθούντων τρισχιλίους καὶ τῶν μισθοφόρων τοὺς βουλομένους.
In these he settled seven thousand of the barbarians, three thousand of those following outside the ranks, and those of the mercenaries who wished.
§17.83.3αὐτὸς δὲ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν προῆγεν εἰς τὴν Βακτριανήν, ἀκούων τὸν Βῆσσον διάδημά τε ἀνειληφέναι καὶ δυνάμεις ἀθροίζειν.
He himself, taking his army, advanced into Bactriana, hearing that Bessus had assumed the diadem and was collecting forces.
καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ Ἀλέξανδρον ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
Such was the state of affairs concerning Alexander.
§17.83.4οἱ δʼ εἰς τὴν Ἀρίαν ἀπεσταλμένοι στρατηγοὶ καταλαβόντες τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας δυνάμεις ἀξιολόγους ἠθροικότας καὶ στρατηγὸν ἔχοντας Σατιβαρζάνην, ἄνδρα στρατηγικὸν καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ διαφέροντα, κατεστρατοπέδευσαν πλησίον τῶν πολεμίων.
Meanwhile, the generals who had been sent to Aria, finding that the rebels had collected notable forces and had Satibarzanes as their general, a man of military skill and outstanding courage, encamped near the enemy.
γινομένων δὲ πολλάκις ἀκροβολισμῶν μέχρι μέν τινος μάχαι κατʼ ὀλίγους ἐγίνοντο, §17.83.5μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρατάξεως γενομένης καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἰσόμαχον ποιούντων τὸν κίνδυνον ὁ τῶν ἀποστατῶν στρατηγὸς Σατιβαρζάνης, ἀφελὼν ταῖς χερσὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν κράνος καὶ δείξας αὑτὸν ὃς ἦν, προεκαλέσατο τὸν βουλόμενον τῶν στρατηγῶν μονομαχῆσαι.
Skirmishes having occurred frequently, for a time the combats were carried on by small numbers, but afterwards, when a general battle took place and the barbarians made the hazard equal, the general of the rebels, Satibarzanes, removing with his hands the helmet from around his head and showing who he was, challenged anyone of the generals who wished to single combat.
§17.83.6ὑπακούσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἐριγυιοῦ καὶ γενομένης μάχης ἡρωικῆς συνέβη νικῆσαι τὸν Ἐριγυιόν.
Erigyius having accepted, and a heroic combat taking place, it happened that Erigyius won.
οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι διὰ τὸν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ θάνατον καταπλαγέντες καὶ λαβόντες τὴν ἀσφάλειαν παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ.
The barbarians, terrified by the death of their general and having obtained a guarantee of safety, surrendered themselves to the king.
§17.83.7Βῆσσος δʼ ἑαυτὸν ἀναδεδειχὼς βασιλέα τοῖς θεοῖς ἔθυσε καὶ τοὺς φίλους παραλαβὼν εἰς τὴν εὐωχίαν κατὰ τὸν πότον διηνέχθη πρός τινα τῶν ἑταίρων, ὄνομα Βαγωδάραν.
Now Bessus, having declared himself king, sacrificed to the gods, and having invited his friends to the banquet, during the drinking quarreled with one of his companions, named Bagodaras.
τῆς δὲ φιλοτιμίας ἐπὶ πλέον προελθούσης ὁ μὲν Βῆσσος παροξυνθεὶς ἐπεβάλετο τὸν Βαγωδάραν ἀνελεῖν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων πεισθεὶς μετενόησεν.
As the dispute went further, Bessus, being provoked, undertook to put Bagodaras to death, but being persuaded by his friends, he changed his mind.
§17.83.8ὁ δὲ τὸν κίνδυνον ἐκφυγὼν νυκτὸς ἔφυγε πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον.
Having escaped the danger, he fled by night to Alexander.
τῇ δὲ τούτου σωτηρίᾳ καὶ ταῖς δοθησομέναις ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου δωρεαῖς προκληθέντες οἱ μέγιστοι τῶν ἡγεμόνων συνεφρόνησαν καὶ συλλαβόντες τὸν Βῆσσον ἀπήγαγον πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον.
Enticed by his safety and by the gifts about to be given by Alexander, the greatest of the leaders conspired together, and having seized Bessus, they led him away to Alexander.
§17.83.9ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τούτους μὲν ἐτίμησεν ἀξιολόγοις δωρεαῖς, τὸν δὲ Βῆσσον παρέδωκε τῷ ἀδελφῷ τοῦ Δαρείου καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συγγενέσιν εἰς τιμωρίαν.
The king honored these men with notable gifts, but handed Bessus over to the brother of Darius and the other relatives for punishment.
οἱ δὲ πᾶσαν ὕβριν καὶ αἰκίαν προσενεγκάμενοι καὶ τὸ σῶμα κατὰ λεπτὸν συγκόψαντες τὰ μέλη διεσφενδόνησαν.
Inflicting every insult and torture, and hacking his body into small pieces, they flung his limbs away.

Notes

  1. 17.83.1 — Although the antecedent is the masculine noun τοῦ Καυκάσου, the relative pronoun is attracted in gender and number to ὄρος (neuter), which is the predicate noun in the relative clause, resulting in the neuter singular ὅ.
  2. 17.83.1ἔχουσα — A present participle in the nominative feminine singular, modifying πέτρα and describing its physical dimensions (circumference).
  3. 17.83.6συνέβη νικῆσαι τὸν Ἐριγυιόν — An accusative with infinitive clause functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb συνέβη ('it happened that...'). τὸν Erigyion is the subject of the infinitive νικῆσαι, not its object.
  4. 17.83.8δοθησομέναις — A future passive participle in the dative feminine plural, modifying ταῖς ... δωρεαῖς and expressing a future prospect or expectation ('gifts that were about to be given').
  5. 17.83.9τὸ σῶμα κατὰ λεπτὸν συγκόψαντες — The preposition κατά with the neuter singular adjective λεπτόν functions adverbially, meaning 'into small pieces' or 'finely.'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.83.1-17.83.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.83.1-17.83.9

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