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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.89.1-17.89.6

Aftermath of the Battle, City Foundations, and Restoration of Porus

Passage 694 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Alexander won a decisive victory over the Indian army, buried the dead, and sacrificed to Helios. He then built ships, founded two cities, restored the recovered Porus to his kingdom, and rested his army.

§17.89.1ἐν δὲ τῇ φυγῇ πολλοῦ φόνου γενομένου ὁ μὲν Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπιφανεῖ μάχῃ νικήσας ἀνεκαλέσατο τῇ σάλπιγγι τοὺς στρατιώτας.
During the flight, after much slaughter had taken place, Alexander, having won a glorious victory in battle, recalled his soldiers with the trumpet.
ἔπεσον δὲ ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῶν Ἰνδῶν πλείους τῶν μυρίων καὶ δισχιλίων, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχον καὶ δύο υἱοὶ τοῦ Πώρου καὶ οἱ στρατηγοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐπιφανέστατοι τῶν ἡγεμόνων.
More than twelve thousand of the Indians fell in the battle, among whom were also two sons of Porus, the generals, and the most illustrious of their leaders.
§17.89.2ζῶντες δὲ ἄνδρες ἑάλωσαν ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐνακισχιλίους, ἐλέφαντες δὲ ὀγδοήκοντα.
More than nine thousand men were captured alive, and eighty elephants.
αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Πῶρος ἔμπνους ὢν παρεδόθη τοῖς Ἰνδοῖς πρὸς τὴν θεραπείαν.
Porus himself, being still alive, was handed over to the Indians for treatment.
§17.89.3τῶν δὲ Μακεδόνων ἔπεσον μὲν ἱππεῖς διακόσιοι καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα, πεζοὶ δὲ πλείους τῶν ἑπτακοσίων.
On the side of the Macedonians, two hundred and eighty cavalry fell, and more than seven hundred infantry.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοὺς μὲν τετελευτηκότας ἔθαψε, τοὺς δὲ ἀνδραγαθήσαντας κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐτίμησεν, αὐτὸς δὲ Ἡλίῳ ἔθυσεν ὡς δεδωκότι τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν μέρη καταστρέψασθαι.
The king buried the dead, honored those who had acted courageously according to their merit, and himself sacrificed to Helios for having granted him the conquest of the eastern regions.
§17.89.4τῆς δὲ πλησίον ὀρεινῆς ἐχούσης πολλὴν μὲν ἐλάτην εὔτροφον, οὐκ ὀλίγην δὲ κέδρον καὶ πεύκην, ἔτι δὲ τῆς ἄλλης ὕλης ναυπηγησίμου πλῆθος ἄφθονον κατεσκεύασε ναῦς ἱκανάς·
Since the neighboring mountainous region possessed many well-grown firs, not a few cedars and pines, and an abundant supply of other shipbuilding timber, he constructed a sufficient number of ships.
§17.89.5διενοεῖτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς Ἰνδικῆς παραγενόμενος καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐγχωρίους καταστρεψάμενος διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ καταπλεῖν εἰς τὸν Ὠκεανόν.
For he intended, after reaching the boundary of India and conquering all the inhabitants, to sail down the river to the Ocean.
§17.89.6ἔκτισε δὲ δύο πόλεις, τὴν μὲν πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ καθʼ ὃν τόπον αὐτὸς διέβη, τὴν δὲ ἄλλην ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ τὸν Πῶρον ἐνίκησεν.
He founded two cities, one on the other side of the river at the place where he himself had crossed, and the other at the place where he conquered Porus.
ταχὺ δὲ τῶν ἔργων κατασκευασθέντων διὰ τὴν πολυχειρίαν τὸν μὲν Πῶρον θεραπευθέντα βασιλέα κατέστησε διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἧς πρότερον ἦρχε χώρας, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἐπὶ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας ἀνέλαβε, πολλῆς ἀφθονίας οὔσης τῶν ἐπιτηδείων.
Because of the abundance of labor, the works were quickly completed, and he restored Porus, who had recovered, as king of the territory he had previously ruled, because of his virtue, and he rested his army for thirty days, as there was a great abundance of provisions.

Notes

  1. 17.89.3δεδωκότι τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν μέρη καταστρέψασθαι — The infinitive καταστρέψασθαι functions as the object (or complement) of the perfect participle δεδωκότι. The verb δίδωμι followed by an infinitive expresses the meaning of 'to grant or allow to do something'.
  2. 17.89.6ἧς πρότερον ἦρχε χώρας — The antecedent χώρας is attracted into the relative clause ἧς ... ἦρχε (incorporation of the antecedent) and agrees in case with the relative pronoun, which is in the genitive as required by the verb ἄρχω (to rule). In normal word order, it would be τὴν χώραν ἧς πρότερον ἦρχε.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.89.1-17.89.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.89.1-17.89.6

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