§17.94.1ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς στρατιώτας ταῖς συνεχέσι στρατείαις καταπεπονημένους καὶ σχεδὸν ὀκταετῆ χρόνον ἐν πόνοις καὶ κινδύνοις τεταλαιπωρηκότας ὑπέλαβεν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τὰ πλήθη τοῖς ἁρμόζουσι λόγοις προτρέψασθαι πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Γανδαρίδας στρατείαν.
Seeing that the soldiers were worn out by the continuous campaigns and had suffered in hardships and dangers for nearly eight years, he considered it necessary to encourage the multitude with appropriate words towards the campaign against the Gandaridae.
§17.94.2πολλὴ μὲν γὰρ φθορὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐγεγόνει καὶ λύσις οὐδεμία τῶν πολέμων ἠλπίζετο· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἵππων διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῆς ὁδοιπορίας τὰς ὁπλὰς ὑποτετρῖφθαι συνέβαινε, τῶν δὲ ὅπλων τὰ πλεῖστα κατεξάνθαι καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἑλληνικὸν ἱματισμὸν ἐκλελοιπέναι, συναναγκάζεσθαι δὲ βαρβαρικοῖς ὑφάσμασι χρῆσθαι, συντεμόντας τὰ τῶν Ἰνδῶν περιβλήματα.
For much destruction of the soldiers had occurred, and no end to the wars was expected; and it happened that, because of the continuity of the journey, the hooves of the horses were worn down, most of the weapons were worn out, the Greek clothing had run out, and they were forced to use barbarian fabrics, cutting down the garments of the Indians.
§17.94.3κατὰ τύχην δὲ καὶ χειμῶνες ἄγριοι κατερράγησαν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ βρονταὶ συνεχεῖς καὶ κεραυνοὶ κατέσκηπτον.
By chance also, fierce storms broke out for seventy days, and continuous thunders and lightnings fell.
ἃ δὴ λογιζόμενος ἐναντιοῦσθαι ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπιβολαῖς μίαν εἶχεν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, εἰ τοὺς στρατιώτας διὰ τῆς εὐεργεσίας εἰς εὔνοιαν μεγάλην προαγάγοιτο.
Considering that these very things were opposing his own designs, he had only one hope for his desire, if he might lead the soldiers into great goodwill through beneficence.
§17.94.4διόπερ λεηλατεῖν μὲν αὐτοῖς συνεχώρησε τὴν πολεμίαν χώραν, γέμουσαν παντοίας ὠφελείας· ἐν αἷς δʼ ἡμέραις ἡ δύναμις περὶ τὴν προνομὴν ἠσχολεῖτο, συναγαγὼν τὰς γυναῖκας τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν γεγονότας παῖδας ταύταις μὲν συνεστήσατο κατὰ μῆνα διδόναι σῖτον, τοῖς δὲ παισὶν ἐπιφορὰς ταγματικὰς ἀπένειμε κατὰ τοὺς τῶν πατέρων συλλογισμούς.
Therefore, he permitted them to plunder the enemy's country, which was full of all kinds of booty; and during the days when the army was occupied with the plundering, having gathered the wives of the soldiers and the children born of them, he arranged to give grain monthly to the former, and to the children he assigned military allowances according to the rankings of their fathers.
§17.94.5ὡς δʼ ἐπανῆλθον οἱ στρατιῶται πολλῶν πλῆθος ἀγαθῶν ἐκ τῆς προνομῆς εὑρηκότες συνῆγε πάντας εἰς ἐκκλησίαν.
When the soldiers returned, having found a multitude of goods from the plundering, he assembled them all into an assembly.
διελθὼν δὲ λόγον πεφροντισμένον περὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς Γανδαρίδας στρατείας καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων οὐδαμῶς συγκαταθεμένων ἀπέστη τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.
But though he delivered a carefully prepared speech about the campaign against the Gandaridae, since the Macedonians would in no way agree, he abandoned the design.