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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.97.1-17.97.3

Rapids at the Confluence and Alexander's Escape

Passage 702 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Alexander faces mortal danger when his flagship is caught in violent rapids at the confluence with the Indus, but after a miraculous escape, he sacrifices to the gods, likening his struggle to that of Achilles.

§17.97.1αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν μετὰ τῶν φίλων ἐμβὰς εἰς τὰς ναῦς διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸν πλοῦν ἐποιεῖτο μέχρι τῆς συμβολῆς τῶν προειρημένων ποταμῶν καὶ τοῦ Ἰνδοῦ.
He himself embarked again on the ships with his friends and made the voyage down the river as far as the confluence of the aforementioned rivers and the Indus.
μεγάλων δὲ ῥείθρων εἰς ἕνα τόπον συρραττόντων ἴλιγγες πολλαὶ καὶ φοβεραὶ συνίσταντο καὶ τὰ σκάφη συστρέφουσαι διέφθειρον.
But as the immense currents clashed into one place, many terrifying eddies were formed, which whirled the vessels and destroyed them.
τῆς δὲ τοῦ ῥεύματος βίας ὀξείας καὶ σφοδρᾶς οὔσης καὶ τῆς τῶν κυβερνητῶν τέχνης κατισχυομένης δύο μὲν μακραὶ ναῦς κατέδυσαν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων πλοίων οὐκ ὀλίγα πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἐξέπεσε.
Since the violence of the current was swift and fierce, and overcame the skill of the helmsmen, two war-galleys sank, and of the other vessels not a few were cast ashore.
§17.97.2τῆς δὲ ναυαρχίδος καταρράκτῃ μεγάλῳ περιπεσούσης ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον ἦλθε κίνδυνον.
When the flagship fell into a great rapid, the king came into the extreme danger.
διὸ καὶ τοῦ θανάτου πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ὄντος ὁ μὲν Ἀλέξανδρος ἀποθέμενος τὴν ἐσθῆτα γυμνῷ τῷ σώματι τῆς ἐνδεχομένης ἀντείχετο βοηθείας, οἱ δὲ φίλοι παρενήχοντο, σπεύδοντες ὑποδέξασθαι περιτρεπομένης τῆς νεὼς τὸν βασιλέα.
Therefore, with death before his eyes, Alexander put off his clothing and, with his body naked, clung to whatever help was possible, while his friends swam alongside, eager to receive the king as the ship was capsizing.
§17.97.3πολλῆς δὲ ταραχῆς περὶ τὴν ναῦν οὔσης καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἀντιταττομένων τῇ τοῦ ῥεύματος βίᾳ, τοῦ δὲ ποταμοῦ κατισχύοντος πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐπίνοιάν τε καὶ δύναμιν μόγις ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος μετὰ τῶν νεῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐξέπεσεν.
Although there was great confusion about the ship, and while the men were arraying themselves against the violence of the current, since the river overcame all human ingenuity and power, with difficulty Alexander was cast ashore together with the ships.
σωθεὶς δὲ παραδόξως τοῖς θεοῖς ἔθυσεν ὡς μεγίστους ἐκπεφευγὼς κινδύνους καὶ πρὸς ποταμὸν ὁμοίως Ἀχιλλεῖ διαγωνισάμενος.
Having been saved beyond expectation, he sacrificed to the gods, as having escaped the greatest dangers and having contended against a river in the likeness of Achilles.

Notes

  1. §17.97.2τῆς ἐνδεχομένης ἀντείχετο βοηθείας — The verb ἀντέχομαι in the middle voice takes a genitive object, meaning "to cling to" or "hold fast to." Here, τῆς ἐνδεχομένης βοηθείας refers to "whatever help or means of rescue was available" on the spot (such as wreckage).
  2. §17.97.3πολλῆς δὲ ταραχῆς ... τοῦ δὲ ποταμοῦ κατισχύοντος — Three genitive absolute clauses (πολλῆς δὲ ταραχῆς ... οὔσης, τῶν μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἀντιταττομένων, and τοῦ δὲ ποταμοῦ κατισχύοντος) are placed in parallel to describe the circumstances and reasons leading to the main clause. They all explain the perilous situation that made the survival of the king so difficult.
  3. §17.97.3ὡς ... ἐκπεφευγὼς ... καὶ ... διαγωνισάμενος — The conjunction ὡς combined with the perfect participle ἐκπεφευγώς and the aorist participle διαγωνισάμενος presents the subjective reason of the agent (Alexander, the subject), as if to say "on the grounds that he had..." The phrase references the mythical episode in Iliad 21 where Achilles (represented by the dative Ἀχιλλεῖ depending on ὁμοίως) fought against the river Scamander.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.97.1-17.97.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.97.1-17.97.3

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