§2.1.1ἡ μὲν πρὸ ταύτης βίβλος τῆς ὅλης συντάξεως οὖσα πρώτη περιέχει τὰς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον πράξεις· ἐν αἷς ὑπάρχει τά τε περὶ τῶν θεῶν παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις μυθολογούμενα καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ Νείλου φύσεως καὶ τἄλλα τὰ περὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τούτου παραδοξολογούμενα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις περί τε τῆς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον χώρας καὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων βασιλέων τὰ ὑφʼ ἑκάστου πραχθέντα.
The book before this one, being the first of the entire compilation, contains the deeds in Egypt; in which there are the myths told about the gods among the Egyptians, and concerning the nature of the Nile and the other wonders told about this river, and in addition to these, concerning the land of Egypt and the ancient kings, and the deeds done by each of them.
ἑξῆς δὲ κατετάχθησαν αἱ κατασκευαὶ τῶν πυραμίδων τῶν ἀναγραφομένων ἐν τοῖς ἑπτὰ θαυμαζομένοις ἔργοις.
And next, the construction of the pyramids, which are registered among the seven wonders of the world, was set down in order.
§2.1.2ἔπειτα διήλθομεν περὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῶν δικαστηρίων, ἔτι δὲ τῶν ἀφιερωμένων ζῴων παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις τὰ θαυμαζόμενα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὰ περὶ τῶν τετελευτηκότων νόμιμα, καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὅσοι τῶν ἐπὶ παιδείᾳ θαυμαζομένων παραβαλόντες εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ πολλὰ τῶν χρησίμων μαθόντες μετήνεγκαν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
Next, we went through concerning the laws and the courts, and furthermore the wonders among the sacred animals among the Egyptians, and in addition to these, the customs concerning the dead, and of the Greeks, as many as were admired for their education and, having crossed over to Egypt and learned many useful things, brought them over into Greece.
§2.1.3ἐν ταύτῃ δʼ ἀναγράψομεν τὰς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν γενομένας πράξεις ἐν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις χρόνοις, τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἡγεμονίας ποιησάμενοι.
But in this book, we shall record the deeds that took place in Asia in ancient times, making our beginning from the empire of the Assyrians.
§2.1.4τὸ παλαιὸν τοίνυν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὑπῆρχον ἐγχώριοι βασιλεῖς, ὧν οὔτε πρᾶξις ἐπίσημος οὔτε ὄνομα μνημονεύεται.
In ancient times, therefore, there were native kings in Asia, of whom neither any notable deed nor name is remembered.
πρῶτος δὲ τῶν εἰς ἱστορίαν καὶ μνήμην παραδεδομένων ἡμῖν Νίνος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων μεγάλας πράξεις ἐπετελέσατο· περὶ οὗ τὰ κατὰ μέρος ἀναγράφειν πειρασόμεθα.
But Ninus, the king of the Assyrians, the first of those handed down to us in history and memory, accomplished great deeds; about whom we shall attempt to record in detail.
γενόμενος γὰρ φύσει πολεμικὸς καὶ ζηλωτὴς τῆς ἀρετῆς καθώπλισε τῶν νέων τοὺς κρατίστους· γυμνάσας δʼ αὐτοὺς πλείονα χρόνον συνήθεις ἐποίησε πάσῃ κακοπαθείᾳ καὶ πολεμικοῖς κινδύνοις.
For having become by nature warlike and a zealot for virtue, he armed the strongest of the young men; and having trained them for a longer time, he made them accustomed to every hardship and military dangers.
§2.1.5συστησάμενος οὖν στρατόπεδον ἀξιόλογον συμμαχίαν ἐποιήσατο πρὸς Ἀριαῖον τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Ἀραβίας, ἣ κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους ἐδόκει πλήθειν ἀλκίμων ἀνδρῶν.
Therefore, having organized a noteworthy army, he made an alliance with Ariaeus, the king of Arabia, which in those times seemed to abound in brave men.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ καθόλου τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος φιλελεύθερον καὶ κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον προσδεχόμενον ἔπηλυν ἡγεμόνα· διόπερ οὔθʼ οἱ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεῖς ὕστερον οὔθʼ οἱ τῶν Μακεδόνων, καίπερ πλεῖστον ἰσχύσαντες, §2.1.6ἠδυνήθησαν τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος καταδουλώσασθαι.
For in general, this nation is freedom-loving and in no way accepting a foreign ruler; wherefore neither the kings of the Persians later nor those of the Macedonians, although they were extremely powerful, were able to enslave this nation.
καθόλου γὰρ ἡ Ἀραβία δυσπολέμητός ἐστι ξενικαῖς δυνάμεσι διὰ τὸ τὴν μὲν ἔρημον αὐτῆς εἶναι, τὴν δὲ ἄνυδρον καὶ διειλημμένην φρέασι κεκρυμμένοις καὶ μόνοις τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις γνωριζομένοις.
For in general, Arabia is difficult to wage war against for foreign forces because of its being on the one hand desert, and on the other hand waterless and divided by hidden wells known only to the natives.
§2.1.7ὁ δʼ οὖν τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεὺς Νίνος τὸν δυναστεύοντα τῶν Ἀράβων παραλαβὼν ἐστράτευσε μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως ἐπὶ Βαβυλωνίους κατοικοῦντας ὅμορον χώραν· κατʼ ἐκείνους δὲ τοὺς χρόνους ἡ μὲν νῦν οὖσα Βαβυλὼν οὐκ ἦν ἐκτισμένη, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν ὑπῆρχον ἄλλαι πόλεις ἀξιόλογοι· ῥᾳδίως δὲ χειρωσάμενος τοὺς ἐγχωρίους διὰ τὸ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις κινδύνων ἀπείρως ἔχειν, τούτοις μὲν ἔταξε τελεῖν κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ὡρισμένους φόρους, τὸν δὲ βασιλέα τῶν καταπολεμηθέντων λαβὼν μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αἰχμάλωτον ἀπέκτεινε.
At all events, Ninus, the king of the Assyrians, having taken along the ruler of the Arabs, marched with a large force against the Babylonians who inhabited the neighboring land; but in those times, the Babylon that now exists was not yet founded, but in Babylonia there were other noteworthy cities; and having easily subdued the natives because of their being inexperienced in the dangers of wars, on the one hand he ordered them to pay fixed tributes yearly, but on the other hand, having taken the king of the conquered people captive along with his children, he put him to death.
§2.1.8μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πολλοῖς πλήθεσιν εἰς τὴν Ἀρμενίαν ἐμβαλὼν καί τινας τῶν πόλεων ἀναστάτους ποιήσας κατεπλήξατο τοὺς ἐγχωρίους· διόπερ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν Βαρζάνης, ὁρῶν αὑτὸν οὐκ ἀξιόμαχον ὄντα, μετὰ πολλῶν δώρων ἀπήντησε καὶ πᾶν ἔφησε ποιήσειν τὸ προσταττόμενον.
And after these things, having invaded Armenia with a large multitude and having laid some of the cities waste, he terrified the natives; wherefore their king Barzanes, seeing himself not to be a match in war, met him with many gifts and said that he would do everything that was commanded.
§2.1.9ὁ δὲ Νίνος μεγαλοψύχως αὐτῷ χρησάμενος τῆς τε Ἀρμενίας συνεχώρησεν ἄρχειν καὶ φίλον ὄντα πέμπειν στρατιὰν καὶ τὴν χορηγίαν τῷ σφετέρῳ στρατοπέδῳ.
But Ninus, having treated him generously, conceded to him to rule over Armenia and, as a friend, to send army and supply for his own camp.
ἀεὶ δὲ μᾶλλον αὐξόμενος ἐστράτευσεν εἰς τὴν Μηδίαν.
And always increasing more and more, he marched into Media.
§2.1.10ὁ δὲ ταύτης βασιλεὺς Φάρνος παραταξάμενος ἀξιολόγῳ δυνάμει καὶ λειφθείς, τῶν τε στρατιωτῶν τοὺς πλείους ἀπέβαλε καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τέκνων ἑπτὰ καὶ γυναικὸς αἰχμάλωτος ληφθεὶς ἀνεσταυρώθη.
But Pharnos, the king of this country, having drawn up his forces with a noteworthy army and having been defeated, lost most of his soldiers, and he himself, being taken captive with his seven children and wife, was crucified.