§10.28.1ἕως μὲν οὖν τούτων τῶν τόπων ἤλπισεν αὐτὸν ἥξειν Ἀρσάκης, τὴν δʼ ἔρημον τὴν τούτοις πρόσχωρον οὐ τολμήσειν ἔτι δυνάμει τηλικαύτῃ διεκβαλεῖν, καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τὴν ἀνυδρίαν.
Now Arsaces expected that Antiochus would come as far as these regions, but that he would not venture to cross the desert adjacent to them with so great a force, especially on account of the lack of water.
§10.28.2ἐπιπολῆς μὲν γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι φαινόμενον ὕδωρ ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις τόποις, ὑπόνομοι δὲ πλείους εἰσὶ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου φρεατίας ἔχοντες ἀγνοουμένας τοῖς ἀπείροις.
For on the surface there is no water visible in the aforementioned regions, but there are many underground channels, which have wells throughout the desert that are unknown to those unacquainted with the area.
§10.28.3περὶ δὲ τούτων ἀληθὴς παραδίδοται λόγος διὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων, ὅτι καθʼ οὓς χρόνους Πέρσαι τῆς Ἀσίας ἐπεκράτουν, ἔδωκαν τοῖς ἐπί τινας τόπους τῶν μὴ πρότερον ἀρδευομένων ἐπεισαγομένοις ὕδωρ πηγαῖον ἐπὶ πέντε γενεὰς καρπεῦσαι τὴν χώραν·
Regarding these, a true story is handed down by the inhabitants, that at the time when the Persians were ruling over Asia, they granted to those who brought spring water to certain districts which had not been irrigated before, the right to enjoy the fruits of the land for five generations.
§10.28.4ὅθεν ἔχοντος τοῦ Ταύρου πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας ὑδάτων ἀπορρύσεις, πᾶσαν ἐπεδέχοντο δαπάνην καὶ κακοπάθειαν, ἐκ μακροῦ κατασκευάζοντες τοὺς ὑπονόμους, ὥστε κατὰ τοὺς νῦν καιροὺς μηδὲ τοὺς χρωμένους τοῖς ὕδασι γινώσκειν τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν ὑπονόμων πόθεν ἔχουσι τὰς ἐπιρρύσεις.
Consequently, as the Taurus range had many large streams of water, they underwent every expense and hardship, constructing the underground channels from a great distance, so that in the present day not even those who use the water know where the sources of the channels have their inflows.
§10.28.5πλὴν ὁρῶν Ἀρσάκης ἐπιβαλόμενον αὐτὸν τῇ διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου πορείᾳ, τὸ τηνικάδε χωννύειν καὶ φθείρειν ἐνεχείρησε τὰς φρεατίας.
But when Arsaces saw him undertaking the march through the desert, he then set about filling up and destroying the wells.
§10.28.6ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ἐξαγγελθέντος αὐτῷ, πάλιν ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς περὶ Νικομήδην μετὰ χιλίων ἱππέων, οἳ καὶ καταλαβόντες τὸν Ἀρσάκην μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ὑποκεχωρηκότα, τινὰς δὲ τῶν ἱππέων φθείροντας τὰ στόματα τῶν ὑπονόμων, τούτους μὲν ἐξ ἐφόδου τρεψάμενοι φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ πάλιν ἀνεχώρησαν ὡς τὸν Ἀντίοχον.
The king, however, when this was reported to him, immediately sent Nicomedes with a thousand horsemen, who, finding that Arsaces had retreated with his army, but that some of his horsemen were destroying the openings of the channels, routed these latter by a sudden charge and forced them to flee, and then themselves returned to Antiochus.
§10.28.7ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διανύσας τὴν ἔρημον ἧκε πρὸς τὴν Ἑκατόμπυλον προσαγορευομένην, ἣ κεῖται μὲν ἐν μέσῃ τῇ Παρθυηνῇ, τῶν δὲ διόδων τῶν φερουσῶν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς πέριξ τόπους ἐνταῦθα συμπιπτουσῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος ὁ τόπος εἴληφε τὴν προσηγορίαν.
The king, having traversed the desert, arrived at the city called Hecatompylos, which lies in the middle of Parthiene, and has received its name from the circumstance that the roads leading to all the surrounding districts meet there.