13. When they saw the general approaching they devised the following stratagem. They collected all their old men and provided them with branches of palm, to make them look like suppliants, while behind them they drew up the flower of their youth, armed with shield and spear; the veterans were to hold the branches aloft, so as to hide those in the rear behind the foliage, while the latter were to keep their spears horizontal and trail them along the ground, so that they might not be apparent. If the general were overcome by the old men’s prayers, the armed warriors were not to make any attempt to join battle; but if he were not, they were to invite him to enter their city, as if they were there to give themselves up to their fate; and when they arrived at the middle of the causeway, the old men, at a signal previously arranged, were to run away, throwing down the branches, while the men in arms were to turn and charge and fight their hardest.
They were there then in their places, drawn up according to this plan, and implored the general to shew respect to their grey hairs and to the supplicatory palm-branches, and to have pity upon the town; they were ready, they said, to give him for his private purse a hundred talents of silver, and to send to the Satrap a hundred men willing to offer themselves as hostages for the city, so that he might be able to carry his superior some spoils of war. This offer of theirs was quite genuine, and if the general had chosen to accept their terms, they would have paid the money and given the hostages; but as he would not agree, “Very well,” said the old men, “ if that is your decision we must accept what is fated for us. Only grant us one favour in our distress; do not kill us without our gates, or far from our town, but take us to the spot where our fathers lived, to the hearths where we were born, and let our town be also our tomb. Look, we will lead the way for you to our death.” The general, hearing this request, released his troops from their battle formation, and bade them follow after him at leisure.
[1] Ἦσαν δὲ τῶν πραττομένων σκοποὶ πόρρωθεν, οὕς οἱ βουκόλοι προκαθίσαντες ἐκέλευον, εἰ διαβαίνοντας ἴδοιεν τοὺς πολεμίους, τὸ χῶμα τοῦ ποταμοῦ κόψαντας ἐπαφεῖναι τὸ ὕδωρ πᾶν τοῖς ἐναντίοις. [2] Ἔχει γὰρ οὕτω τὰ τοῦ Νείλου ῥεύματα. Καθ̓ ἑκάστην διώρυχα χῶμα ἔχουσιν Αἰγύπτιοι, ὡς ἂν μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τῆς χρείας ὑπερέχων ὁ Νεῖλος τὴν γῆν ἐπικλύσῃ. Ὅταν δὲ δεηθῶσιν ἀρδεῦσαι τὸ πεδίον, ἀνέῳξαν ὀλίγον τοῦ χώματος. Ἦν οὖν τῆς κώμης ὄπισθεν διῶρυξ τοῦ ποταμοῦ μεγάλη καὶ πλατεῖα. [3] Ταύτῃ οἱ τεταγμένοι τὸ ἔργον ὡς εἶδον εἰσιόντας τοὺς πολεμίους, διακόπτουσι ταχὺ τὸ χῶμα. Πάντα οὖν ὁμοῦ γίνεται: οἱ μὲν γέροντες οἱ κατὰ πρόσωπον ἄφνω διίστανται, οἱ δὲ τὰς λόγχας ἐγείραντες ἐκτρέχουσι: τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἤδη παρῆν, καὶ ὠγκοῦντο μὲν οἱ λίμναι πάντοθεν οἰδοῦσαι, ὁ δὲ ἰσθμὸς ἐπεκλύζετο, [4] πάντα δὲ ἦν ὥσπερ θάλασσα. Ἐμπεσόντες οὖν οἱ βουκόλοι τοὺς μὲν κατὰ πρόσωπον καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν αὐτὸν διαπείρουσι ταῖς λόγχαις, ἀπαρασκεύους τε ὄντας καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀδόκητον τεταραγμένους: [5] τῶν δ̓ ἄλλων ἀδιήγητος ὁ θάνατος ἦν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εὐθὺς ἐκ πρώτης προσβολῆς μηδὲ κινήσαντες τὰς αἰχμὰς ἀπώλλυντο, οἱ δὲ οὐ λαβόντες σχολὴν ἀμύνασθαι: ἅμα γὰρ ἐμάνθανον καὶ ἔπασχον: ἐνίους δὲ ἔφθανε τὸ παθεῖν πρὸ τοῦ μαθεῖν: οἱ δὲ ὑπ̓ ἐκπλήξεως τοῦ παραλόγου τὸν θάνατον εἱστήκεσαν περιμένοντες: οἱ δὲ καὶ κινηθέντες μόνον κατωλίσθανον ὑποσκελίζοντος αὐτοὺς τοῦ ποταμοῦ: οἱ δὲ καὶ φεύγειν ὁρμήσαντες εἰς τὸ βαθὺ τῆς λίμνης ἐγκυλισθέντες ὑπεσύρησαν. [6] Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἑστώτων τὸ ὕδωρ ἦν ἄχρις ὀμφαλοῦ, ὥστε καὶ ἀνέκρουεν αὐτῶν τὰς ἀσπίδας καὶ ἐγύμνου πρὸς τὰ τραύματα τὰς γαστέρας: τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν λίμνην ὕδωρ πάντη ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ἀνδρὸς ἦν. [7] Διακρῖναι δ̓ οὐκ ἦν τί λίμνη καὶ τί πεδίον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ διὰ τῆς γῆς τρέχων δέει τοῦ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν βραδύτερος ἦν πρὸς τὴν φυγήν, ὥστε ταχέως ἡλίσκετο, καὶ ὁ κατὰ τῆς λίμνης πλανηθείς, [8] δόξας γῆν εἶναι, κατεδύετο. Καὶ ἦν καινὰ ἀτυχήματα, ναυάγια τοσαῦτα, καὶ ναῦς οὐδαμοῦ: ἀμφότερα δὲ καινὰ καὶ παράλογα, ἐν ὕδατι πεζομαχία, [9] καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ ναυαγία. Οἱ μὲν δὴ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ἐπαρθέντες μέγα ἐφρόνουν, ἀνδρείᾳ νομίζοντες κεκρατηκέναι καὶ οὐκ ἀπάτης κλοπῇ. Ἀνὴρ γὰρ Αἰγύπτιος καὶ τὸ δειλὸν ὅπου φοβεῖται δεδούλωται, καὶ τὸ μάχιμον ἐν οἷς θαρρεῖ παρώξυνται: ἀμφότερα δὲ οὐ κατὰ μέτρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἀσθενέστερον δυστυχεῖ, τὸ δὲ προπετέστερον κρατεῖ.
14. There were some scouts who were watching the course of events from a distance; they had been posted by the buccaneers, who had ordered them, when they saw the enemy crossing, to break down the dykes and let all the water in upon them as they advanced. For this is the arrangement adopted with the waters of the Nile: at the mouth of every canal the Egyptians keep a dyke, so that the river should not overflow its banks and inundate the land before the time of need; when they wish to irrigate the soil, they open the dyke a little way, until it is turned into a swamp. There was in this way behind the town a long and wide canal from the river; and those appointed for the task, when they saw the entry of the hostile forces, quickly cut through the dyke. All happened in a moment; the old men in front suddenly disappeared, the others raised their spears and rushed forward, and the water flowed in at once; the lagoons rose, the water swelling on every side, the isthmus was flooded and the whole country became like a sea. The buccaneers fell on their enemies and transfixed with their spears those in front, including the general; for they were unarmed and quite disordered at the unexpected attack. As for the rest, the ways in which they met their death were too many to describe. Some at the first rush never even drew their weapons, but perished at once; others had no time in which to make their defence; they were cut down in the same moment that they realised they were being attacked; others even before they realised it. Others, struck into immobility by the unexpected event, stood and waited for death. Some slipped directly they attempted to move, the water undermining their footsteps; others, as they attempted to flee, rolled into the deep part of the lake, and were dragged under. As for those who were standing on the firm ground, the water came up as far as their navels, and thereby turned up their shields, thus exposing their bodies to the blows of the enemy. The water in the lagoon was everywhere above the height of a man’s head; indeed, it was impossible to tell which was lake and which was land; those who attempted to run away upon land had to go slowly for fear of making a mistake, and so were quickly captured; while those who mistook their way into the lake, thinking it to be land, were drowned. It was a paradoxical kind of mishap, innumerable wrecks, but no ship. Both indeed were new and strange, a land-
fight in the water and a shipwreck on land. The conquerors were greatly elated by the result, and in high conceit with themselves, imagining that they had gained their victory by their bravery, and not by an underhand stratagem; for the Egyptian is subject to the most slavish cowardice when he is afraid and the most fool-hardy rashness when encouraged by his position; in neither case has he any moderation — he either bows to fortune with over-great pusillanimity, or displays in success more than idiotic temerity.
[1] Δέκα δὲ τῇ Λευκίππῃ διεληλύθεσαν ἡμέραι τῆς μανίας, ἡ δὲ νόσος οὐκ ἐκουφίζετο. Ἅπαξ οὖν ποτε καθεύδουσα, ταύτην ἀφίησιν ὀνειροπολουμένη τὴν φωνὴν ‘διὰ σὲ μαίνομαι, Γοργία.’ Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἕως ἐγένετο, λέγω τῷ Μενελάῳ τὸ λεχθὲν καὶ ἐσκόπουν εἴ τις εἴη που κατὰ τὴν κώμην Γοργίας. [2] Προελθοῦσι δ̓ ἡμῖν νεανίσκος προσέρχεταί τις καὶ προσαγορεύσας με ‘σωτὴρ ἥκω σὸς’ ἔφη ‘καὶ τῆς σῆς γυναικός.’ Ἐκπλαγεὶς οὖν καὶ θεόπεμπτον εἶναι νομίσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον ‘μὴ Γοργίας’ εἶπον ‘τυγχάνεις;’ ‘Οὐ μὲν οὖν’ εἶπεν ‘ἀλλὰ Χαιρέας: Γοργίας γάρ σε ἀπολώλεκεν.’ [3] Ἔτι μᾶλλον ἔφριξα καὶ λέγω ‘τίνα ταύτην ἀπώλειαν, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ Γοργίας; δαίμων γάρ μοί τις αὐτὸν ἐμήνυσε νύκτωρ: σὺ δὲ ἐξηγητὴς γενοῦ τῶν θείων μηνυμάτων.’ ‘Γοργίας ἦν μὲν’ ἔφη ‘Αἰγύπτιος στρατιώτης: νῦν δὲ οὐκέτ̓ ἔστιν, ἀλλ̓ ἔργον γέγονε τῶν βουκόλων: ἤρα δὲ τῆς σῆς γυναικός. [4] Ὤν δὲ φύσει φαρμακεὺς σκευάζει τι φάρμακον ἔρωτος καὶ πείθει τὸν διακονούμενον ὑμῖν Αἰγύπτιον λαβεῖν τὸ φάρμακον καὶ ἐγκαταμίξαι τῷ τῆς Λευκίππης ποτῷ. Λανθάνει δὲ ἀκράτῳ χρησάμενος τῷ φαρμάκῳ, καὶ τὸ φίλτρον εἰς μανίαν αἴρεται. [5] Ταῦτα γάρ μοι χθὲς ὁ τοῦ Γοργίου θεράπων διηγήσατο, ὃς ἔτυχεν αὐτῷ συστρατευσάμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς βουκόλους: ἔσωσε δὲ αὐτόν, ὡς εἰκός, ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἡ Τύχη. Αἰτεῖ δὲ χρυσοῦς τέτταρας ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰάσεως: ἔχει γάρ, φησίν, ἑτέρου φαρμάκου σκευήν, δἰ οὗ [6] λύσει τὸ πρότερον.’ ‘Ἀλλὰ σοὶ μὲν’ ἔφην ‘ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο τῆς διακονίας: τὸν δ̓ ἄνθρωπον, ὃν λέγεις, ἄγε πρὸς ἡμᾶς.’ Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀπῆλθεν, ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον εἰσελθὼν τύπτω αὐτὸν πὺξ κατὰ τῶν προσώπων καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην, θορυβῶν δὲ ἅμα λέγω ‘εἰπόν, τί δέδωκας Λευκίππῃ, καὶ πόθεν μαίνεται;’ ὁ δὲ φοβηθεὶς καταλέγει πάντα, ὅσα ἡμῖν ὁ Χαιρέας διηγήσατο. Τὸν μὲν οὖν εἴχομεν ἐν φυλακῇ καθείρξαντες.
15. Ten days had now passed since the madness came upon Leucippe, and there was no improvement in her malady. On one occasion, however, while asleep, she uttered these words in her dream: “It is through you that I have lost my senses, Gorgias.” When morning came, I told Menelaus what she had said, and enquired if there were any Gorgias in the place. As we walked out, a young man came up to us and, addressing me, “I come,” he said, “to be the salvation of you and your beloved. (yvvη, both here and in several other passages, is used in the sense of a prospective wife, like the German Braut. This cannot be exactly rendered in English by any of the ordinary equivalents of yvvη, so that it must be expressed by alternatives or circumlocutions.)” I was struck dumb at this and thought that he must be divinely sent to me. “You do not happen to be Gorgias, I suppose?” said I. “No,” said he, “but Chaereas. It is Gorgias that has been your undoing.”
I could not but shiver at this, and said, “What is this undoing, and who is Gorgias? Some god communicated to me his name in the night; it is for you to be the interpreter of the heavenly message.”
“Gorgias was,” he said, “an Egyptian soldier: now he is no more, but has become the victim of the buccaneers. He fell in love with your chosen, and being naturally an expert in drugs, he prepared a love-philtre and bribed your Egyptian servant to take it and mix it in Leucippe’s drink: but the servant by a mistake administered the philtre undiluted, and it had the effect of producing madness. All this was told me yesterday by Gorgias’ servant, who was fighting by his side against the robbers; it seems that good fortune has kept him safe for you; he asks four pieces of gold to cure her, for he says that he possesses another preparation of drugs which is an antidote to the former.”
“May God bless you,” said I, “for this service you are rendering to us! Please bring hither the man of whom you speak.” He departed on this errand, while I went in to find my Egyptian, and I beat him about the face with my fist more than once or twice, shouting and saying to him, “ Tell me, what did you give to Leucippe? What is it that has made her mad?” He was greatly frightened, and related to us the whole story just as Chaereas had told it to us; so we shut him up in prison and kept him there.
[1] Κἀν τούτῳ παρῆν ὁ Χαιρέας, ἄγων τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Λέγω οὖν πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους ‘τοὺς μὲν τέτταρας χρυσοῦς ἤδη λάβετε μισθὸν ἀγαθῆς μηνύσεως: ἀκούσατε δὲ ὡς ἔχω περὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου. Ὁρᾶτε ὡς καὶ τῶν παρόντων τῇ γυναικὶ κακῶν αἴτιον γέγονε φάρμακον. [2] Οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον δὲ ἐπιφαρμάσσειν τὰ σπλάγχνα ἤδη πεφαρμαγμένα. Φέρε εἴπατε ὅ τι καὶ ἔχει τὸ φάρμακον τοῦτο, καὶ παρόντων ἡμῶν σκευάσατε: χρυσοῖ δὲ ὑμῖν ἄλλοι τέτταρες μισθός, ἄν οὕτω ποιῆτε.’ Καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ‘δίκαια’ ἔφη ‘φοβῇ: [3] τὰ δὲ ἐμβαλλόμενα κοινὰ καὶ πάντα ἐδώδιμα: αὐτὸς δὲ τούτων ἀπογεύσομαι τοσοῦτον, ὅσον κἀκείνη λάβῃ.’ Καὶ ἅμα κελεύει τινὰ πριάμενον κομίζειν, ἕκαστον εἰπών. Ὥς δὲ ταχὺ μὲν ἐκομίσθη, παρόντων δ̓ ἡμῶν συνέτριψε πάντα ὁμοῦ, δίχα διελὼν ‘τὸ μὲν αὐτὸς’ [4] ἔφη ‘πίομαι πρῶτος, τὸ δὲ δώσω τῇ γυναικί. Κοιμήσεται δὲ πάντως δἰ ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς λαβοῦσα: περὶ δὲ τὴν ἕω καὶ τὸν ὕπνον καὶ τὴν νόσον ἀπώσεται.’ Λαμβάνει δὴ τοῦ φαρμάκου πρῶτος αὐτός, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν κελεύει περὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν δοῦναι πιεῖν. [5] ‘Ἐγὼ δὲ ἄπειμι’ ἔφη ‘κοιμησόμενος: τὸ γὰρ φάρμακον οὕτω βούλεται.’ Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀπῆλθε, τοὺς τέτταρας χρυσοῦς παῤ ἐμοῦ λαβών. ‘Τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς’ ἔφην ‘δώσω, εἰ ῥαΐσει ἐκ τῆς νόσου.’
Complete Works of Achilles Tatius Page 66