[16] When this very successful action was reported to Alexander, who before that had not ventured to pursue the barbarians, being now victor on both wings, he began to press after the fugitives. Not more than a thousand horsemen followed the king when the enemies’ huge army gave ground; but who in the hour of victory or of flight counts the troops? Therefore the Persians were driven like sheep by so few, and that same fear which forced them to flee now delayed them. But the Greeks who had fought on Darius side, led by Amyntas — he had been one of Alexander’s generals, but was then a deserter — being separated from the rest, had escaped, not at all in the manner of runaways. The barbarians had fled in widely differing directions: some where the direct road led to Persia, others made, by round-about ways, for the rocks and hidden defiles of the mountains, a few for the camp of Darius.’ But that camp also, rich with every kind of wealth, the victor had already entered. The soldiers had plundered a huge weight of gold and silver, the equipment, not of war, but of luxury, and since they were taking more than they could carry, the roads were strewn here and there with packs of less value, which their avarice had scorned in comparison with richer prizes.
[21] And now they had reached the women, from whom their ornaments were being torn with the greater violence the more precious they were; force and lust were not sparing even their persons. They had filled the camp with wailing and tumult of every kind, according to the fortune of each; and no form of evil was lacking, since the cruelty and licence of the victor was ranging among all ranks and ages.
[23] Then truly an example of Fortune’s tyranny might be seen, since those who had lavishly adorned Darius tent and supplied it with every luxury and form of wealth were now guarding those same treasures for Alexander, as if for their original owner. For these alone the soldiers had left untouched, since it was an established custom that they should receive the victor in the conquered king’s tent.
[24] But the captive mother and wife of Darius had turned the eyes and minds of all upon themselves, the former venerable, not alone because of her majesty, but because of her age as well; the latter because of her beauty, which was not marred even by her present lot. She had taken into her arms a son, who had not yet passed his sixth year, born to the hope of as great a fortune as his father had lost a short time before. But in the lap of their aged grandmother lay two grown-up maidens, her granddaughters, overwhelmed with grief, not for themselves merely, but also for her. About her stood a great throng of highborn women with torn hair and garments rent, forgetful of their former dignity, calling upon their queens and mistresses by titles formerly, but no longer, theirs. They, oblivious of their wretchedness, were asking on what wing Darius had stood, what had been the fortune of the battle; they said that they were not captives if the king still lived. But him, with frequent changes of horses, flight had carried far away.
[27] Now in the battle 100,000 Persian foot-soldiers were killed and 10,000 horsemen. But on Alexander’s side about 4500 were wounded, of the infantry in all 302 were missing, of the cavalry, 150 were killed. At so slight a cost was that great victory won.
Rex avidius Dareum persequendo fatigatus, postquam et nox adpetebat et consequendi spes non erat, in castra paulo ante a suis capta pervenit. [2] Invitari deinde amicos, quibus maxime adsueverat, iussit — quippe summa dumtaxat cutis in femine perstricta non prohibebat interesse convivio — , [3] cum repente e proximo tabernaculo lugubris clamor barbaro ululatu planctuque permixtus epulantes conterruit. Cohors quoque, quae excubabat ad tabernaculum regis, verita, ne maioris motus principium esset, armare se coeperat. [4] Causa subiti pavoris fuit, quod mater uxorque Darei cum captivis nobilibus regem, quem interfectum esse [p. 32] [5] credebant, ingenti gemitu eiulatuque deflebant. Unus namque e captivis spadonibus, qui forte ante ipsarum tabernaculum steterat, amiculum, quod Dareus, sicut paulo ante dictum est, ne cultu proderetur, abiecerat, in manibus eius, qui repertum ferebat, agnovit ratusque interfecto detractum esse falsum nuntium mortis eius attulerat. [6] Hoc mulierum errore conperto Alexander fortunae Darei et pietati earum inlacrimasse fertur. Ac primo Mithrenem, qui Sardis tradiderat, peritum linguae Persicae, ire ad consolandas eas iusserat: [7] veritus deinde, ne proditor captivarum iram doloremque renovaret, Leonnatum ex purpuratis suis misit iussum. indicare, falso lamentari eas vivum. Ille cum paucis armigeris in tabernaculum, in quo captivae erant, pervenit missumque se a rege nuntiari iubet. [8] At ii, qui in vestibulo erant, ut armatos conspexere, rati actum esse de dominis in tabernaculum currunt vociferantes, adesse supremam horam missosque, qui occiderent captas. [9] Itaque, ut quae nec prohibere possent nee admittere auderent, [10] nullo responso dato tacitae opperiebantur victoris arbitrium. Leonnatus expectato diu, qui se introduceret, postquam nemo procedere audebat, relictis in vestibulo satellitibus intrat in tabernaculum. Ea ipsa res turbaverat feminas, quod inrupisse, non admissus videbatur: [11] itaque mater et coniunx provolutae ad pedes orare coeperunt, ut, priusquam interficerentur, Darei corpus ipsis patrio more sepelire permitteret, functas supremo in regem officio inpigre [p. 33] esse morituras. [12] Leonnatus et vivere Dareum ait et ipsas non incolumes modo, sed etiam apparatu pristina« fortunae reginas fore. Tum demum Darei mater adlevari se passa est. [13] Alexander postero die cum cura sepultis militibus, quorum corpora invenerat, Persarum quoque nobilissimis eundem honorem haberi iubet matrique Darei permittit, quos vellet, patrio more sepeliret. [14] Illa paucos arta propinquitate coniunctos pro habitu praesentis fortunae humari iussit, apparatum funerum, quo Persae suprema officia celebrarent, invidiosum fore existimans, cum victores haud pretiose cremarentur. [15] Iamque iustis defunctorum corporibus solutis praemittit ad captivas, qui nuntiarent ipsum venire, inhibitaque comitantium turba tabernaculum cum Hephaestione intrat. [16] Is longe omnium amicorum carissimus erat regi: cum ipso pariter eductus, secretorum omnium arbiter libertatis quoque in admonendo eo non alius plus habebat, quod tamen ita usurpabat, ut magis a rege permissum quam vindicatum ab eo videretur. Et sicut aetate par erat regi, ita corporis habitu praestabat: [17] ergo reginae illum esse regem ratae suo more veneratae sunt. Inde ex captivis spadonibus, quis Alexander esset, monstrantibus Sisigambis advoluta est pedibus eius ignorationem numquam antea visi regis excusans. Quam manu adlevans rex: ‘Non errasti,’ inquit, ‘mater: nam et hic Alexander est.’ [18] Equidem hac continentia animi si ad ultimum vitae perseverare potuisset, feliciorem fuisse [p. 34] crederem, quam visus est esse, cum Liberi Patris imitaretur triumphum usque ab Hellesponto ad Oceanum omnes gentes victoria emensus. [19] Sic vicisset profecto superbiam atque iram, mala invicta, sic abstinuisset inter epulas caedibus amicorum egregiosque bello viros et tot gentium secum domitores indicta causa veritus esset occidere. [20] Sed nondum fortuna se animo eius superfuderat: ita, qui orientem tam moderate et prudenter tulit, ad ultimum magnitudinem eius non cepit. [21] Tunc quidem ita se gessit, ut omnes ante eum reges et continentia et dementia vincerentur: virgines reginas excellentis formae tam sancte habuit, quam si eodem quo ipse parente genitae forent, [22] coniugem eandemque sororem, quam nulla aetatis suae pulchritudine corporis vicit, adeo ipse non violavit, ut summam adhibuerit curam, ne quis captivo corpori inluderet. [23] Omnem cultum reddi feminis iussit, nec quicquam ex pristinae fortunae magnificentia captivis praeter fiduciam defuit. [24] Itaque Sisigambis: ‘Rex,’ inquit, ‘mereris, ut ea precemur tibi, quae Dareo nostro quondam precatae sumus, nec nostro odio dignus es, qui tantum regem non felicitate solum, sed etiam aequitate superaveris. [25] Tu quidem matrem me et reginam vocas, sed ego me tuam famulam esse confíteor. Et praeteritae fortunae fastigium capio et praesentis iugum pati possum: tua interest, quantum in nos licuerit, si id potius dementia quam saevitia vis esse testatum.’ [26] Rex bonum animum habere eis iussis Darei filium collo suo admovit, atque nihil ille conspectu tum primum a se visi conterritus cervicem eius manibus amplectitur. Motus ergo [p. 35] rex constantia pueri Hephaestionem intuens: ‘Quam vellem,’ inquit, ‘Dareus aliquid ex hac indole hausisset!’ Tum tabernaculo egressus. [27] Tribus aris in ripa Pinari amnis Iovi atque Herculi Minervaeque sacrat
is Syriam petit Damascum, ubi regis gaza erat, Parmenione praemisso.
XII. The king, wearied by his too eager pursuit of Darius, as soon as both night drew near and there was no hope of overtaking him, came to the camp which his men had shortly before captured. Then he directed that the most intimate of his friends be invited — for the grazing of the mere surface of the skin on his thigh did not prevent him from taking part in a banquet — when on a sudden a sorrowful sound from the next tent, mingled with oriental wailing and lamentation, alarmed the revellers. The cohort also which was on guard at the king’s tent, fearing est it might be the beginning of a greater commotion, had proceeded to arm itself. The reason for the sudden alarm was, that the mother and the wife of Darius, with the captive women of high rank, were mourning with great groaning and outcry for the king, whom they believed to have been killed. For a eunuch among the captives, who chanced to have stood before their tent, recognized the cloak which Darius, as was said a short time before had thrown away, in order that his dress might not betray him, in the hands of the man who had found it and was bringing it in; and thinking that it had been dragged from his slain body, he had brought a false report of his death.
[6] On hearing of this mistake of the women Alexander is said to have wept over the fortune of Darius and their affection. And at first he had ordered Mithrenes, who had surrendered Sardis and who knew the Persian language, to go and console them; then, fearing lest the sight of the traitor should renew the prisoners’ anger and grief, he sent Leonnatus, one of his court, with orders to let them know that they were wrongly grieving for a living man. Leonnatus with a few of his body-guard entered the tent in which the women were, and ordered it to be announced [8] that he had been sent by the king. But those who were in the vestibule, when they saw the armed men, thinking that it was all over with their mistresses, ran into the tent, crying that the last hour had come and that men had been sent to kill the captive women. Therefore, since they could not keep them out and did not dare to admit them, the women made no reply and in silence were awaiting the victor’s will.
[10] Leonnatus, having waited a long time for someone to invite him to enter, after no one dared to appear, left his attendants in the vestibule and went into the tent. This very action disturbed the women, because he seemed to have broken in, not to have been given audience; and so the mother and the wife, prostrating themselves at his feet, began to plead that, before they were put to death, permission should be granted to them to bury Darius’ body in their native manner; that after performing that last duty to the king they would without reluctance meet [12] death. Leonnatus said that Darius was alive, and that they would not only be unharmed, but would also be queens, retaining all the tokens of then-former fortune. Not until then did the mother of Darius suffer herself to be raised to her feet.
[13] Alexander on the following day, after having caused the soldiers whose bodies he had found to be buried with care, gave orders that the same honour should be paid to the noblest of the Persians as well, and that Darius mother be allowed to bury those whom she wished in the manner of their nation. She therefore directed that a few of her nearest of kin should be buried in accordance with the state of their present fortune, believing that the pomp of the funerals with which the Persians celebrate the last victors to the dead would be out of Place, when the victors were cremated in no costly manner. And now, alter the proper rites had been performed for the bodies of the dead, Alexander sent a messenger to the captive women that he himself was coming to them and denying admission to his throng of attendants, he entered the tent with Hephaestion. He was by far the dearest to the king of all his friends; brought up with him, and the confidant of all his secrets, he also had more freedom than anyone else in admonishing him, a privilege which he nevertheless used in such a manner that it seemed rather to be allowed by the king than claimed by himself: and ugh Hephaestion was of the same age as the king, he nevertheless excelled him in bodily stature Hence the queens, thinking that he was the king, did obeisance to him in their native fashion. Therein upon some of the captive eunuchs pointed out which was Alexander, and Sisigambis fell at his feet, begging pardon for not recognizing the king, whom she had never seen before. The king, taking her hand and raising her to her feet, said: “You were not mistaken, mother; for this man too is Alexander.” [18] And indeed, if he could have continued to practise such moderation to the end of his life, I could believe that he would have been happier than he seemed to be when he was imitating the triumphal procession of Father Liber, passing victorious over every nation all the way from the Hellespont to the Ocean.
[19] Then he would surely have mastered pride and wrath, faults which he did not conquer, thus he would have refrained from murdering his friends at banquets, and he would have feared to put to death without a trial men distinguished in warfare, and in company with him the conquerors of so many nations. But not yet had Fortune overflooded his mind. So true is it that he who bore her stream so temperately and wisely when it was rising, at the last was not able to contain her flood when it became great. But at that time, at any rate, he so conducted himself that he surpassed all former kings in continence and clemency; the royal maidens of surpassing beauty he treated with as much deference as if they had been born from the same mother as himself: the wife of Darius, who was also his sister, whom no woman of her time surpassed in personal beauty, he was so far from violating, that he took the greatest care that no one should make shameful sport of her person while she was a prisoner. He gave orders that all their ornaments should be returned to the women, and the captives lacked nothing of the splendour of their former fortune except confidence.
[24] And so Sisigambis said: “O King, you deserve that we should offer for you the same prayers which we formerly offered for our own Darius, and you do not merit our hatred, since you have surpassed so great a king, not in good fortune alone, but also in justice. You indeed call me mother and queen, but I confess that I am your handmaid. I both rise to the greatness of my past rank, and I can bear the yoke of my present lot. It is important for you that you should wish that the extent of your power over us should be attested by clemency rather than cruelty.” [26] Alexander, bidding them be of good courage, took the son of Darius in his embrace, and the child, not at all frightened at the sight of one whom he looked upon then for the first time, put his arms around his neck. Whereupon the king, touched by the boy’s fearlessness, with a glance at Hephaestion said:
How I could wish that Darius had acquired some part of such a nature.” Then he left the tent.
[27] On the bank of the river Pinarus Alexander consecrated three altars, to Jupiter, Hercules, and Minerva, and made for Damascus in Syria, where the king’s treasure was, having sent Parmenion ahead.
At ille cum praecessisse se et Darei satrapam conperisse cognosset, veritus, ne paucitas suorum sperneretur, accersere maiorem manum statuit. [2] Sed forte in exploratores ab eo praemissos incidit natione Mardus, qui ad Parmeniona perductus litteras ad Alexandrum a praefecto Damasci missas tradit ei nec dubitare eum, quin omnem regiam supellectilem cum pecunia traderet, adiecit. [3] Parmenio adservari eo iusso litteras aperit, in quis erat scriptum, ut mature Alexander aliquem ex ducibus suis mitteret cum manu exigua, cui, quae rex penes ipsum reliquisset, traderet. Itaque Mardum datis comitibus ad proditorem remittit. [4] Ille e manibus custodientium elapsus Damascum ante lucem intrat. Turbaverat ea res Parmenionis animum insidias timentis, et ignotum iter sine duce non audebat ingredi: felicitati tamen regis sui confisus agrestes, qui duces itineris essent, excipi iussit. Quibus celeriter repertis quarto die ad urbem pervenit iam metuente praefecto, ne sibi fides habita non esset. [5] Igitur quasi parum munimentis oppidi fidens ante solis ortum pecuniam regiam — [p. 36] gazam Persae vocant — cum pretiosissimis rerum efferri iubet, fugam simulans, re vera, ut praedam hosti offerret. [6] Multa milia virorum feminarumque excedentem oppido sequebantur, omnibus miserabilis turba praeter eum, cuius fidei commissa erat. Quippe, quo maior proditionis merces foret, obicere
hosti parabat gratiorem omni pecunia praedam, nobiles viros, praetorum Darei coniuges liberosque, praeter hos Graecarum urbium legatos, [7] quos Dareus, velut in arce tutissima, in proditoris reliquerat manibus. Gaugabas Persae vocant humeris onera portantes: ii cum tempestatis vim tolerare non possent — quippe et procella subito nivem effuderat, et humus rigebat gelu tum adstricta — , vestes, quas cum pecunia portabant, auro et purpura insignes induunt nullo prohibere auso, cum fortuna regis etiam humillimis in ipsum licentiam faceret. [8] Praebuere ergo Parmenioni non spernendi agminis speciem: qui intentiore cura suos quasi ad iustum proelium paucis adhortatus equis calcaria iubet subdere et acri impetu in hostem evehi. [9] At illi, qui sub oneribus erant, omissis his per metum capessunt fugam: armati quoque, qui eos prosequebantur, eodem metu arma iactare ac nota deverticula petere coeperunt. [10] Praefectus, quasi esset ipse conterritus, simulans cuncta pavore conpleverat. Iacebant totis campis opes regiae, illa pecunia stipendio ingenti militum praeparata, ille cultus tot nobilium virorum, tot inlustrium feminarum, [11] aurea vasa, aurei freni, tabernacula regali magnificentia ornata, vehicula quoque a suis destituta [p. 37] ingentis opulentiae plena, facies etiam praedantibus tristis, si qua res avaritiam moraretur. Quippe tot annorum incredibili et fidem excedente fortuna cumulata tunc alia stirpibus lacerata, alia in caenum demersa cernebantur: non sufficiebant praedantium manus praedae. [12] Iamque etiam ad eos, qui primi fugerant, ventum erat: feminae pleraeque parvos trahentes liberos ibant. Inter quas tres fuere virgines, Ochi, qui ante Dareum regnaverat, filiae, olim quidem ex fastigio paterno rerum mutatione detractae, sed tum sortem earum crudelius adgravante fortuna. [13] In eodem grege uxor quoque eiusdem Ochi fuit Oxathrisque — frater hie erat Darei — filia et coniunx Artabazi, principis purpuratorum, filiusque: [14] Hystanes fuit nomen. Pharnabazi quoque, cui summum imperium maritimae orae rex dederat, uxor cum filio excepta est, Mentoris filiae tres ac nobilissimi ducis Memnonis coniunx et filius, vixque ulla domus purpurati afuit tantae cladi. [15] Lacedaemonii et Athenienses societatis fide violata Persas secuti: Aristogiton et Dropides et Iphicrates, inter Athenienses genere famaque longe clarissimi, Lacedaemonii Pasippus et Onomastorides cum Onomante et Callicratide, hi quoque domi nobiles. [16] Summa pecuniae signatae fuit talentum n milia et sescenta, facti argenti pondus quingenta aequabat. Praeterea XXX [p. 38] milia hominum cum vn milibus iumentorum dorso onera portantium capta sunt. [17] Ceterum tantae fortunae proditorem dei ultores celeriter debita poena persecuti sunt. Namque unus e consciis eius, credo, regis vicem etiam in ilia sorte reveritus, interfecti proditoris caput ad Dareum tulit, opportunum solacium prodito: quippe et ultus inimicum erat, et nondum in omnium animis memoriam maiestatis suae exolevisse cernebat.
Delphi Complete Works of Quintus Curtius Rufus Page 78