observed, that it is easier to find fault with the uncertainty in the description of distant countries, than to correct them; and that subsequent experience has as often tended to confirm as to refute the wonders which the earlier observers described. We have, in our notes, fully discussed and traced to their proper sources the false conceptions which the companions of Alexander themselves formed concerning the situation of the countries on the Jaxartes, in the east of the Caspian Sea. Curtius, who wrote in Rome, and followed the Greek original of Clitarchus, might perhaps, by dint of serious research, have corrected the errors of his predecessors; but such researches about countries which were far beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire, were not to the taste of those ancient authors, who wrote for the entertainment and moral instruction of their readers. Sallust, Livy, and Tacitus, have made similar blunders; and considering that the countries described by them were not so far distant, their mistakes are even more surprising.

With respect to the judgment of the moral character of Alexander the Great, we find our author quite in accordance with truth, and with the most faithful accounts of that noble character: he is a sincere admirer of his greatness and the wonderful energy of his mind, without passing over the faults which youth and passion fostered in him, and which were ripened by flattery on the one hand, and obstinate resistance on the other. We have no doubt that the study of this work will afford much useful nutriment to the young mind. To the scholar who wishes to form a distinct idea of that memorable period it is indispensable, as are also the military history of Arrian, the interesting biography of Plutarch, and the dry historical skeleton in Diodorus, who indeed follows the same Greek author as Curtius, but in a different spirit.

Q. CURTII RUFI

DE GESTIS

ALEXANDRI MAG NI,

REGIS MACEDONUM.

LIBER III.

ALEXANDER, the great hero of this work, succeeded to the crown of his father Philip, king of Macedonia, in the twenty-first year of his age. After securing his supremacy in Greece, he commenced, in the spring of 334 B. C., a war, the object of which was the conquest of Asia. He crossed the Hellespont, routed on the river Granicus an army which was brought against him by the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, took the cities of Sardis, Ephesus, Miletus, and Halicarnassus, and compelled the whole of the western and southern coast, as far as Sida (Side), to submit to his arms. In the beginning of the spring of 333 B. c. he marched into Phrygia Major, a territory in the interior of Asia Minor, and ordered the whole Macedonian army to be concentrated at Gordium, the capital of that district. This is the point at which the narrative of Curtius begins, in the Third Book of his history, the first two books being lost.

(1) Alexander comes to Celaenae, and makes arrangements for occupying the citadel. (2) He assembles his army in Gordium, the capital of Phrygia. He cuts the celebrated Gordian knot with his sword. (3) After making arrangements for the security of the seacoast of Asia Minor, he advances to Ancyra, proceeds to Paphlagonia, and enters Cappadocia. (4) The great king Darius musters his troops near Babylon. (5) Charidemus, an exiled Athenian, frankly shows to him the superiority of the Macedonian army, and pays for his candour with his life. (6) Darius, however, is troubled by dreams, which are variously interpreted by the soothsayers. (7 and 8) The pomp of the royal army when on its march is described. (9) Alexander marches through Cappadocia, and arrives

at the pass of Cilicia, which, neglected by the Persian leaders, is given up by the weak and deserted garrison to whose care it has been committed. (10) Description of Cilicia. (11) Alexander, while proceeding through the undefended passes, praises his good fortune, though he himself displayed the greatest prudence and foresight during the march. He enters Tarsus. (12) Alexander, whilst heated, bathes in the river Cydnus: his body becomes benumbed, and to the great grief of his army, he is carried away for dead. (13) On returning to his senses, he asks for a powerful medicine to hasten his recovery, saying that he would rather die than remain inactive at that decisive moment. (14) His own physician, Philip, promises to prepare such a medicine for him. In the meantime, Alexander receives a letter from Parmenio, warning him to beware of the treachery of his physician. Alexander, after an inward conflict, resolves to keep the letter secret. (15) When Philip brings him the potion, he drinks it without any signs of alarm, and then hands him the letter. The indignation of the physician shows his consciousness of innocence. (16) The result justifies the king's confidence. In three days he is able to appear again at the head of his troops. The Macedonians, from their great veneration for their kings in general, and their affection and admiration for Alexander in particular, publicly thank Philip. (17) Alexander takes Soli, and there celebrates games in gratitude for his recovery. He then goes to Mallos, and afterwards, having sent Parmenio on before, to Issus. In accordance with the opinion of his council of war, he resolves to give battle in this neighbourhood. (18) Sisenes, a Persian in the Macedonian army, is suspected of treachery, and, though innocent, is put to death. (19) Darius rejects the advice of the Greeks in his service, to offer battle in Mesopotamia, or at least to divide his forces. (20) Leaving the heavy baggage at Damascus, he leads his army towards Cilicia, goes through the pass of Mons Amanus (Pylae Amanicae), and arrives at Issus, which, however, the Macedonians have already left, having gone through the Cilician gates into Syria. (21) After the receipt of this intelligence, Alexander retraces his steps, and arrives in the neighbourhood of Darius's camp at Issus. (22) Darius is surprised: having ordered a division of his army to cross the river Pinarus, and oppose the Macedonians, he settles his plan of operation. (23) His order of battle is described. (24) Alexander's order of battle. (25) Alexander encourages the various divisions of his army. (26) The armies meet-the battle commences. (27) Alexander presses hard upon Darius; the Persians fall around their sovereign; Darius leaves his chariot, mounts a horse which is kept ready for him, and flees. (28) General flight of the Persian army. Their camp is plundered, the royal tent alone being spared (29), in which are the family of Darius, plunged in grief. The total loss on both sides is stated. (30) Alexander returns from the pursuit, and sends Leonnatus to the royal ladies, who are mistakenly bewailing the death of Darius. (31) He visits them himself, accompanied by Hephaes

tion, and consoles them. (32) He displays the utmost forbearance and respect towards the mother, wife, and children of Darius. (33) Parmenio, who has been sent out in pursuit, is invited to Damascus by the treacherous commandant of that city, who promises to give up, without resistance, all that King Darius has left there. (34) Parmenio undertakes this expedition, and obtains an immense quantity of booty (35), and a great many prisoners of distinction. The traitor, however, receives the due reward of his deeds, at the hand of one of the betrayed.

INTER haec Alexander, ad conducendum ex Peloponneso militem1 Cleandro cum pecunia misso, Lyciae Pamphyliaeque rebus compositis, ad urbem Celaenas2 exercitum admovit. Media illa tempestate moenia interfluebat_Marsyas amnis, fabulosis Graecorum carminibus inclitus. Fons ejus ex summo montis cacumine excurrens in subjectam petram magno strepitu aquarum cadit: inde diffusus circumjectos rigat campos, liquidus et suas dumtaxat undas trahens. Itaque color ejus placido mari similis locum poëtarum mendacio fecit: quippe traditum est, Nymphas amore amnis retentas in illa rupe considere. Ceterum quamdiu intra muros fluit, nomen suum retinet: at cum extra munimenta se evolvit, majore vi ac mole agentem undas Lycum appellant. Alexander quidem urbem destitutam a suis intrat, arcem vero, in quam confugerant, oppugnare adortus, caduceatorem praemisit, qui denuntiaret, ni dederent, ipsos ultima esse passuros. Illi caduceatorem in turrem, et situ et opere multum editam, perductum, quanta esset altitudo, intueri jubent, ac nuntiare Alexandro, non eadem ipsum et incolas aestimatione munimenta metiri: se scire inexpugnabiles esse; ad ultimum, pro fide morituros. Ceterum ut circumsideri arcem et omnia sibi in dies artiora esse vide

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1 Greek mercenaries were usually enlisted in the Peloponnesus, and particularly in Arcadia. As to miles used in the singular in a collective sense, see Zumpt, § 364.

2 A city of Phrygia Major, the inhabitants of which were afterwards transplanted to the neighbouring town of Apamea. It is to this fact that the remark in the next clause refers: at that time' (illa tempestate) the Marsyas flowed through the middle of the city.' The Marsyas falls into the Maeander, which flows westward, and discharges itself into the Aegean Sea.

3 Supply arcem.

The more common form of the accusative is turrim, ablative turri; but turrem and turre are also used by classical writers. See Gram. 64, and Curt. iv. 19 and 26.

The adjective artus, confined, narrow, is originally, without doubt, a participle of the verb arcere. The word was neither pronounced nor written arctus, but, by the elision of the c, artus.

runt, sexaginta dierum inducias pacti, ut, nisi intra eos auxilium Dareus' ipse misisset, dederent urbem: postquam nihil inde praesidii mittebatur, ad praestitutam diem2 permisere se regi. Superveniunt deinde legati Atheniensium, petentes, ut capti apud Granicum amnem redderentur sibi.3 Ille non hos modo, sed etiam ceteros Graecos restitui suis jussurum respondit, finito Persico bello.

2. Ceterum Dareo imminens, quem nondum Euphraten1 superasse cognoverat, undique omnes copias contrahit, totis viribus tanti belli discrimen aditurus. Phrygia erat, per quam ducebatur exercitus; pluribus vicis, quam urbibus frequens. Tunc habebat nobilem quondam Midae regiam: Gordium nomen est urbi, quam Sangarius amnis interfluit, pari intervallo Pontico et Cilicio mari distantem.5 Inter haec maria angustissimum Asiae spatium esse comperimus, utroque in artas fauces compellente terram. Quae quia continente adhaeret, sed magna ex parte cingitur fluctibus, speciem insulae praebet, ac nisi tenue discrimen objiceret, quae nunc dividit, maria committeret. Alexander, urbe in dicionem suam redacta, Jovis templum intrat. lum, quo Gordium Midae patrem vectum esse constabat, aspexit, cultu haud sane a vilioribus vulgatisque usu abhorrens. Notabile erat jugum astrictum compluribus nodis in semetipsos implicatis, et celantibus nexus. Incolis deinde affirmantibus, editam essé oraculo sortem, Asiae potiturum,

Vehicu

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The Greek form of this word is Aapcios. As the Latins did not use the diphthong ei, they changed it in some words into i, in others into e; and this name is always written in the best manuscripts of Latin authors, Dareus.

2 Dies, feminine in the sense of an appointed day.

Most of the states of Greece had yielded to the supremacy of the Macedonians. Many Athenians, indignant at this, had entered the Persian service; and it is to those of this class who had been taken prisoners that the text refers. Alexander was not unmerciful: he gave the prisoners their liberty before the end of the war. See lib. iv. 34.

In reference to this Greek accusative of the words in es, which in Greek are declined by the first declension, genitive ov, but in Latin by the third, genitive is, see Gram. § 55, note 5.

A glance at the map shows that this is only roughly correct. This word is also written ditio, but it is derived from dicere, and the spelling with c is confirmed by the best manuscripts. The same may be said of condicio, which is usually, but incorrectly, written conditio.

Not very different in its outward appearance.' Abhorrere has not so strong a signification as its derivation from horreo might induce us to believe. It is frequently no more than diversum esse. As to potior with genitive, see Gram. $ 300, notė.