Delphi Complete Works of Quintus Curtius Rufus

by Quintus Curtius Rufus

  VI. Darius, despairing of peace, which he had believed that he could obtain through letters and envoys, devoted his attention to recruiting his forces [2] and vigorously renewing the war. To this end he ordered the leaders of his troops to come together in Babylonia, and Bessus also, governor of the Bactriani, to muster the largest army possible and come down “[3] to him. Now the Bactriani are the most valiant among those nations, of rude dispositions and not at all inclined to the luxurious habits of the Persians; situated as they are not far from the Scythians, a nation fond of war and accustomed to live by plunder, [4] they were always in arms. But Bessus was a cause of alarm to Darius, who suspected him of treachery, because he could not with any patience be kept in a second rank; for since he aspired to royal power, treason, by which alone he could attain it, was feared.

  [5] Alexander, however, although trying to track Darius with all care, could not find out for what region he had made, because of a custom of the Persians of keeping the secrets of their kings with [6] a marvellous fidelity; not fear, not hope, can elicit a single word by which confidences are betrayed. The ancient discipline of the kings had enjoined silence on pain of death. An unbridled tongue is more severely punished than any act of wickedness, and the Magi believe that no great cause can be upheld by one who finds it hard to keep silence, which Nature has decreed to be the easiest thing for a man to do. For this reason Alexander, unaware of everything which was going on among the enemy, was besieging the city of Gaza.

  The governor of the city was Betis, a man of exceptional loyalty to his king, and he was defending strongly fortified walls with a force of only moderate size. Alexander, after examining the situation of the place,” ordered mines to be dug, since the soil, being light and easy to work, was suitable for underground operations; for the neighbouring sea throws up a great amount of sand and there are neither stones — nor sharp rocks to hinder tunnelling. Accordingly he began the work at a place which was out of sight of the defenders, and to prevent their being aware of it, he ordered towers to be moved against the walls. But the same ground was useless for moving towers, since the sinking of the sand retarded the turning of the wheels and broke down the flooring of the towers, and many men were wounded without being able to retaliate, since the toil, which was the same in moving back the towers as in pushing them forward, wore them out. Therefore the signal for retreat was sounded, and on the following day Alexander gave orders to surround the walls with a cordon of soldiers. And at sunrise, before leading forward the army, imploring the help of the gods, he performed a sacrifice in accordance with the usage of his country.

  [11] It chanced that a raven as it flew by suddenly dropped a clod “which it was carrying in its claws; when this had fallen upon the king’s head, it broke in pieces and flowed down upon him, and the bird itself perched upon the nearest tower. The tower had been smeared with bitumen and sulphur, in which the bird’s wings stuck fast, and after vainly trying to fly away it was caught by the bystanders. The event seemed important enough to warrant consulting the soothsayers, and the king’s mind was not unaffected by superstition. As a result, Aristander, in whom he had the greatest confidence, said that the destruction of the city was in fact foretold by that augury, but that there was danger that the king would sutler a wound; and so the seer warned him not to begin an attack on that day. Alexander, although he was troubled that a single city stood in his way of entering Egypt care-free, nevertheless yielded to the soothsayer and gave the signal for retreat.

  By this step the courage of the besieged was increased, and sallying forth from a gate they made an attack on the retreating Macedonians, thinking that the hesitation of the enemy would be their opportunity. But they entered battle with more impetuosity than firmness; for when they saw the standards of the Macedonians turned about, they suddenly cheeked their advance. And already the shouts of the combatants had reached the king’s ears, when, wholly unmindful of the danger which had been foretold, he nevertheless, at the entreaties of his friends, put on his corselet, which he rarely wore, and made his way to the van. On seeing him an Arab, a soldier of Darius, dared a deed greater than his fortune warranted; concealing a sword behind his shield, he fell at the king’s knees, pretending to be a deserter. Alexander bade the suppliant rise and be [16] received among his own men. But the barbarian, quickly shifting the sword to his right hand, aimed a stroke at the king’s neck; but he, avoiding the blow by a slight inclination of his body, with his sword severed the hand of the barbarian which had missed its mark, thus, as he thought, being quit of the danger with which he had been threatened for that day.

  [17] But in my opinion fate is inescapable; for while he was fighting with too great daring among the foremost, he was struck by an arrow, which was driven through his corselet and standing in his shoulder was drawn out by his physician Philip. Then a great flow of blood began, to the terror of all because the cuirass prevented them from knowing to what depth the weapon had penetrated. Alexander himself, not even changing colour, gave orders that the blood be stanched and the wound bound up. For a long time he kept his place before the very standards, either concealing the pain or overcoming it, when the blood, which had been checked shortly before, began to flow more abundantly since the bandage by which it had been kept back slipped, and the wound, which had not yet caused pain while still warm, swelled as the blood grew cold. Then he began to lose consciousness and to sink upon his knees, and those nearest to him took him in their arms and carried him to the camp. And Betis, thinking that he had been killed, returned to the city, exulting in his victory.

  [21] But Alexander, before his wound was yet wholly healed, had a mound constructed equal in height to the walls of the city, and ordered the walls to be undermined by many tunnels. Then the besieged built a new fortification up to the original height of the walls, but not even that was able to equal in height the towers erected on the enemy’s mound.

  [23] Hence the interior of the city also was exposed to missiles. The final disaster to the city was the undermining of a wall by a tunnel, and through its ruins the enemy entered the city. The king himself led the vanguard, and while he was advancing too incautiously, he was wounded in the leg by a stone. In spite of this, leaning upon his spear, although the scar of his former wound was not yet closed, he continued to fight among the foremost, inflamed also by anger, because in the siege of that city he had suffered two wounds.

  [25] Betis, after fighting a gallant battle and being exhausted by many wounds, was deserted by his men, but nevertheless fought on with equal vigour, although his armour was slippery alike with his own [26] blood and that of the enemy. But since he was the target of weapons from all sides, his strength at last gave out and he came alive into the power of the foe. When he was brought before the king, Alexander, usually an admirer of valour even in an enemy, exulting, young as he was, with insolent joy, said: “You shall not die as you have wished, but be sure that you shall suffer whatever can be devised against a captive.” Betis, gazing at the king with an expression not only undaunted but haughty, answered [28] not a word to his threats. Then Alexander cried:

  Do you not see how determined he is to keep silence? He has not bent his knee, has he? Has he uttered a word of entreaty? Yet I will overcome his silence, and, if in no other way, I will put an end to it by groans.” Then his wrath changed to frenzy, for even then his new fortune suggested foreign customs. For while Betis still breathed, thongs were passed round his ankles, he was bound to the king’s chariot, and the horses dragged him around the city, while the king boasted that in taking vengeance on an enemy he had imitated Achilles, from whom he derived his race.

  [30] There fell of the Persians and Arabians about 10,000; nor was it a bloodless victory for the Macedonians. Certain it is that the siege has become famous, not so much from the renown of the city as for the double danger to the king. He, hastening to go to Egypt, sent Amyntas with ten triremes to Macedonia, to levy new soldiers. For even in successful battles his forces were nevertheless wo
rn away, and less confidence was felt in the soldiers of the conquered nations than in those from home.

  VII. The Egyptians, hostile of old to the power of the Persians — for they believed that they had been governed avariciously and arrogantly — had taken courage at the prospect of Alexander’s coming, since they had welcomed even Amyntas although a deserter coming with authority depending on favour.

  Therefore a vast multitude of them had assembled at Pelusium, where they thought that Alexander would enter the country. And in fact six days after moving his forces from Gaza he came to that part of Egypt [3] which they now call Alexander’s Camp. From there he ordered the infantry forces to go to Pelusium, and he himself with a light-armed band of elite troops sailed up the river Nile. The Persians did not await his coming, being greatly alarmed also by the revolt [4] of the Egyptians. And already he was not far from Memphis, when Mazaces, the general of Darius who had been left in charge of the city, of his own accord crossed the river, and delivered to Alexander 800 [5] talents and all the royal furniture. From Memphis the king sailed on the same river to the interior of Egypt, and after arranging matters in such a way as to make no change in the native customs of the Egyptians, he decided to visit the oracle of Jupiter Ammon.

  [6] The journey which it was necessary to make was hardly endurable even for those who were lightly equipped and few in number; on earth and in the sky there is scarcity of water; it is a flat waste of barren sands. When the burning sun inflames these, intolerable heat results and the fiery soil scorches the soles of [7] the feet, and one has to contend, not only against the high temperature and dryness of the region, but also the extreme tenaciousness of the coarse sand, through which, as it is very deep and gives way beneath the [8] step, the feet toil with difficulty. These troubles the Egyptians in fact exaggerated; but yet a great longing plied spurs to the king’s purpose of visiting Jupiter, whom he, not content with mortal eminence, either believed, or wished men to believe, to be the founder of his race. Therefore, with those whom he had decided to take with him he went down the river to the Mareotic Lake. Thither envoys from Cyrenê brought gifts, and asked for peace and for a visit to their cities. He accepted the gifts and after concluding friendship with them continued to pursue his intended journey.

  [10] And indeed on the first and the following day the toil seemed endurable, since the solitudes to which they had come were not yet so desolate and barren, [11] yet the land was already sterile and moribund. But when plains covered with deep sand disclosed themselves, just as if they had entered a vast sea, they [12] looked in vain for land; not a tree, not a trace of cultivated soil met the eye. The water also, which camels had carried in leather bottles, gave out, and there was none to be found in the dry soil and burning sand. Besides this, the sun had made everything fiery-hot, their mouths were dry and parched, when suddenly — whether that was a gift of the gods or mere chance — the sky was overcast with clouds which hid the sun, a great help to those worn out by the heat, even if water were lacking. But indeed, when storms poured out copious rain also, each man received it in his own way; some, beside themselves with thirst, even began to try to catch it in their open mouths. Four days were spent in traversing desert wastes.

  And now they were not far from the abode of the oracle, when a great flock of ravens met the army; flying at a moderate speed before the van, they now lighted on the ground when the line advanced more slowly, now raised themselves on their wings, as if acting as guides and showing the way. At length they arrived at the abode consecrated to the god. Incredible to relate, although situated amid desert wastes, it is so covered on all sides by encircling branches that the sun barely penetrates their dense shade, and many founts of sweet water, flowing in all directions, nourish the woods. A wonderful mildness of climate too, very like the warmth of spring, continues through all seasons of the year with like whole someness. The nearest neighbours of the place, to the east, are of the Ethiopian race. Towards the south they face in the direction of those Arabians whose name is the Trogodytes; the land of these extends as far as the Red Sea. But where the slope is towards the west, other Ethiopians dwell, whom they call the Snub-nosed. To the north are the Nasamones, a race of the Syrtes enriched from the spoils of ships; for they beset the shores, and since they know the shoals, seize the vessels which are stranded by the shifting sea. The dwellers in the grove, whom they call Ammonii, live in scattered huts; the middle of the grove they hold as a citadel, surrounded by three walls. The first of these enclosed the ancient palace of their kings, within the next their wives lived with their children and concubines; here also is the oracle of the god; the outermost fortification was the abode of the attendants and the men-at-arms.

  There is also another grove of Ammon; in the middle of it is a fountain — they call it the water of the Sun — ; at daybreak its flow is lukewarm, in the middle of the day, which is very hot indeed, the same fount is cold, as the day inclines towards evening it grows warmer, in the middle of the night it boils forth hot, and as the night approaches nearer to dawn, it decreases greatly from its nocturnal heat, until at daybreak it cools off to its normal temperature.

  What is worshipped as the god does not have the same form that artificers have commonly given to the deities; its appearance is very like that of a navel fastened in a mass of emeralds and other gems.

  When an oracle is sought, the priests carry this in a golden boat with many silver cups hanging from both sides of the boat; matrons and maidens follow, singing in the native manner a kind of rude song, by which they believe Jupiter is propitiated and led to give a trustworthy response.

  At the time we are describing, as the king drew near, the eldest of the priests called him son, declaring that his father Jupiter gave him that name. Alexander indeed said that he accepted and acknowledged it, forgetful of his human condition. He then asked whether the rule of the whole world was destined for him by the fates. The prophet, equally disposed to flattery, answered that he would be the ruler of all lands. After this the king went on to inquire whether all the murderers of his father had paid the penalty. The priest said that his father could suffer from no man’s crime, but that for the crime against Philip all had suffered punishment; he added that Alexander would be invincible till he departed to join the gods.” Then, after sacrifice had been offered, gifts were given both to the priests and to the god, and the king’s friends also were allowed to consult Jupiter. They asked nothing more than whether the god authorized them to pay divine honours to their king. The prophets replied that this also would be acceptable to Jupiter.

  [29] In the light of a genuine and entirely sane appraisal, these unquestionably vague responses of the oracle would have brought ridicule upon its trustworthiness, but Fortune makes those whom she has forced to have confidence in herself alone more eager as a rule for glory than big enough to have room for it. Accordingly, Alexander not only allowed himself to be called the son of Jupiter, but even ordered it, and thus while he wished to increase the renown of his exploits by such a title, he really [31] spoilt it. And the Macedonians, accustomed, it is true, to the rule of a king, but living in the shadow of a greater freedom than the other peoples, opposed his claim to immortality more stubbornly than was expedient either for themselves or for their [32] king. But instances of this may be reserved each for its appropriate time. Now I shall proceed with the rest of my narrative.

  VIII. Alexander, as he returned from Ammon, came to the Mareotic Lake, situated not far from the island of Pharos. Contemplating the nature of the place, he had decided at first to build a city on the [2] island itself; then, as it was apparent that the island was not large enough for a great settlement, he chose for the city the present site of Alexandria, which derives its name from that of its founder. Embracing all the ground between the Lake and the sea, he planned a circuit of eighty stadia for the walls, and having left men to take charge of building the city, he went to Memphis. A desire that was not really unreasonable, but untimely, had seized him to visit not only
the interior of Egypt, but also Ethiopia; eager as he was to become acquainted with ancient remains, the celebrated palace of Memnon and Tithonus was drawing him almost beyond the limits of the sun.

  But the imminent war, of which a much greater burden remained, had put an end to the season for leisurely travel. Therefore he put Aeschylus the Rhodian and Peucestes the Macedonian in charge of Egypt, giving them 4000 soldiers for the defence of that region, and ordered Polemon to defend the mouths of the Nile; for this purpose thirty triremes were given. Then Apollonius was put in command of the part of Africa which is adjacent to Egypt, and Cleomenes was made collector of the tributes of that part of Africa and of Egypt. Having ordered inhabitants of the neighbouring cities to move to Alexandria, he filled the new city with a great population. It is reported that when the king had marked out the circuit of the new city with peeled barley, as is the custom of the Macedonians, flocks of birds flew to the spot and ate the barley; and when that was regarded by many as a bad omen, the seers predicted that a great number of new-comers would dwell in that city, and that it would furnish sustenance to many lands.