χαλεπὸς δὲ ἀμφοτέροις ἦν ὁ πόλεμος, καὶ τὸ μέλλον αὐτοῦ φοβερώτερον, Ἀντωνίῳ μὲν προσδοκῶντι λιμόν· οὐκέτι γὰρ ἦν ἄνευ τραυμάτων καὶ νεκρῶν πολλῶν ἐπισιτίσασθαι· Φραάτης δὲ τοὺς Πάρθους ἐπιστάμενος πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ χειμῶνος ἔξω προσταλαιπωρεῖν καὶ θυραυλεῖν δυναμένους, ἐφοβεῖτο μὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐγκαρτερούντων καὶ παραμενόντων ἀπολίπωσιν αὐτόν, ἤδη τοῦ ἀέρος συνισταμένου μετὰ φθινοπωρινὴν ἰσημερίαν.
The war was full of hardship for both sides, and its future course was still more to be dreaded. Antony expected a famine; for it was no longer possible to get provisions without having many men wounded and killed. Phraates, too, knew that his Parthians were able to do anything rather than to undergo hardships and encamp in the open during winter, and he was afraid that if the Romans persisted and remained, his men would desert him, since already the air was getting sharp after the summer equinox.
δόλον οὖν συντίθησι τοιόνδε. Πάρθων οἱ γνωριμώτατοι περὶ τὰς σιτολογίας καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀπαντήσεις μαλακώτερον τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις προσεφέροντο, λαμβάνειν τε παριέντες αὐτοῖς ἔνια καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπαινοῦντες ὡς πολεμικωτάτων ἀνδρῶν καὶ θαυμαζομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως δικαίως.
He therefore contrived the following stratagem. Those of the Parthians who were most acquainted with the Romans attacked them less vigorously in their forays for provisions and other encounters, allowing them to take some things, praising their valour, and declaring that they were capital fighting men and justly admired by their own king.
ἐκ δὲ τούτου προσελαύνοντες ἐγγυτέρω καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἀτρέμα παραβάλλοντες ἐλοιδόρουν τὸν Ἀντώνιον, ὅτι βουλομένῳ Φραάτῃ διαλλαγῆναι καὶ φείσασθαι τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν καὶ τοσούτων ἀφορμὴν οὐ δίδωσιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς χαλεποὺς καὶ μεγάλους κάθηται πολεμίους ἀναμένων, λιμὸν καὶ χειμῶνα, δι’ ὧν ἔργον ἐστὶ καὶ προπεμπομένους ὑπὸ Πάρθων ἀποφεύγειν. πολλῶν δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Ἀντώνιον ἀναφερόντων, μαλασσόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος ὅμως οὐ πρότερον ἐπεκηρυκεύσατο πρὸς τὸν Πάρθον ἢ πυθέσθαι τῶν φιλοφρονουμένων ἐκείνων βαρβάρων εἰ τοῦ βασιλέως ταῦτα φρονοῦντος διαλέγοιντο.
After this, they would ride up nearer, and quietly putting their horses alongside the Romans, would revile Antony because, when Phraates wished to come to terms and spare so many and such excellent men, Antony would not give him an opportunity, but sat there awaiting those grievous and powerful enemies, famine and winter, which would make it difficult for them to escape even though the Parthians should escort them on their way. Many persons reported this to Antony, but though his hope inclined him to yield, he did not send heralds to the Parthians until he bad inquired of the Barbarians who were showing such kindness whether what they said represented the mind of their king.
φασκόντων δὲ καὶ παρακαλούντων μὴ δεδιέναι μηδὲ ἀπιστεῖν, ἔπεμψέ τινας τῶν ἑταίρων πάλιν τὰς σημαίας ἀξιῶν ἀπολαβεῖν καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους, ὡς δὴ μὴ παντάπασιν ἀγαπᾶν τὸ σωθῆναι καὶ διαφυγεῖν νομισθείη. τοῦ δὲ Πάρθου ταῦτα μὲν ἐᾶν κελεύοντος, ἀπιόντι δὲ εὐθὺς εἰρήνην καὶ ἀσφάλειαν εἶναι φήσαντος, ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις συσκευασάμενος ἀνεζεύγνυεν.
They assured him that it did, and urged him to have no fear or distrust, whereupon he sent some of his companions with a renewed demand for the return of the standards and the captives, that he might not be thought altogether satisfied with an escape in safety. But the Parthian told him not to urge this matter, and assured him of peace and safety as soon as he started to go away; whereupon, within a few days Antony packed up his baggage and broke camp.
ὢν δὲ καὶ δήμῳ πιθανὸς ἐντυχεῖν καὶ στρατὸν ἄγειν διὰ λόγου παρʼ ὁντινοῦν τῶν τότε πεφυκώς, ἐξέλιπεν αὐτὸς αἰσχύνῃ καὶ κατηφείᾳ τὸ παραθαρρῦναι τὸ πλῆθος, Δομίτιον δὲ Ἀηνόβαρβον ἐκέλευε τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. καί τινες μὲν ἠγανάκτησαν ὡς ὑπερορώμενοι, τὸ δὲ πλεῖστον ἐπεκλάσθη καὶ συνεφρόνησε τὴν αἰτίαν· διὸ καὶ μᾶλλον ᾤοντο δεῖν ἀνταιδεῖσθαι καὶ πείθεσθαι τῷ στρατηγῷ.
But though he was persuasive in addressing a popular audience and was better endowed by nature than any man of his time for leading an army by force of eloquence, he could not prevail upon himself, for shame and dejection of spirits, to make the usual speech of encouragement to the army, but ordered Domitius Ahenobarbus to do it. Some of the soldiers were incensed at this, and felt that he had held them in contempt; but the majority of them were moved to the heart as they comprehended the reason. Therefore they thought they ought to show all the more respect and obedience to their commander.
μέλλοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἄγειν ὀπίσω πεδινὴν καὶ ἄδενδρον οὖσαν, ἀνὴρ τῷ γένει Μάρδος, πολλὰ τοῖς Πάρθων ἤθεσιν ἐνωμιληκώς, ἤδη δὲ Ῥωμαίοις πιστὸς ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῇ περὶ τὰς μηχανὰς γεγονώς, Ἀντωνίῳ προσελθὼν ἐκέλευε φεύγειν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῶν ὀρῶν ἐπιλαβόμενον, καὶ μὴ στρατὸν ὁπλίτην καὶ βαρὺν ἐν δρόμοις γυμνοῖς καὶ ἀναπεπταμένοις ὑποβαλεῖν ἵππῳ τοσαύτῃ καὶ τοξεύμασιν,
As he was about to lead his army back by the road over which it had come, which ran through a level country without trees, a man of the Mardian race, who had great familiarity with the Parthian habits, and had already shown himself faithful to the Romans in the battle over the engines of war, came to Antony and urged him in his flight to keep close to the hills upon his right, and not to expose an encumbered army of legionaries to so large a force of mounted archers, in bare and extended tracts;
ὃ δὴ τεχνώμενον τὸν Φραάτην ἀναστῆσαι τῆς πολιορκίας αὐτὸν ὁμολογίαις φιλανθρώποις· ἔσεσθαι δὲ αὐτὸς ἡγεμὼν ὁδοῦ βραχυτέρας καὶ μᾶλλον εὐπορίαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐχούσης. ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Ἀντώνιος ἐβουλεύετο, καὶ Πάρθοις μὲν οὐκ ἐβούλετο δοκεῖν ἀπιστεῖν μετὰ σπονδάς, τὴν δὲ συντομίαν τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τὸ παρὰ κώμας οἰκουμένας ἔσεσθαι τὴν πορείαν ἐπαινῶν πίστιν ᾔτει τὸν Μάρδον.
this was the very thing, he said, which Phraates had designed when he induced him by friendly conferences to raise the siege; he himself, he said, would conduct the army by a way that was shorter and furnished a greater abundance of provisions. On hearing this, Antony took counsel with himself. He did not wish to have the appearance of distrusting the Parthians, now that a truce had been made, but since he approved of the shorter road and of having their march take them past inhabited villages, he asked the Mardian for a pledge of his good faith.
ὁ δὲ δῆσαι παρεῖχεν αὑτὸν ἄχρι οὗ καταστήσῃ τὸν στρατὸν εἰς Ἀρμενίαν, καὶ δεθεὶς ἡγεῖτο δύο ἡμέρας καθʼ ἡσυχίαν. τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ παντάπασι τοὺς Πάρθους ἀπεγνωκότος Ἀντωνιου καὶ βαδίζοντος ἀνειμένως διὰ τὸ θαρρεῖν, ἰδὼν ὁ Μάρδος ἀπόχωσιν ἐμβολῆς ποταμοῦ νεωστὶ διεσπασμένην καὶ τὸ ῥεῦμα πολὺ πρὸς τὴν ὁδόν, ᾗ πορευτέον ἦν, ἐκχεόμενον,
The Mardian offered to let himself be put in fetters until he should bring the army safely into Armenia, and he was put in fetters, and led them for two days without their encountering trouble. But on the third day, when Antony had put the Parthians entirely out of his thoughts, and was marching along in loose order because of his confidence, the Mardian noticed that a dike of the river had been recently torn away, and that the stream was flowing out in great volume towards the road over which their march must be made.
συνῆκεν ὅτι τῶν Πάρθων ἔργον εἴη τοῦτο δυσκολίας ἕνεκα καὶ διατριβῆς ἐμποδὼν αὐτοῖς τὸν ποταμὸν τιθεμένων, καὶ τὸν Ἀντώνιον ὁρᾶν ἐκέλευε καὶ προσέχειν, ὡς τῶν πολεμίων ἐγγὺς ὄντων. ἄρτι δὲ αὐτοῦ καθιστάντος εἰς τάξιν τὰ ὅπλα καὶ δι’ αὐτῶν τοῖς ἀκοντισταῖς καὶ σφενδονήταις ἐκδρομὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους παρασκευάζοντος, ἐπεφάνησαν οἱ Πάρθοι καὶ περιήλαυνον ὡς κυκλωσόμενοι καὶ συνταράξοντες πανταχόθεν τὸν στρατόν.
He comprehended that this was the work of the Parthians, throwing the river in their way to obstruct and delay the Roman march, and urged Antony to look out and be on his guard, as the enemy were near. And just as Antony was setting his legionaries in array and arranging to have his javelineers and slingers make a sally through them against the enemy, the Parthians came into view and began to ride around the army in order to envelope and throw it into confusion on all sides.
ἐκδραμόντων δὲ τῶν ψιλῶν ἐπʼ αὐτούς, πολλὰς μὲν διδόντες ἀπὸ τόξων, οὐκ ἐλάττονας δὲ ταῖς μολυβδίσι καὶ τοῖς ἀκοντίοις πληγὰς λαμβάνοντες ἀνεχώρουν· εἶτα ἐπῆγον αὖθις, ἄχρι οὗ συστρέψαντες οἱ Κελτοὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἐνέβαλον καὶ διεσκέδασαν αὐτοὺς οὐκέτι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὑπόδειγμα γενομένους.
Whenever the Roman light-armed troops sallied out against them, the Parthians would inflict many wounds with their arrows, but sustain yet more from the leaden bullets and javelins of the Romans, and therefore withdraw. Then they would come up again, until the Celts, massing their horses together, made a charge upon them and scattered them, so that they showed themselves no more that day.
ἐκ τούτου μαθὼν ὁ Ἀντώνιος ὃ ποιεῖν ἔδει, πολλοῖς ἀκοντισταῖς καὶ σφενδονήταις οὐ μόνον τὴν οὐραγίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πλευρὰς ἑκατέρας στομώσας ἐν πλαισίῳ τὸν στρατὸν ἦγε, καὶ τοῖς ἱππόταις εἴρητο προσβάλλοντας τρέπεσθαι, τρεψαμένους δὲ μὴ πόρρω διώκειν, ὥστε τοὺς Πάρθους τὰς ἐφεξῆς τέσσαρας ἡμέρας οὐθὲν πλέον δράσαντας ἢ παθόντας ἀμβλυτέρους γεγονέναι καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ποιουμένους πρόφασιν ἀπιέναι διανοεῖσθαι.
Having thus learned what he ought to do, Antony covered not only his rear, but also both his flanks, with numerous javelineers and slingers, led his army in the form of a hollow square, and gave orders to his horsemen to rout the enemy when they attacked, but after routing them not to pursue them further. Consequently the Parthians, during four successive days, suffered greater loss than they inflicted, became less eager, and made the winter an excuse for thoughts of going away.
τῇ δὲ πέμπτῃ Φλαούϊος Γάλλος, ἀνὴρ πολεμικὸς καὶ δραστήριος ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας τεταγμένος, ᾔτησεν Ἀντώνιον προσελθὼν πλείονας ψιλοὺς ἀπʼ οὐρᾶς, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος ἱππέων τινὰς ὡς μέγα κατόρθωμα ποιήσων. δόντος δὲ προσβάλλοντας ἀνέκοπτε τοὺς πολεμίους, οὐχ, ὡς πρότερον, ὑπάγων ἅμα πρὸς τοὺς ὁπλίτας καὶ ἀναχωρῶν, ἀλλὰ ὑφιστάμενος καὶ συμπλεκόμενος παραβολώτερον.
On the fifth day, however, Flavius Gallus, an efficient and able soldier in high command, came to Antony and asked him for more light-armed troops from the rear, and for some of the horsemen from the van, confident that he would achieve a great success. Antony gave him the troops, and when the enemy attacked, Gallus beat them back, not withdrawing and leading them on towards the legionaries, as before, but resisting and engaging them more hazardously.
ὁρῶντες δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ τῆς οὐραγίας ἡγεμόνες ἀπορρηγνύμενον ἐκάλουν πέμποντες· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπείθετο. Τίτιον δέ φασι τὸν ταμίαν καὶ τῶν σημαιῶν ἐπιλαβόμενον στρέφειν ὀπίσω καὶ λοιδορεῖν τὸν Γάλλον ὡς ἀπολλύντα πολλοὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας. ἀντιλοιδοροῦντος δὲ ἐκείνου καὶ διακελευομένου τοῖς περὶ αὑτὸν μένειν, ὁ μὲν Τίτιος ἀπεχώρει· τὸν δὲ Γάλλον ὠθούμενον εἰς τοὺς κατὰ στόμα λανθάνουσι πολλοὶ περισχόντες ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν.
The leaders of the rear guard, seeing that he was being cut off from them, sent and called him back; but he would not listen to them. Then, they say, Titius the quaestor laid hold of his standards and tried to turn them back, abusing Gallus for throwing away the lives of so many brave men. But Gallus gave back the abuse and exhorted his men to stand firm, whereupon Titius withdrew. Then Gallus forced his way among the enemy in front of him, without noticing that great numbers of them were enveloping him in the rear.
βαλλόμενος δὲ πανταχόθεν ἐκάλει πέμπων ἀρωγήν. οἱ δὲ τοὺς ὁπλίτας ἄγοντες, ὧν καὶ Κανίδιος ἦν, ἀνὴρ παρὰ Ἀντωνίῳ δυνάμενος μέγιστον, οὐ μικρὰ δοκοῦσι διαμαρτεῖν. δέον γὰρ ἀθρόαν ἐπιστρέψαι τὴν φάλαγγα, πέμποντες κατʼ ὀλίγους ἐπιβοηθοῦντας, καὶ πάλιν ἡττωμένων τούτων ἑτέρους ἀποστέλλοντες, ἔλαθον ὀλίγου δεῖν ἥττης καὶ φυγῆς ὅλον ἀναπλήσαντες τὸ στρατόπεδον, εἰ μὴ ταχὺ μὲν αὐτὸς Ἀντώνιος μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος ἧκεν ὑπαντιάζων, ταχὺ δὲ τὸ τρίτον τάγμα διὰ τῶν φευγόντων ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ὠσάμενον ἔσχε τοῦ πρόσω διώκειν.
But when missiles began to fall upon him from all sides, he sent and asked for help. Then the leaders of the legionaries, among whom was Canidius, a man of the greatest influence with Antony, are thought to have made no slight mistake. For when they ought to have wheeled their entire line against the enemy, they sent only a few men at a time to help Gallus, and again, when one detachment had been overcome, sent out others, and so, before they were aware of it, they came near plunging the whole army into defeat and flight. But Antony himself speedily came with his legionaries from the van to confront the fugitives, and the third legion speedily pushed its way through them against the enemy and checked his further pursuit.
ἀπέθανον δὲ τρισχιλίων οὐκ ἐλάττους, ἐκομίσθησαν δὲ ἐπὶ σκηνὰς τραυματίαι πεντακισχίλιοι· καὶ Γάλλος ἦν ἐν τούτοις, τέτταρσιν ἐναντίοις διαπεπαρμένος τοξεύμασιν. ἀλλʼ οὗτος μὲν ἐκ τῶν τραυμάτων οὐκ ἀνήνεγκε, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους περιϊὼν ὁ Ἀντώνιος ἐπεσκόπει καὶ παρεθάρρυνε δεδακρυμένος καὶ περιπαθῶν. οἱ δὲ φαιδροὶ τὴς δεξιᾶς αὐτοῦ λαμβανόμενοι παρεκάλουν ἀπιόντα θεραπεύειν αὑτὸν καὶ μὴ κακοπαθεῖν, αὐτοκράτορα καλοῦντες, καὶ σώζεσθαι λέγοντες ἂν ἐκεῖνος ὑγιαίνῃ.
There fell no fewer than three thousand, and there were carried to their tents five thousand wounded men, among whom was Gallus, who was pierced in front by four arrows. Gallus, indeed, did not recover from his wounds, but Antony went to see all the others and tried to encourage them, with tears of sympathy in his eyes. The wounded men, however, with cheerful faces, seized his hand and exhorted him to go away and take care of himself, and not to be distressed. They called him Imperator, and said that they were safe if only he were unharmed.
καθόλου μὲν γὰρ οὔτ ἀλκαῖς οὔτε ὑπομοναῖς οὔτε ἡλικίᾳ λαμπρότερον ἄλλος αὐτοκράτωρ στρατὸν ἐκείνου δοκεῖ συναγαγεῖν ἐν τοῖς τότε χρόνοις· ἡ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν αἰδὼς τὸν ἡγεμόνα καὶ πειθαρχία μετʼ εὐνοίας, καὶ τὸ πάντας ὁμαλῶς, ἐνδόξους, ἀδόξους, ἄρχοντας, ἰδιώτας, τὴν παρὰ Ἀντωνίου τιμήν τε καὶ χάριν μᾶλλον αἱρεῖσθαι τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας, οὐδὲ τοῖς πάλαι Ῥωμαίοις ἀπέλιπεν ὑπερβολήν.
For, to put it briefly, no other imperator of that day appears to have assembled an army more conspicuous for prowess, endurance, or youthful vigour. Nay, the respect which his soldiers felt for him as their leader, their obedience and goodwill, and the degree to which all of them alike—men of good repute or men of no repute, commanders or private soldiers—preferred honour and favour from Antony to life and safety, left even the ancient Romans nothing to surpass.
τούτου δὲ αἰτίαι πλείονες ἦσαν, ὡς προειρήκαμεν· εὐγένεια, λόγου δύναμις, ἁπλότης, τὸ φιλόδωρον καὶ μεγαλόδωρον, ἡ περὶ τὰς παιδιὰς καὶ τὰς ὁμιλίας εὐτραπελία. τότε δὲ καὶ συμπονῶν καὶ συναλγῶν τοῖς κακοπαθοῦσι, καὶ μεταδιδοὺς οὗ τις δεηθείη, προθυμοτέρους τῶν ἐρρωμένων τοὺς νοσοῦντας καὶ τετρωμένους ἐποίησε.
And the reasons for this were many, as I have said before: his high birth, his eloquence, his simplicity of manners, his love of giving and the largeness of his giving, his complaisance in affairs of pleasure or social intercourse. And so at this time, by sharing in the toils and distresses of the unfortunate and bestowing upon them whatever they wanted, he made the sick and wounded more eager in his service than the well and strong.
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