τοὺς μέντοι πολεμίους ἀπαγορεύοντας ἤδη καὶ κάμνοντας οὕτως ἐπῆρεν ἡ νίκη καὶ τοσοῦτον τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατεφρόνησαν ὥστε καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπαυλίσασθαι τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, προσδοκῶντας αὐτίκα μάλα σκηνὰς ἐρήμους καὶ χρήματα διαρπάσειν ἀποδιδρασκόντων.
The enemy, however, who had been already worn out and inclined to abandon their task, were so elated by their victory, and so despised the Romans, that they even bivouacked for the night near their camp, expecting very soon to be plundering the empty tents and the baggage of runaways.
ἅμα δʼ ἡμέρᾳ πολὺ πλείονες ἐπηθροίζοντο, καὶ λέγονται τετρακισμυρίων οὐκ ἐλάττονες ἱππόται γενέσθαι, βασιλέως καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ἀεὶ τεταγμένους ὡς ἐπὶ σαφεῖ καὶ βεβαίῳ κατορθώματι πέμψαντος· αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ οὐδεμιᾷ μάχῃ παρέτυχεν. Ἀντώνιος δὲ βουλόμενος προσαγορεῦσαι τοὺς στρατιώτας ᾔτησε φαιὸν ἱμάτιον, ὡς οἰκτρότερος ὀφθείη. τῶν δὲ φίλων ἐναντιωθέντων ἐν τῇ στρατηγικῇ φοινικίδι προελθὼν ἐδημηγόρησε, τοὺς μὲν νενικηκότας ἐπαινῶν, ὀνειδίζων δὲ τοὺς φυγόντας.
At daybreak, too, they gathered for attack in far greater numbers, and there are said to have been no fewer than forty thousand horsemen, since their king had sent even those who were always arrayed about his person, assured that it was to manifest and assured success; for the king himself was never present at a battle. Then Antony, wishing to harangue his soldiers, called for a dark robe, that he might be more pitiful in their eyes. But his friends opposed him in this, and he therefore came forward in the purple robe of a general and made his harangue, praising those who had been victorious, and reproaching those who had fled.
τῶν δὲ οἱ μὲν παρεκελεύοντο θαρρεῖν, οἱ δὲ ἀπολογούμενοι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς παρεῖχον, εἴτε βούλοιτο δεκατεύειν, εἴτε ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ κολάζειν· μόνον παύσασθαι δυσφοροῦντα καὶ λυπούμενον ἐδέοντο. πρὸς ταῦτα τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείνας ἐπεύξατο τοῖς θεοῖς, εἴ τις ἄρα νέμεσις τὰς πρόσθεν εὐτυχίας αὐτοῦ μέτεισιν, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν, τῷ δʼ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ σωτηρίαν διδόναι καὶ νίκην.
The former exhorted him to be of good courage, and the latter, by way of apology for their conduct, offered themselves to him for decimation, if he wished, or for any other kind of punishment; only they begged him to cease being distressed and vexed. In reply, Antony lifted up his hands and prayed the gods that if, then, any retribution were to follow his former successes, it might fall upon him alone, and that the rest of the army might be granted victory and safety.
τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ φραξάμενοι βέλτιον προῆγον· καὶ τοῖς Πάρθοις ἐπιχειροῦσι πολὺς ἀπήντα παράλογος. οἰόμενοι γὰρ ἐφʼ ἁρπαγὴν καὶ λεηλασίαν, οὐ μάχην, ἐλαύνειν, εἶτα πολλοῖς βέλεσιν ἐντυγχάνοντες, ἐρρωμένους δὲ καὶ νεαλεῖς ταῖς προθυμίαις ὁρῶντες, αὖθις ἐξέκαμνον.
On the following day they went forward under better protection; and the Parthians met with a great surprise when they attacked them. For they thought they were riding up for plunder and booty, not battle, and when they encountered many missiles and saw that the Romans were fresh and vigorous and eager for the fray, they were once more tired of the struggle.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καταβαίνουσιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ λόφων τινῶν ἐπικλινῶν ἐπέθεντο καὶ βραδέως ὑπεξάγοντας ἔβαλλον, ἐπιστρέψαντες οἱ θυρεοφόροι συνέκλεισαν εἴσω τῶν ὅπλων τοὺς ψιλούς, αὐτοὶ δὲ καθέντες εἰς γόνυ προὐβάλοντο τοὺς θυρεούς· οἱ δὲ ὄπισθεν ὑπερέσχον αὐτῶν τὰ ὅπλα κἀκείνων ὁμοίως ἕτεροι. τὸ δὲ σχῆμα παραπλήσιον ἐρέψει γινόμενον ὄψιν τε θεατρικὴν παρέχει, καὶ τῶν προβλημάτων στεγανώτατόν ἐστι πρὸς τοὺς ὀϊστοὺς ἀπολισθαίνοντας.
However, as the Romans were descending some steep hills, the Parthians attacked them and shot at them as they slowly moved along. Then the shield-bearers wheeled about, enclosing the lighter armed troops within their ranks, while they themselves dropped on one knee and held their shields out before them. The second rank held their shields out over the heads of the first, and the next rank likewise. The resulting appearance is very like that of a roof, affords a striking spectacle, and is the most effective of protections against arrows, which glide off from it.
οἱ μέντοι Πάρθοι τὴν εἰς γόνυ κλίσιν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀπαγόρευσιν ἡγούμενοι καὶ κάματον εἶναι, τὰ μὲν τόξα κατέθεντο, τοὺς δὲ κοντοὺς διαλαβόντες ἐγγὺς προσέμιξαν. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι συναλαλάξαντες ἐξαίφνης ἀνέθορον, καὶ τοῖς ὑσσοῖς παίοντες ἐκ χειρὸς ἔκτεινάν τε τοὺς πρώτους καὶ τροπὴν ἔθεντο τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. ἐγίνετο δὲ ταῦτα καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἡμέραις ἐπὶ μικρὸν ἀνυόντων τῆς ὁδοῦ.
The Parthians, however, thinking that the Romans dropping on one knee was a sign of fatigue and exhaustion, laid aside their bows, grasped their spears by the middle and came to close quarters. But the Romans, with a full battle cry, suddenly sprang up, and thrusting with their javelins slew the foremost of the Parthians and put all the rest to rout. This happened also on the following days as the Romans, little by little, proceeded on their way.
καὶ λιμὸς ἥπτετο τοῦ στρατοῦ σῖτόν τε βραχὺν καὶ διὰ μάχης ποριζομένου καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἄλετον σκευῶν οὐκ εὐποροῦντος. τὰ γὰρ πολλὰ κατελείπετο, τῶν μὲν ἀποθνησκόντων ὑποζυγίων, τῶν δὲ τοὺς νοσοῦντας καὶ τραυματίας φερόντων. λέγεται δὲ χοῖνιξ Ἀττικὴ πυρῶν πεντήκοντα δραχμῶν ὤνιος γενέσθαι· τοὺς δὲ κριθίνους ἄρτους πρὸς ἀργύριον ἱστάντες ἀπεδίδοντο.
Famine also attacked the army, which could provide itself with little grain even by fighting, and was not well furnished with implements for grinding. These had been abandoned, for the most part, since some of the beasts of burden died, and the others had to carry the sick and wounded. It is said that one attic choenix of wheat brought fifty drachmas; and loaves of barley bread were sold for their weight in silver.
τραπόμενοι δὲ πρὸς λάχανα καὶ ῥίζας ὀλίγοις μὲν ἐνετύγχανον τῶν συνήθων, ἀναγκαζόμενοι δὲ πειρᾶσθαι καὶ τῶν ἀγεύστων πρότερον ἥψαντό τινος πόας ἐπὶ θάνατον διὰ μανίας ἀγούσης. ὁ γὰρ φαγὼν οὐδὲν ἐμέμνητο τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲ ἐγίνωσκεν, ἓν δʼ ἔργον εἶχε, κινεῖν καὶ στρέφειν πάντα λίθον, ὥς τι μεγάλης σπουδῆς ἄξιον διαπραττόμενος.
Resorting, therefore, to vegetables and roots, they could find few to which they were accustomed, and were compelled to make trial of some never tasted before. Thus it was that they partook of an herb which produced madness, and then death. He who ate of it had no memory, and no thought for anything else than the one task of moving or turning every stone, as if he were accomplishing something of great importance.
ἦν δὲ μεστὸν τὸ πεδίον κεκυφότων χαμᾶζε καὶ τοὺς λίθους περιορυττόντων καὶ μεθιστάντων· τέλος δὲ χολὴν ἐμοῦντες ἔθνησκον, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ μόνον ἀντιπαθές, οἶνος, ἐξέλιπε. φθειρομένων δὲ πολλῶν καὶ τῶν Πάρθων οὐκ ἀφισταμένων πολλάκις ἀναφθέγξασθαι τὸν Ἀντώνιον ἱστοροῦσιν, ὦ μύριοι, θαυμάζοντα τοὺς μετὰ Ξενοφῶντος, ὅτι καὶ πλείονα καταβαίνοντες ὁδὸν ἐκ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας καὶ πολλαπλασίοις μαχόμενοι πολεμίοις ἀπεσώθησαν.
The plain was full of men stooping to the ground and digging around the stones or removing them; and finally they would vomit bile and die, since the only remedy, wine, was not to be had. Many perished thus, and the Parthians would not desist, and Antony, as we are told, would often cry: O the Ten Thousand! thereby expressing his admiration of Xenophon’s army, which made an even longer march to the sea from Babylon, and fought with many times as many enemies, and yet came off safe.
οἱ δὲ Πάρθοι διαπλέξαι μὲν οὐ δυνάμενοι τὸν στρατὸν οὐδὲ διασπάσαι τὴν τάξιν, ἤδη δὲ πολλάκις ἡττημένοι καὶ πεφευγότες, αὖθις εἰρηνικῶς ἀνεμίγνυντο τοῖς ἐπὶ χιλὸν ἢ σῖτον προερχομένοις, καὶ τῶν τόξων τὰς νευρὰς ἐπιδεικνύντες ἀνειμένας, ἔλεγον ὡς αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀπίασιν ὀπίσω καὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦνται πέρας ἀμύνης, ὀλίγοι δὲ Μήδων ἀκολουθήσουσιν ἔτι μιᾶς ἢ δευτέρας ὁδὸν ἡμέρας οὐδὲν παρενοχλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀπωτέρω κώμας φυλάττοντες.
And now the Parthians, unable to throw the army into confusion or break up its array, but many times already defeated and put to flight, began once more to mingle peaceably with the men who went out in search of fodder or grain, and pointing to their unstrung bows would say that they themselves were going back, and that this was the end of their retaliation, although a few Medes would still follow the Romans one or two days’ march, not molesting them at all, but merely protecting the more outlying villages.
τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις ἀσπασμοί τε καὶ φιλοφροσύναι προσῆσαν, ὥστε πάλιν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους εὐθαρσεῖς γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν Ἀντώνιον ἀκούσαντα τῶν πεδίων ἐφίεσθαι μᾶλλον, ἀνύδρου λεγομένης εἶναι τῆς διὰ τῶν ὀρῶν. οὕτω δὲ ποιεῖν μέλλοντος ἧκεν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ὄνομα Μιθριδάτης, ἀνεψιὸς Μοναίσου τοῦ παρʼ Ἀντωνίῳ γενομένου καὶ τὰς τρεῖς πόλεις δωρεὰν λαβόντος. ἠξίου δὲ αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν τινα τῶν Παρθιστὶ διαλεχθῆναι δυναμένων ἢ Συριστί.
To these words they added greetings and acts of friendliness, so that once more the Romans became full of courage, and Antony, when he heard about it, was more inclined to seek the plains, since the way through the mountains was said to be waterless. But as he was about to do this, there came a man to the camp from the enemy, Mithridates by name, a cousin of the Monaeses who had been with Antony and had received the three cities as a gift. Mithridates asked that someone should come to him who could speak the Parthian or Syrian language.
καὶ προσελθόντος Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Ἀντιοχέως, ὃς ἦν Ἀντωνίῳ συνήθης, ὑπειπὼν ὃς εἴη, καὶ Μοναίσῃ τὴν χάριν ἀνάπτων, ἠρώτησε τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον εἰ λόφους συνεχεῖς καὶ ὑψηλοὺς ὁρᾷ πρόσωθεν. φήσαντος δὲ ὁρᾶν, ὑπʼ ἐκείνοις, ἔφη πανστρατιᾷ Πάρθοι λοχῶσιν ὑμᾶς.
So Alexander of Antioch came to him, being a close friend of Antony, whereupon Mithridates, after explaining who he was, and attributing to Monaeses the favour now to be shown, asked Alexander if he saw a range of lofty hills on beyond. Alexander said he did see them. Under those hills, said Mithridates, the Parthians with all their forces are lying in ambush for you.
τὰ γὰρ μεγάλα πεδία τῶν λόφων τούτων ἐξήρτηται, καὶ προσδοκῶσιν ὑμᾶς ἐξηπατημένους ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα τρέψεσθαι, τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀρῶν ἀπολιπόντας. ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν ἔχει δίψος καὶ πόνον ὑμῖν συνήθη, ταύτῃ δὲ χωρῶν Ἀντώνιος ἴστω τὰς Κράσσου τύχας αὐτὸν ἐκδεχομένας.
For the great plains adjoin these hills, and they expect that you will be beguiled by them into turning in that direction and leaving the road through the mountains. That road, it is true, involves thirst and hard labour, to which you are now accustomed; but if Antony proceeds by way of the plains, let him know that the fate of Crassus awaits him.
ὁ μὲν οὕτω φράσας ἀπῆλθεν· Ἀντώνιος δὲ ἀκούσας καὶ διαταραχθεὶς συνεκάλει τοὺς φίλους καὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα τῆς ὁδοῦ Μάρδον οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἄλλως φρονοῦντα. καὶ γὰρ ἄνευ πολεμίων ἐγίνωσκε τὰς διὰ τῶν πεδίων ἀνοδίας καὶ πλάνας χαλεπὰς καὶ δυστεκμάρτους οὔσας, τὴν δὲ τραχεῖαν ἀπέφαινεν οὐδὲν ἄλλο δυσχ ερὲς ἢ μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἀνυδρίαν ἔχουσαν.
After giving this information the man went away, and Antony, who was much troubled by what he now heard, called together his friends and his Mardian guide, who was himself of the same opinion as their visitor. For he knew that even were there no enemy the lack of roads through the plains would involve them in blind and grievous wanderings, and he showed them that the rough road through the mountains had no other annoyance than lack of water for a single day.
οὕτω δὴ τραπόμενος ταύτην ἦγε νυκτός, ὕδωρ ἐπιφέρεσθαι κελεύσας. ἀγγείων δὲ ἦν ἀπορία τοῖς πολλοῖς· διὸ καὶ τὰ κράνη πιμπλάντες ὕδατος ἐκόμιζον, οἱ δὲ διφθέραις ὑπολαμβάνοντες. ἤδη δὲ προχωρῶν ἀγγέλλεται τοῖς Πάρθοις καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἔτι νυκτὸς ἐδίωκον. ἡλίου δὲ ἀνίσχοντος ἥπτοντο τῶν ἐσχάτων ἀγρυπνίᾳ καὶ πόνῳ κακῶς διακειμένων· τεσσαράκοντα γὰρ καὶ διακοσίους ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ σταδίους κατηνύκεισαν· καὶ τὸ μὴ προσδοκῶσιν οὕτω ταχέως ἐπελθεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους ἀθυμίαν παρεῖχε.
Accordingly, Antony took this route and led his army along by night, after ordering his men to carry water with them. The greater part of them, however, had no Vessels, and therefore some actually filled their helmets with water and carried them, while others took it in skins. But word was at once brought to the Parthians that Antony was advancing, and contrary to their custom they set out in pursuit while it was yet night. Just as the sun was rising they came up with the rear-guard of the Romans, which was foredone with sleeplessness and toil; for they had accomplished two hundred and forty furlongs in the night. Moreover, they did not expect that the enemy would come upon them so quickly, and were therefore disheartened.
καὶ τὸ δίψος ἐπέτεινεν ὁ ἀγών· ἀμυνόμενοι γὰρ ἅμα προῆγον. οἱ δὲ πρῶτοι βαδίζοντες ἐντυγχάνουσι ποταμῷ ψυχρὸν μὲν ἔχοντι καὶ διαυγές, ἁλμυρὸν δὲ καὶ φαρμακῶδες ὕδωρ, ὃ ποθὲν εὐθὺς ὀδύνας ἑλκομένης τῆς κοιλίας καὶ τοῦ δίψους ἀναφλεγομένου παρ χε. καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Μάρδου προλέγοντος οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐκβιαζόμενοι τοὺς ἀνείργοντας ἔπινον.
Besides, their contest intensified their thirst; for they had to ward off the enemy and make their way forward at the same time. Those who marched in the van came to a river, the water of which was clear and cold, but had a salty taste and was poisonous. This water, as soon as one drank it, caused pains, accompanied by cramping of the bowels and an inflammation of one’s thirst. Of this too the Mardian had warned them, but none the less the soldiers forced aside those who tried to turn them back, and drank.
Ἀντώνιος δὲ περιϊὼν ἐδεῖτο βραχὺν ἐγκαρτερῆσαι χρόνον· ἕτερον γὰρ οὐ πόρρω ποταμὸν εἶναι πότιμον, εἶτα τὴν λοιπὴν ἄφιππον καὶ τραχεῖαν, ὥστε παντάπασιν ἀποστρέψασθαι τοὺς πολεμίους. ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοὺς μαχομένους ἀνεκαλεῖτο καὶ κατάζευξιν ἐσήμαινεν, ὡς σκιᾶς γοῦν μεταλάβοιεν οἱ στρατιῶται.
Antony went round and begged the men to hold out a little while; for not far ahead, he said, there was another river which was potable, and then the rest of the way was too rough for cavalry, so that the enemy must certainly turn back. At the same time, too, he called his men back from fighting and gave the signal for pitching the tents, that the soldiers might at least enjoy the shade a little.
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