ἄχρι μὲν οὖν ἤλπιζον αὐτοὺς ἐκχεαμένους τὰ βέλη σχήσεσθαι μάχης ἢ συνάψειν εἰς χεῖράς, ἐκαρτέρουν· ὡς δʼ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι πολλαὶ κάμηλοι παρεστᾶσι τοξευμάτων πλήρεις, ἀφʼ ὧν περιελαύνοντες οἱ πρῶτοι λαμβάνουσιν, οὐδὲν πέρας ὁρῶν ὁ Κράσσος ἠθύμει, καὶ σκοπεῖν ἐκέλευεν, ἀγγέλους πέμψας πρὸς τὸν υἱόν, ὅπως προσμῖξαι βιάσεται τοῖς ἐναντίοις πρὶν ἢ κυκλωθῆναι. μάλιστα γὰρ ἐκείνῳ προσέπιπτον καὶ περιίππευον τὸ κέρας ὡς κατὰ νώτου γενησόμενοι.
Now as long as they had hopes that the enemy would exhaust their missiles and desist from battle or fight at close quarters, the Romans held out; but when they perceived that many camels laden with arrows were at hand, from which the Parthians who first encircled them took a fresh supply, then Crassus, seeing no end to this, began to lose heart, and sent messengers to his son with orders to force an engagement with the enemy before he was surrounded; for it was his wing especially which the enemy were attacking and surrounding with their cavalry, in the hope of getting in his rear.
λαβὼν οὖν ὁ νεανίας ἱππεῖς τε χιλίους τριακοσίους, ὧν οἱ χίλιοι παρὰ Καίσαρος ἦσαν, καὶ τοξότας πεντακοσίους καὶ τῶν ἔγγιστα θυρεοφόρων ὀκτὼ σπείρας συνήγαγεν εἰς ἐμβολήν. τῶν δὲ Πάρθων οἱ περιελαύνοντες, εἴτε τέλμασιν ἐντυχόντες, ὡς ἔνιοί φασιν, εἴτε λαβεῖν τὸν Κράσσον ἀπωτάτω τοῦ πατρὸς στρατηγοῦντες, ὀπίσω στρέψαντες ἐδίωκον.
Accordingly, the young wan took thirteen hundred horsemen, of whom a thousand had come from Caesar, five hundred archers, and eight cohorts of the men-at-arms who were nearest him, and led them all to the charge. But the Parthians who were trying to envelop him, either because, as some say, they encountered marshes, or because they were maneuvering to attack Publius as far as possible from his father, wheeled about and made off.
ὁ δὲ βοήσας ὡς οὐ μένουσιν οἱ ἄνδρες, ἤλαυνε, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Κηνσωρῖνός τε καὶ Μεγάβακχος, ὁ μὲν εὐψυχίᾳ καὶ ῥώμῃ διαφέρων, Κηνσωρῖνος δὲ βουλευτικὸν ἔχων ἀξίωμα καὶ δεινὸς εἰπεῖν, ἑταῖροι δὲ Κράσσου καὶ παραπλήσιοι καθʼ ἡλικίαν., ἐπισπομένων δὲ τῶν ἱππέων οὐδὲ τὸ πεζὸν ἀπελείπετο προθυμίᾳ καὶ χαρᾷ τῆς ἐλπίδος· νικᾶν γὰρ ᾤοντο καὶ διώκειν, ἄχρι οὗ πολὺ προελθόντες ᾔσθοντο τὴν ἀπάτην, μεταβαλλομένων ἅμα τῶν φεύγειν δοκούντων καὶ πλειόνων ἄλλων ἐπιφερομένων.
Then Publius, shouting that the men did not stand their ground, rode after them, and with him Censorinus and Megabacchus, the latter distinguished for his courage and strength, Censorinus a man of senatorial dignity and a powerful speaker, and both of them comrades of Publius and nearly of the same age. The cavalry followed after Publius, and even the infantry kept pace with them in the zeal and joy which their hopes inspired; for they thought they were victorious and in pursuit of the enemy, until, after they had gone forward a long distance, they perceived the ruse. For the seeming fugitives wheeled about and were joined at the same time by others more numerous still.
ἐνταῦθα ἔστησαν, οἰόμενοι συνάψειν αὐτοῖς εἰς χεῖράς ὀλίγοις οὖσι τοὺς πολεμίους, οἱ δὲ τοὺς καταφράκτους προτάξαντες ἐναντίους τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, τὴν δʼ ἄλλην ἵππον ἄτακτον περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐλαύνοντες, καὶ συνταράττοντες τὸ πεδίον, ἀνίστασαν ἐκ βυθοῦ θῖνας ἄμμου κονιορτὸν ἐπαγούσας ἄπλετον, ὡς μήτε διορᾶν ῥᾳδίως μήτε φθέγγεσθαι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους,
Then the Romans halted, supposing that the enemy would come to close quarters with them, since they were so few in number. But the Parthians stationed their mail-clad horsemen in front of the Romans, and then with the rest of their cavalry in loose array rode round them, tearing up the surface of the ground, and raising from the depths great heaps of sand which fell in limitless showers of dust,
εἱλουμένους δὲ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ συμπίπτοντας ἀλλήλοις βάλλεσθαι καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν οὐ ῥᾴδιον οὐδʼ ὀξὺν θάνατον, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ σπασμοῦ καὶ ὀδύνης δυσανασχετοῦντας καὶ κυλινδουμένους περὶ τοῖς ὀιστοῖς ἐναποθραύειν τοῖς τραύμασι, βίᾳ τε πειρωμένους ἐξέλκειν ἠγκιστρωμένας ἀκίδας καὶ δεδυκυίας διὰ φλεβῶν καὶ νεύρων προσαναρρηγνύναι καὶ λυμαίνεσθαι σφᾶς αὐτούς.
so that the Romans could neither see clearly nor speak plainly, but, being crowded into a narrow compass and falling one upon another, were shot, and died no easy nor even speedy death. For, in the agonies of convulsive pain, amid writhing about the arrows, they would break them off in their wounds, and then in trying to pull out by force the barbed heads which had pierced their veins and sinews, they tore and disfigured themselves the more.
οὕτω δὲ πολλῶν ἀποθνῃσκόντων ἄπρακτοι καὶ οἱ ζῶντες ἦσαν πρὸς ἀλκήν· καὶ τοῦ Ποπλίου παρακαλοῦντος ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν κατάφρακτον, ἐπεδείκνυσαν ἑαυτῶν χεῖράς τε θυρεοῖς πεπερονημένας καὶ πόδας διαμπὰξ προσεληλαμένους πρὸς τοὔδαφος, ὥστε καὶ πρὸς φυγὴν ἀμηχάνους εἶναι καὶ πρὸς ἄμυναν.
Thus many died, and the survivors also were incapacitated for fighting. And when Publius urged them to charge the enemy’s mail clad horsemen, they showed him that their hands were riveted to their shields and their feet nailed through and through to the ground, so that they were helpless either for flight or for self defence.
αὐτὸς οὖν τοὺς ἱππεῖς παρορμήσας προσέβαλε μὲν ἐρρωμένως καὶ συνῆψε τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ἦν δὲ ἄνισος ἔν τε ταῖς πληγαῖς καὶ τῷ φυλάττεσθαι, παίων μὲν ἀσθενέσι καὶ μικροῖς δορατίοις θώρακας ὠμοβύρσους καὶ σιδηροῦς, παιόμενος δὲ κοντοῖς εἰς εὐσταλῆ καὶ γυμνὰ σώματα τῶν Γαλατῶν τούτοις γὰρ ἐθάρρει μάλιστα, καὶ μετὰ τούτων ἔργα θαυμαστὰ διεπράττετο.
Publius himself, accordingly, cheered on his cavalry, made a vigorous charge with them, and closed with the enemy. But his struggle was an unequal one both offensively and defensively, for his thrusting was done with small and feeble spears against breastplates of raw hide and steel, whereas the thrusts of the enemy were made with pikes against the lightly equipped and unprotected bodies of the Gauls, since it was upon these that Publius chiefly relied, and with these he did indeed work wonders.
τῶν τε γὰρ κοντῶν ἐπελαμβάνοντο, καὶ συμπλεκόμενοι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων ἐώθουν τῇ βαρύτητι τοῦ ὁπλισμοῦ δυσκινήτους ὄντας, πολλοὶ δὲ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἀπολείποντες ἵππους καὶ ὑποδυόμενοι τοῖς ἐκείνων ἔτυπτον εἰς τὰς γαστέρας· οἱ δʼ ἀνεσκίρτων ὑπʼ ὀδύνης, καὶ συμπατοῦντες ἐν ταὐτῷ τοὺς ἐπιβάτας καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἀναπεφυρμένους ἀπέθνῃσκον.
For they laid hold of the honing spears of the Parthians, and grappling with the men, pushed them from their horses, hard as it was to move them owing to the weight of their armour; and many of the Gauls forsook their own horses, and crawling under those of the enemy, stabbed them in the belly. These would rear up in their anguish, and die trampling on riders and foemen indiscriminately mingled.
ἐπίεζε δὲ τοὺς Γαλάτας μάλιστα τό τε θάλπος καὶ τὸ δίψος, ἀμφοτέρων ἀήθεις ὄντας· καὶ τῶν ἵππων ἀπολώλεισαν οἱ πλεῖστοι πρὸς ἐναντίους ἐλαυνόμενοι τοὺς κοντούς, ἐβιάσθησαν οὖν ἀναχωρῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς ὁπλίτας, ἔχοντες τὸν Πόπλιον ὑπὸ τραυμάτων ἤδη κακῶς διακείμενον. ἰδόντες δὲ θῖνα βουνώδη πλησίον ἐχώρουν ἐπʼ αὐτήν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἵππους ἐν μέσῳ κατέδησαν, ἔξωθεν δὲ τοῖς θυρεοῖς συγκλείσαντες ᾤοντο ῥᾷον ἀμυνεῖσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους.
But the Gauls were distressed above all things by the heat and their thirst, to both of which they were unused; and most of their horses had perished by being driven against the long spears. They were therefore compelled to retire upon the men-at-arms, taking with them Publius, who was severely wounded. And seeing a sandy hillock near by, they all retired to it, and fastened their horses in the centre; then locking their shields together on the outside, they thought they could more easily defend themselves against the Barbarians.
ἀπέβαινε δὲ τοὐναντίον, ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ ὁμαλῷ τοῖς ὄπισθεν ἁμῶς γέ πως παρέχουσιν οἱ πρότακτοι ῥᾳστώνην, ἐκεῖ δʼ ἄλλον ὑπὲρ ἄλλον διὰ τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν ἀνέχοντος τοῦ χωρίου καὶ μᾶλλον ἀεὶ τὸν κατόπιν ἐξαίροντος, οὐδὲν ἦν τὸ διαφεῦγον, ἀλλʼ ἐβάλλοντο πάντες ὁμαλῶς, ὀδυρόμενοι τὴν ἀκλεῆ καὶ ἄπρακτον αὑτῶν τελευτήν.
But it turned out just the other way. For on level ground, the front ranks do, to some extent, afford relief to those who are behind them. But here, where the inequality of the ground raised one man above another, and lifted every man who was behind another into greater prominence, there was no such thing as escape, but they were all alike hit with arrows, bewailing their inglorious amid ineffectual death.
ἦσαν δὲ περὶ τὸν Πόπλιον ἄνδρες Ἕλληνες δύο τῶν αὐτόθι κατοικούντων ἐν Κάρραις, Ἱερώνυμος καὶ Νικόμαχος, οἱ συνέπειθον αὐτὸν ὑπεξελθεῖν μετʼ αὑτῶν καὶ διαφεύγειν εἰς Ἴχνας, πόλιν ᾑρημένην τὰ Ῥωμαίων καὶ οὐ μακρὰν οὖσαν. ὁ δὲ φήσας οὐδένα δεινὸν οὕτως ἔσεσθαι θάνατον ὃν φοβηθεὶς Πόπλιος ἀπολείψει τοὺς ἀπολλυμένους διʼ αὑτόν, ἐκείνους μὲν ἐκέλευσε σῴζεσθαι καὶ δεξιωσάμενος ἀπέλυσεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ χειρὶ χρήσασθαι μὴ δυνάμενος διελήλατο γὰρ βέλει, τὸν ὑπασπιστὴν ἐκέλευσε πατάξαι τῷ ξίφει, παρασχὼν τὸ πλευρόν.
Now there were with Publius two Greeks, of those who dwelt near by in Carrhae, Hieronymnus and Nicomachus. These joined in trying to persuade him to slip away with them and make their escape to Ichnae, a city which had espoused the Roman cause and was not far off. But Publius, declaring that no death could have such terrors for him as to make him desert those who were perishing on his account, ordered them to save their own lives, bade them farewell, and dismissed them. Then he himself, being unable to use his hand, which had been pierced through within an arrow, presented his side to his shield-bearer and ordered him to strike home with his sword.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Κηνσωρῖνον ἀποθανεῖν λέγουσιν· Μεγάβακχος δʼ αὐτὸς αὑτὸν διεχρήσατο, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ δοκιμώτατοι. τοὺς δʼ ὑπολελειμμένους ἀναβαίνοντες οἱ Πάρθοι τοῖς κοντοῖς διήλαυνον μαχομένους· ζῶντας δʼ οὐ πλείονας ἁλῶναι φασι πεντακοσίων, τὰς δὲ κεφαλὰς τῶν περὶ τὸν Πόπλιον ἀποκόψαντες ἤλαυνον εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Κράσσον.
In like manner also Censorinus is said to have died; but Megabacchus took his own life, and so did the other most notable men. The survivor’s fought on until the Parthians mounted the hill and transfixed them with their long spears, and they say that not more than five hundred were taken alive. Then the Parthians cut off the head of Publius, and rode off at once to attack Crassus.
εἶχε δὲ τὰ κατʼ αὐτὸν οὕτως, ὡς ἐκέλευσε τόν υἱὸν ἐμβαλεῖν τοῖς Πάρθοις καί τις ἤγγειλεν αὐτῷ μακρὰν τροπὴν εἶναι καί δίωξιν ἰσχυρὰν τῶν πολεμίων, ἑώρα δὲ καί τοὺς καθʼ αὑτὸν οὐκέτι προσκειμένους ὁμοίως ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐρρύησαν οἱ πλεῖστοι, μικρὸν ἀνεθάρρησε, καί συναγαγὼν ὑπέστειλεν ἐν χωρίοις προσάντεσι τόν στρατόν, αὐτίκα προσδοκῶν τόν υἱὸν ἐπανήξειν ἀπὸ τῆς διώξεως.
His situation was as follows. After ordering his son to charge the Parthians and receiving tidings that the enemy were routed to a great distance and hotly pursued, and after noticing also that his immediate opponents were no longer pressing him so hard (since most of them had streamed away to where Publius was), he recovered a little courage, and drawing his troops together, posted them for safety on sloping ground, in immediate expectations that his son would return from the pursuit.
τῶν δὲ πεμφθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Ποπλίου πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς ἐκινδύνευεν, οἱ μὲν πρῶτοι διεφθάρησαν ἐμπεσόντες εἰς τοὺς βαρβάρους, οἱ δʼ ὕστεροι μόγις διαφυγόντες ἀπήγγελλον οἴχεσθαι τόν Πόπλιον, εἰ μὴ ταχεῖα καί πολλὴ βοήθεια παρʼ ἐκείνου γένοιτο.
Of the messengers sent by Publius to his father, when he began to be in danger, the first fell in with the Barbarians and were slain; the next made their way through with difficulty and reported that Publius was lost unless he received speedy and abundant aid from his father.
τόν δὲ Κράσσον ἅμα πολλὰ πάθη κατέσχε· καί λογισμῷ μὲν οὐδὲν ἔτι τῶν πραγμάτων ἑώρα, φόβῳ δὲ περὶ τοῦ σύμπαντος ἅμα καί πόθῳ τοῦ παιδὸς ἑλκόμενος βοηθεῖν καί μὴ βοηθεῖν, τέλος ὥρμησε προάγειν τὴν δύναμιν. ἐν τούτῳ δʼ οἱ πολέμιοι προσεφέροντο κλαγγῇ καί παιᾶνι φοβερώτεροι, καί πολλὰ τῶν τυμπάνων αὖθις περιεμυκᾶτο τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἑτέρας μάχης ἀρχὴν προσδοκῶντας.
And now Crassus was a prey to many conflicting emotions, and no longer looked at anything with calm judgement. His fear for the whole army drove him to refuse, and at the same time his yearning love for his son impelled him to grant assistance; but at last he began to move his forces forward. At this point, however, the enemy came up with clamour and battle cries which made them more fearful than ever, and again many of their drums began bellowing about the Romans, who awaited the beginning of a second battle.
οἱ δὲ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Ποπλίου κομίζοντες ὑπὲρ αἰχμῆς ἀναπεπηγυῖαν ἐγγὺς προσελάσαντες ἀνέδειξαν, ὕβρει πυνθανόμενοι τοκέας αὐτοῦ καί γένος· οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρέπειν γε Κράσσου πατρὸς ἀνανδροτάτου καί κακίστου γενναῖον οὕτω παῖδα καί λαμπρὸν ἀρετῇ γενέσθαι. τοῦτο τὸ θέαμα Ῥωμαίων ὑπὲρ ἅπαντα τἆλλα δεινὰ τὰς ψυχὰς κατέκλασε καί παρέλυσεν, οὐ θυμοῦ πρὸς ἄμυναν, ὥσπερ ἦν εἰκός, ἀλλὰ φρίκης καί τρόμου πᾶσιν ἐγγενομένου.
Besides, those of the enemy who carried the head of Publius fixed high upon a spear, rode close up and displayed it, scornfully asking after his parents and family, for surely, they said, it was not meet that Crassus, most base and cowardly of men, should be the father of a son so noble and of such splendid valour. This spectacle shattered and unstrung the spirits of the Romans more than all the rest of their terrible experiences, and they were all filled, not with a passion for revenge, as was to have been expected, but with shuddering and trembling.
καίτοι τόν γε Κράσσον αὑτοῦ λαμπρότατον ἐν τῷ τότε πάθει φανῆναι λέγουσιν· ἐβόα γὰρ ἐπιὼν τὰς τάξεις· ἐμὸν, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, τοῦτο τὸ πένθος ἴδιόν ἐστιν ἡ δὲ μεγάλη τύχη καί δόξα τῆς Ῥώμης ἐν ὑμῖν ἕστηκε σῳζομένοις ἄθραυστος καί ἀήττητος. εἰ δὲ καί ἐμοῦ τις οἶκτος ἀφῃρημένου παῖδα πάντων ἄριστον, ἐπιδείξασθε τοῦτο ὀργῇ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, ἀφέλεσθε τὴν χαρὰν αὐτῶν, τιμωρήσασθε τὴν ὠμότητα, μὴ καταπλαγῆτε τοῖς γεγενημένοις, εἰ δεῖ τι καί παθεῖν μεγάλων ἐφιεμένους.
And yet Crassus, as they say, showed more brilliant qualities in that awful hour than ever before, for he went up and down the ranks crying: Mine, O Romans, is this sorrow, and mine alone; but the great fortune and glory of Rome abide unbroken and unconquered in you, who are alive and safe. And now if ye have any pity for mine, thus bereft of the noblest of sons, show it by your wrath against the enemy. Rob them of their joy; avenge their cruelty; be not cast down at what has happened, for it must needs be that those who aim at great deeds should also suffer greatly.
οὐδὲ Λούκουλλος Τιγράνην ἀναιμωτὶ καθεῖλεν, οὐδὲ Σκηπίων Ἀντίοχον, χιλίας δὲ ναῦς οἱ παλαιοὶ περὶ Σικελίαν ἀπώλεσαν, ἐν δʼ Ἰταλίᾳ πολλοὺς αὐτοκράτορας καί στρατηγούς, ὧν οὐδεὶς προηττηθεὶς ἐκώλυσεν αὐτοὺς κρατῆσαι τῶν νενικηκότων. οὐ γὰρ εὐτυχίᾳ τὰ Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ τλημοσύνῃ καί ἀρετῇ πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ χωρούντων εἰς τοῦτο προῆλθε δυνάμεως.
It was not without bloody losses that even Lucullus overthrew Tigranes, or Scipio Antiochus; and our fathers of old lost a thousand ships off Sicily, and in Italy many imperators and generals, not one of whom, by his defeat, prevented them from afterwards mastering his conquerors. For it was not by good fortune merely that the Roman state reached its present plenitude of power, but by the patient endurance and valour of those who freed dangers in its behalf.
τοιαῦτα λέγων καὶ παραθαρσύνων ὁ Κράσσος οὐ πολλοὺς ἑώρα προθύμως ὑπακούοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συναλαλάξαι κελεύσας ἤλεγξε τοῦ στρατοῦ τήν κατήφειαν, ὡς ἀσθενῆ καὶ ὀλίγην καὶ ἀνώμαλον κραυγὴν ἐποιήσαντο· ἡ δὲ παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων λαμπρὰ καὶ θρασεῖα κατεῖχεν. τραπομένων δὲ πρὸς ἔργον οἱ μὲν ἱππόται πλάγιοι περιελαύνοντες ἐτόξευον, αὐτοὶ δὲ τοῖς κοντοῖς οἱ πρότακτοι χρώμενοι συνέστελλον εἰς ὀλίγον τοὺς Ῥωμαίους,
Even as he spoke such words of encouragement, Crassus saw that not many of his men listened with any eagerness, but when he also bade them raise the battle cry, he discovered how despondent his army was, so weak, feeble, and uneven was the shout they made, while that which came from the Barbarians was clear and bold. Then, as the enemy got to work, their light, cavalry rode round on the flanks of the Romans and shot them with arrows, while the mail-clad horsemen in front, plying their long spears, kept driving them together into a narrow space,
πλὴν ὅσοι τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν τοξευμάτων φεύγοντες θάνατον ἀπετόλμων παραβόλως εἰς αὐτοὺς φέρεσθαι, μικρὰ μὲν βλάπτοντες, ὀξέως δὲ θνῄσκοντες ὑπὸ τραυμάτων μεγάλων καὶ καιρίων, παχὺν ἐπωθούντων τῷ σιδήρῳ τὸν κοντόν εἰς τοὺς ἵππους, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ διὰ δυεῖν ἀνδρῶν ὑπὸ ῥύμης διαπορευόμενον. οὕτω δὲ ἀγωνισάμενοι νυκτὸς ἐπιούσης ἀπηλλάγησαν, εἰπόντες ὅτι Κράσσῳ χαρίζονται νύκτα μίαν ἀποθρηνῆσαι τὸν υἱόν, ἢν ἄρα μὴ βέλτιον ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ σκεψάμενος ἐλθεῖν μᾶλλον ἐθελήσῃ πρὸς Ἀρσάκην ἢ κομισθῆναι.
except those who, to escape death from the arrows, made bold to rush desperately upon their foes. These did little damage, but met with a speedy death from great and fatal wounds, since the spear which the Parthians thrust into the horses was heavy with steel, and often had impetus enough to pierce through two men at once. After fighting in this manner till night came on, the Parthians withdrew, saying that they would grant Crassus one night in which to bewail his son, unless, with a better regard for his own interests, he should consent to go to Arsaces instead of being carried there.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐπαυλισάμενοι πλησίον ἐν ἐλπίσι μεγάλαις ἦσαν νὺξ δὲ χαλεπὴ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους κατελάμβανεν, οὔτε ταφῆς τῶν κειμένων οὔτε θεραπείας τῶν τετρωμένων καὶ ψυχορραγούντων ποιουμένους λόγον, ἑκάστου δʼ ἑαυτὸν ἀποκλαίοντος. ἄφυκτα γὰρ ἐφαίνετο τήν τε ἡμέραν αὐτοῦ προσμείνασι καὶ νύκτωρ εἰς πεδίον ἀχανὲς ἐμβαλοῦσιν· οἵ τε τραυματίαι πολλὴν ἀπορίαν παρεῖχον, καὶ κομίζειν, ἐμποδὼν τῷ τάχει τῆς φυγῆς ἐσόμενοι, καὶ ἀπολείπειν, βοῇ τήν ἀπόδρασιν ἐξαγγελοῦντες.
The Parthians, then, bivouacked near by, and were in high hopes; but it was a grievous night for the Romans. They took no steps to bury their dead nor to care for their wounded and dying, but every man was lamenting his own fate. Escape seemed impossible, whether they waited there for day to come, or plunged by night into a limitless plain. And their wounded caused them much perplexity: they were sure to impede flight if they were carried away, and if they were left behind, their cries would herald to the enemy the retreat of their companions.
τοῦ δὲ Κράσσου, καίπερ αἴτιον ἁπάντων νομίζοντες, ἐπόθουν ὅμως τήν τε ὄψιν καὶ τήν φωνήν. ὁ δὲ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐγκεκαλυμμένος ὑπὸ σκότους ἔκειτο, παράδειγμα τοῖς πολλοῖς τύχης, τοῖς δʼ εὖ φρονοῦσιν ἀβουλίας καὶ φιλοτιμίας, διʼ ἣν οὐκ ἠγάπα πρῶτος ὢν καὶ μέγιστος ἐν μυριάσιν ἀνθρώπων τοσαύταις, ἀλλʼ ὅτι δυεῖν μόνον ἀνδρῶν ὕστερος ἐκρίνετο, τοῦ παντὸς ἀποδεῖν νομίζων.
Although the soldiers held Crassus to blame for all their ills, still they yearned to see his face and hear his voice. But he was lying on the ground by himself, enveloped in darkness, to the multitude an illustration of the ways of fortune, but to the wise air example of foolish ambition, which would not let him rest satisfied to be first and greatest among many myriads of men, but made him think, because he was judged inferior to two men only, that he lacked everything.
τότε δʼ οὖν αὑτὸν Ὀκταούϊος ὁ πρεσβευτὴς καὶ Κάσσιος ἀνίστασαν καὶ παρεθάρρυνον, ὡς δʼ ἀπηγορεύκει παντάπασιν, αὐτοὶ συγκαλέσαντες ἑκατοντάρχας καὶ λοχαγούς, ὡς ἔδοξε βουλευομένοις μὴ μένειν, ἀνίστασαν τὸν στρατὸν ἄνευ σάλπιγγος καὶ διʼ ἡσυχίας τὸ πρῶτον· εἶτʼ αἰσθομένων ὡς ἀπελείποντο τῶν ἀδυνάτων, ἀκοσμία δεινὴ καὶ σύγχυσις μετʼ οἰμωγῆς καὶ βοῆς τὸ στρατόπεδον κατεῖχεν.
At this time, then, Octavius the legate and Cassius tried to rouse him up and encourage him. But since he was in utter despair, they called together on their own authority the centurions amid captains, and when they had decided, upon deliberation, not to remain where they were, they put the army in motion without trumpet signal, and in silence at first. Then the sick and wounded perceived that their comrades were abandoning them and dreadful disorder and confusion, accompanied by groans and shouts, filled the camp.
ἐκ τούτου δὲ ταραχὴ καὶ πτοία προϊόντας αὐτοὺς ὑπελάμβανεν, ὡς ἐπιφερομένων τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ἐκτρεπόμενοι, πολλάκις δὲ εἰς τάξιν καθιστάμενοι, τῶν δὲ τραυματιῶν ὅσοι παρηκολούθουν τοὺς μὲν ἀναλαμβάνοντες, τοὺς δὲ ἀποτιθέμενοι, διατριβὴν εἶχον, πλὴν τριακοσίων ἱππέων, οὓς Ἰγνάτιος ἔχων προσέμιξε ταῖς Κάρραις περὶ μέσας νύκτας.
And after this, as they tried to advance, disorder and panic seized upon them, for they felt sure that the enemy was coining against them. Frequently they would change their course, frequently they would form in order of battle, some of the wounded who followed them had to be taken up, and others to be laid down, and so all were delayed, except three hundred horsemen under Ignatius, who reached Carrhae about midnight.
φθεγξάμενος δὲ Ῥωμαϊστὶ τοῖς τειχοφυλακοῦσιν, ὡς ὑπήκουσαν, ἐκέλευσε Κοπωνίῳ τῷ ἄρχοντι φράζειν ὅτι γέγονε μάχη μεγάλη Κράσσῳ πρὸς Πάρθους, ἄλλο δʼ οὐδὲν εἰπὼν οὐδʼ αὑτὸν ὅστις ἦν ἀπήλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὸ Ζεῦγμα, καὶ διέσωσε μὲν τοὺς σὺν αὑτῷ, κακῶς δʼ ἤκουσε καταλιπὼν τὸν στρατηγόν.
Ignatius hailed the sentinels on the walls in the Roman tongue, and when they answered, ordered them to tell Coponius, their commander, that there had been a great battle between Crassus and the Parthians. Then, without another word, and without even telling who he was, he rode off to Zeugma. He saved himself and his men, but got a bad name for deserting his general.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὤνησέ γε τὸν Κράσσον ἡ προσριφεῖσα τότε τῷ Κοπωνίῳ φωνή· συμφρονήσας γὰρ ὅτι οὐδὲν χρηστὸν ἀγγέλλειν ἔχοντός ἐστι τὸ τάχος καὶ τὸ συγκεχυμένον τοῦ λόγου, παρήγγειλεν εὐθὺς ἐξοπλίζεσθαι τοὺς στρατιώτας· καὶ ἅμα τῷ πρῶτον αἰσθέσθαι τὸν Κράσσον ἐν ὁδῷ γεγενημένον ἀπαντήσας ἀνελάμβανε καὶ παρέπεμπε τήν στρατιὰν εἰς τήν πόλιν.
However, the message shouted to Coponius at that time was of some advantage to Crassus. For Coponius, concluding that the haste and brevity of the message argued a bearer of no good news, ordered his men to arm forthwith, and as soon as he learned that Crassus was on the march, he went out to meet him, relieved him, and escorted his army into the city.
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