to speak of your achievements. The Persians in the past conquered the
whole of Asia, subjugated a great part of Europe, and had embraced in
their hopes I may almost say the whole inhabited world, when the
Macedonians deprived them of their supremacy, and they provided
Alexander’s generalship with a task, or rather with a toy. But they could
not endure the yoke of slavery, and no sooner was Alexander dead, than
they revolted from his successors and once more opposed their power to the
Macedonians, and so successfully that, when we took over what was left of
the Macedonian empire, we counted them to the end as foes with whom we
must reckon. I need not now remind you of ancient history, of Antony and
Crassus,(80) who were generals with the fullest powers, or tell how after
long‐continued dangers we succeeded in wiping out the disgrace they
incurred, and how many a prudent general retrieved their blunders. Nor
need I recall the second chapter of our misfortunes and the exploits of
Carus(81) that followed, when after those failures he was appointed
general. Among those who sat on the throne before your father’s time and
imposed on the Persians conditions of peace admired and welcomed by all,
did not the Caesar(82) incur a disgraceful defeat when he attacked them on
his own account? It was not till the ruler of the whole world(83) turned
his attention to them, directing thither all the forces of the empire,
occupying all the passes with his troops and levies of hoplites, both
veterans and new recruits, and employing every sort of military
equipments, that fear drove them to accept terms of peace. That peace they
somehow contrived to disturb and break during your father’s lifetime, but
they escaped punishment at his hands because he died in the midst of
preparations for a campaign. It was left for you later on to punish them
for their audacity. I shall often have to speak of your campaigns against
them, but this one thing I ask my hearers to observe. You became master of
a third of the empire,(84) that part in fact which seemed by no means
strong enough to carry on a war, since it had neither arms nor troops in
the field, nor any of those military resources which ought to flow in
abundantly in preparation for so important a war. Then, too, your
brothers, for whatever reason, did nothing to make the war easier for you.
And yet there is no sycophant so shameless and so envious as not to admit
that the harmony existing between you was mainly due to you. The war in
itself presented peculiar difficulties, in my opinion, and the troops were
disaffected owing to the change of government; they raised the cry that
they missed their old leader and they wished to control your actions. Nay,
more; a thousand strange and perplexing circumstances arose on every hand
to render your hopes regarding the war more difficult to realise. The
Armenians, our ancient allies, revolted, and no small part of them went
over to the Persians and overran and raided the country on their borders.
In this crisis there seemed to be but one hope of safety, that you should
take charge of affairs and plan the campaign, but at the moment this was
impossible, because you were in Paeonia(85) making treaties with your
brothers. Thither you went in person, and so managed that you gave them no
opening for criticism. Indeed, I almost forgot to mention the very first
of your achievements, the noblest of all, or at any rate equal to the
noblest. For there is no greater proof of your prudence and magnanimity
than the fact that, in planning for interests of such importance, you
thought it no disadvantage if you should, of your own free will, concede
the lion’s share to your brothers. Imagine, for instance, a man dividing
among his brothers their father’s estate of a hundred talents, or, if you
prefer, twice as much. Then suppose him to have been content with fifty
minae less than the others, and to raise no objection, because he secured
their goodwill in exchange for that trifling sum. You would think he
deserved all praise and respect as one who had a soul above money, as far‐
sighted, in short as a man of honour. But here is one whose policy with
regard to the empire of the world seems to have been so high minded, so
prudent, that, without increasing the burdens of administration, he
willingly gave up some of the imperial revenues in order to secure harmony
and peace among all Roman citizens. What praise such a one deserves! And
certainly one cannot, in this connection, quote the saying, “Well done,
but a bad bargain.” Nothing, in my opinion, can be called a good bargain
if it be not honourable as well. In general, if anyone wish to apply the
test of expediency alone, he ought not to make money his criterion or
reckon up his revenues from estates, like those old misers whom writers of
comedy bring on to the stage, but he should take into account the vastness
of the empire and the point of honour involved. If the Emperor had
disputed about the boundaries and taken a hostile attitude, he might have
obtained more than he did, but he would have governed only his allotted
share. But he scorned and despised such trifles, and the result was that
he really governed the whole world in partnership with his brothers, but
had the care of his own portion only, and, while he kept his dignity
unimpaired, he had less than his share of the toil and trouble that go
with such a position.)
Ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων καὶ αὖθις ἐξέσται διὰ μακροτέρων δηλῶσαι. ὅπως δὲ τῶν
πραγμάτων ἐπεμελήθης, [B] τοσούτων κύκλῳ περιστάντων μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς
τελευτὴν κινδύνων καὶ παντοδαπῶν πραγμάτων, θορύβου,(86) πολέμου
ἀναγκαίου,(87) πολλῆς καταδρομῆς συμμάχων ἀποστάσεως, στρατοπέδων ἀταξίας,
ὅσα ἄλλα τότε δυσχερῆ κατελάμβανεν, ἴσως ἤδη διελθεῖν ἄξιον. ἐπειδὴ γάρ
σοι τὰ τῶν συνθηκῶν μετὰ τῆς ἀρίστης ὁμονοίας διῴκητο, παρῆν δὲ ὁ καιρὸς
τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπιτάττων βοηθεῖν κινδυνεύουσι, [C] πορείαις ταχείαις(88)
χρησάμενος ὅπως μὲν ἐκ(89) Παιόνων ἐν Σύροις ὤφθης, οὐδὲ τῷ λόγῳ δεῖξαι
ῥᾴδιον· ἀρκεῖ δὲ τοῖς ἐγνωκόσιν ἡ πεῖρα. ὅπως δὲ πρὸς τὴν παρουσίαν τὴν
σὴν ἀθρόως ἅπαντα μεταβαλόντα καὶ μεταστάντα πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον οὐ μόνον τῶν
ἐπικρεμασθέντων ἡμᾶς ἀπήλλαξε φόβων, ἀμείνους δὲ μακρῷ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν
μελλόντων παρέσχεν ἐλπίδας, [D] τίς ἂν ἀρκέσειε τῶν ἁπάντων εἰπεῖν; τὰ μὲν
τῶν στρατοπέδων, πλησίον γενομένου μόνον, ἐπέπαυτο τῆς ἀταξίας καὶ
μεθειστήκει πρὸς κόσμον, Ἀρμενίων δὲ οἱ προσθέμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις εὐθὺς
μετάστησαν, σοῦ τοὺς μὲν αἰτίους τῆς φυγῆς τῷ τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης ἄρχοντι
παρ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγόντος, τοῖς φεύγουσι δὲ τὴν ἐς τὴν οἰκείαν κάθοδον ἀδεᾶ
παρασκευάσαντος. οὕτω δὲ φιλανθρώπως τοῖς τε παρ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἀφικομένοις ἄρτι
[21] χρησαμένου καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς μετὰ τοῦ σφῶν ἄρχοντος κατεληλυθόσι
πρᾴως ὁμιλοῦντος, οἱ μέν, ὅτι καὶ πρότερον ἀπέστησαν, αὑτοὺς ἀπωλοφύραντο,
οἱ δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν τύχην τῆς πρόσθεν ἠγάπων μᾶλλον δυναστείας. καὶ οἱ μὲν
φεύγοντες ἔμπροσθεν ἔργῳ σωφρονεῖν ἔφασαν ἐκμαθεῖν, οἱ δὲ τοῦ μὴ
μεταστῆναι τῆς ἀμοιβῆς ἀξίας τυγχάνειν. τοσαύτῃ δὲ ἐχρήσω περὶ τοὺς
κατελθόντας ὑπερβολῇ δωρεῶν καὶ τιμῆς, ὥστε μηδὲ [B] τοῖς ἐχθίστοις σφῶν
εὖ πράττουσι καὶ τὰ εἰκότα τιμωμένοις ἄχθεσθαι μηδὲ βασκαίνειν. ταῦτα δὲ
ἐν βραχεῖ καταστησάμενος καὶ τοὺς ἐξ Ἀραβίας λῃστὰς ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους
ταῖς πρεσβείαις τρέψας, ἐπὶ τὰς τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευὰς ἦλθες, ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐ
χεῖρον ἐν βραχεῖ προειπεῖν.
(On that subject, however, I shall have a chance later to speak in more
detail. This is perhaps the right moment to describe how you controlled
the situation, encompassed as you were, after your father’s death, by so
many perils and difficulties of all sorts—confusion, an unavoidable war,
numerous hostile raids, allies in revolt, lack of discipline in the
garrisons, and all the other harassing conditions of the hour. You
concluded in perfect harmony the negotiations with your brothers, and when
the time had arrived that demanded your aid for the dangerous crisis of
affairs, you made forced marches, and immediately after leaving Paeonia
appeared in Syria. But to relate how you did this would tax my powers of
description, and indeed for those who know the facts their own experience
is enough. But who in the world could describe adequately how, at the
prospect of your arrival, everything was changed and improved all at once,
so that we were set free from the fears that hung over us and could
entertain brighter hopes than ever for the future? Even before you were
actually on the spot the mutiny among the garrisons ceased and order was
restored. The Armenians who had gone over to the enemy at once changed
sides again, for you ejected from the country and sent to Rome those who
were responsible for the governor’s(90) exile, and you secured for the
exiles a safe return to their own country. You were so merciful to those
who now came to Rome as exiles, and so kind in your dealings with those
who returned from exile with the governor, that the former did, indeed,
bewail their misfortune in having revolted, but still were better pleased
with their present condition than with their previous usurpation; while
the latter, who were formerly in exile, declared that the experience had
been a lesson in prudence, but that now they were receiving a worthy
reward for their loyalty. On the returned exiles you lavished such
magnificent presents and rewards that they could not even resent the good
fortune of their bitterest enemies, nor begrudge their being duly
honoured. All these difficulties you quickly settled, and then by means of
embassies you turned the marauding Arabs against our enemies. Then you
began preparations for the war, about which I may as well say a few
words.)
Τῆς γὰρ εἰρήνης τῆς πρόσθεν τοῖς μὲν στρατευομένοις ἀνείσης τοὺς πόνους,
τοῖς λειτουργοῦσι δὲ κουφοτέρας τὰς λειτουργίας(91) παρασχούσης, τοῦ
πολέμου δὲ χρημάτων καὶ σιτηρεσίου καὶ χορηγίας λαμπρᾶς δεομένου, [C] πολὺ
δὲ πλέον ἰσχύος καὶ ῥώμης καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐμπειρίας τῶν
στρατευομένων, ὑπάρχοντος δὲ οὐδενὸς σχεδὸν τῶν τοιούτων, αὐτὸς ἐξηῦρες
καὶ κατέστησας, τοῖς μὲν ἐν(92) ἡλικίᾳ στρατεύεσθαι λαχοῦσιν ἀποδείξας τῶν
πόνων μελέτην, παπαπλησίαν δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἱππικὴν καταστησάμενος
δύναμιν, τῷ πεζῷ δὲ ἐπιτάξας τῶν πόνων ἔχεσθαι· καὶ ταῦτα οὐ ῥήμασι μόνον
οὐδὲ ἐξ ἐπιτάγματος, μελετῶν δὲ [D] αὐτὸς καὶ συνασκούμενος καὶ δεικνύων
ἔργῳ τὸ πρακτέον, πολέμων ἐργάτας ἄφνω κατέστησας. χρημάτων δὲ ἐπενόεις
πόρους, οὐκ αὔξων τοὺς φόρους οὐδὲ τὰς συντάξεις, καθάπερ Ἀθηναῖοι
πρόσθεν, εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον καταστήσας, ἐμμένων δὲ οἶμαι
τοῖς ἀρχαίοις πλὴν εἴ που πρὸς βραχὺ καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν(93) ἐχρῆν αἰσθέσθαι
δαπανηροτέρων τῶν λειτουργημάτων. ἐν τοσαύτηι δὲ(94) τοὺς στρατευομένους
ἦγες ἀφθονίᾳ, [22] ὡς μὴτε ὑβρίζειν τῷ κόρῳ μήτε ὑπὸ τῆς ἐνδείας
πλημμελεῖν ἀναγκασθῆναι. ὅπλων δὲ καὶ ἵππων παρασκευὴν καὶ νεῶν τῶν
ποταμίων καὶ μηχανημάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὸ πλῆθος σιωπῇ κατέχω.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τῆς παρασκευῆς τέλος εἶχε καὶ ἔδει χρῆσθαι τοῖς προρρηθεῖσιν
εἰς δέον, ἐζεύγνυτο μὲν ὁ Τίγρης σχεδίᾳ πολλάκις, ἤρθη δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
φρούρια, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν ἀμῦναι τῇ χώρᾳ πορθουμένῃ, [B]
πάντα δὲ παρ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἤγετο τἀκείνων ἀγαθά, τῶν μὲν οὐδὲ εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι
τολμώντων, τῶν θρασυνομένων δὲ παρ᾽ αὐτὰ τὴν τιμωρίαν ὑποσχόντων. τὸ μὲν
δὴ κεφάλαιον τῶν εἰς τὴν πολεμίαν εἰσβολῶν τοιοῦτον. καθ᾽ ἕκαστον γὰρ
ἐπεξιέναι τίς ἂν ἀξίως ἐν βραχεῖ λόγῳ δυνηθείη, τῶν μὲν τὰς συμφορὰς τῶν
δὲ τὰς ἀριστείας ἀπαριθμούμενος; τοσοῦτον δὲ ἴσως εἰπεῖν οὐ χαλεπόν, [C]
ὅτι πολλάκις τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκεῖνον περαιωθεὶς ξὺν τῷ στρατεύματι καὶ πολὺν
ἐν τῇ πολεμίᾳ διατρίψας(95) χρόνον, λαμπρὸς ἐπανῄεις τοῖς τροπαίοις, τὰς
διὰ σὲ πόλεις ἐλευθέρας ἐπιὼν καὶ χαριζόμενος εἰρήνην καὶ πλοῦτον, πάντα
ἀθρόως τὰ ἀγαθά, καὶ τῶν πάλαι ποθουμένων διδοὺς ἀπολαύειν, νίκης κατὰ τῶν
βαρβάρων, τροπαίων ἐγειρομένων κατὰ τῆς Παρθυαίων ἀπιστίας καὶ
ἀνανδρίας,(96) ὧν τὸ μὲν ἐπεδείξαντο [D] τὰς σπονδὰς λύσαντες καὶ τὴν
εἰρήνην συγχέαντες, τὸ δὲ μὴ τολμῶντες ὑπὲρ τῆς χώρας καὶ τῶν φιλτάτων
ἀμύνεσθαι.
(The previous period of peace had relaxed the labours of the troops, and
lightened the burdens of those who had to perform public services. But the
war called for money, provisions, and supplies on a vast scale, and even
more it demanded endurance, energy, and military experience on the part of
the troops. In the almost entire absence of all these, you personally
provided and organised everything, drilled those who had reached the age
for military service, got together a force of cavalry to match the
enemy’s, and issued orders for the infantry to persevere in their
training. Nor did you confine yourself to speeches and giving orders, but
yourself trained and drilled with the troops, showed them their duty by
actual example, and straightway made them experts in the art of war. Then
you discovered ways and means, not by increasing the tribute or the
extraordinary contributions, as the Athenians did in their day, when they
raised these to double or even more. You were content, I understand, with
the original revenues, except in cases where, for a short time, and to
meet an emergency, it was necessary that the people should find their
services to the state more expensive. The troops under your leadership
were abundantly supplied, yet not so as to cause the satiety that leads to
insolence, nor, on the other hand, were they driven to insubordination
from lack of necessaries. I shall say nothing about your great array of
arms, horses, and river‐boats, engines of war and the like. But when all
was ready and the time had come to make appropriate use of all that I have
mentioned, the Tigris was bridged by rafts at many points and forts were
built to guard the river. Meanwhile the enemy never once ventured to
defend their country from plunder, and every useful thing that they
possessed was brought in to us. This was partly because they were afraid
to offer battle, partly because those who were rash enough to do so were
punished on the spot. This is a mere summary of your invasions of the
enemy’s country. Who, indeed, in a short speech could do justice to every
event, or reckon up the enemy’s disasters and our successes? But this at
least I have space to tell. You often crossed the Tigris with your army
and spent a long time in the enemy’s country, but you always returned
crowned with the laurels of victory. Then you visited the cities you had
freed, and bestowed on them peace and plenty, all possible blessings and
all at once. Thus at your hands they received what they had so long
desired, the defeat of the barbarians and the erection of trophies of
victory over the treachery and cowardice of the Parthians. Treachery they
had displayed when they violated the treaties and broke the peace,
cowardice when they lacked the courage to fight for their country and all
that they held dear.)
Ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως μή τις ὑπολάβῃ με τούτων μὲν ἡδέως μεμνῆσθαι τῶν ἔργων, ὀκνεῖν
δὲ ἐκεῖνα, περὶ ἃ καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις πλεονεκτῆσαι παρέσχεν ἡ τύχη, μᾶλλον
δὲ ἡ χώρα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ προσλαβοῦσα ῥοπήν, ὡς αἰσχύνην ἡμῖν, οὐχὶ δὲ
ἔπαινον καὶ τιμὴν φέροντα, καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων πειράσομαι δηλῶσαι διὰ βραχέων,
οὐ πρὸς τὸ [23] λυσιτελέστατον ἐμαυτῷ τοὺς λόγους πλάττων, τὴν ἀλήθειαν δὲ
ἀγαπῶν ἐν πᾶσιν. ἧς εἴ τις ἑκὼν ἁμαρτάνοι, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ κολακεύειν αἰσχύνην
οὐδαμῶς ἐκφεύγει, προστίθησι δὲ τοῖς ἐπαινουμένοις τὸ δοκεῖν μηδ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῶν
ἄλλων εὖ ἀκούειν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν· ὃ παθεῖν εὐλαβησόμεθα. δείξει δὲ ὁ λόγος
αὐτός, εἰ μηδαμοῦ τὸ ψεῦδος πρὸ τῆς ἀληθείας τετίμηκεν. οὐκοῦν εὖ οἶδα,
ὅτι πάντες ἂν μέγιστον φήσειαν πλεονέκτημα τῶν βαρβάρων τὸν πρὸ τῶν
Σιγγάρων πόλεμον. [B] ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκείνην τὴν μάχην ἴσα μὲν ἐνεγκεῖν τοῖς
στρατοπέδοις τὰ δυστυχήματα, δεῖξαι δὲ τὴν σὴν ἀρετὴν περιγενομένην τῆς
ἐκείνων τύχης φαίην ἂν εἰκότως, καὶ ταῦτα στρατοπέδῳ χρησαμένου(97) θρασεῖ
καὶ τολμηρῷ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὥραν καὶ τὴν τοῦ πνίγους ῥώμην οὐχ ὁμοίως
ἐκείνοις συνήθει. ὅπως δὲ ἕκαστον ἐπράχθη, διηγήσομαι. θέρος μὲν γὰρ ἦν
ἀκμάζον ἔτι, συνῄει δὲ ἐς ταὐτὸν τὰ στρατόπεδα πολὺ πρὸ τῆς μεσημβρίας.
[C] ἐκπληττόμενοι δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι τὴν εὐταξίαν καὶ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὴν
ἡσυχίαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ πλήθει θαυμαστοὶ φανέντες, ἤρχετο μὲν οὐδεὶς τῆς μάχης,
τῶν μὲν εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι πρὸς οὕτω παρεσκευασμένην δύναμιν ὀκνούντων, τῶν
δὲ περιμενόντων ἐκείνους ἄρχειν, ὅπως ἀμυνόμενοι μᾶλλον ἐν πᾶσιν, οὐχὶ δὲ
αὐτοὶ πολέμου μετὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἄρχοντες φανεῖεν. τέλος δὲ ὁ τῆς βαρβαρικῆς
ἐκείνης δυνάμεως ἡγεμών, [D] μετέωρος ἀρθεὶς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀσπίδων καὶ
καταμαθὼν τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τάξει, οἷος ἐξ οἵου γέγονε καὶ ποίας ἀφίει φωνάς;
προδεδόσθαι βοῶν καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ πολέμου πείσαντας αἰτιώμενος, φεύγειν
ᾤετο χρῆναι διὰ τάχους καὶ τοῦτο μόνον οἱ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἀρκέσειν, εἰ
φθήσεται τὸν ποταμὸν διαβῆναι, ὅσπερ ἐστὶ τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης πρὸς τὴν
ἡμετέραν ὅρος ἀρχαῖος. ταῦτα διανοηθεὶς ἐκεῖνος πρῶτον ἐπὶ πόδα σημαίνει
τὴν ἀναχώρησιν, καὶ κατ᾽ [24] ὀλίγον προστιθεὶς τῷ τάχει τέλος ἤδη
καρτερῶς ἔφευγεν, ἔχων ὀλίγους ἱππάας ἀμφ᾽ αὑτόν, τὴν δύναμιν ἅπασαν τῷ
παιδὶ καὶ τῷ πιστοτάτῳ τῶν φίλων ἐπιτρέψας ἄγειν. ταῦτα ὁρῶντες τὸ
στράτευμα καὶ χαλεπαίνοντες, ὅτι μηδεμίαν ὑπέσχον τῶν τετολμημένων δίκην,
ἐβόων ἄγειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, καὶ κελεύοντος σοῦ(98) μένειν ἀχθόμενοι μετὰ τῶν
ὅπλων ἕθεον ὡς ἕκαστος εἶχε ῥώμης τε καὶ τάχους, ἄπειροι μὲν ὄντες αὐτοὶ
τέως τῆς σῆς στρατηγίας, [B] εἰς δὲ τὴν ἡλικίαν ὁρῶντες ἄμεινον αὑτῶν τὸ
συμφέρον κρίνειν ἧττον ἐπίστευον· καὶ τῷ πολλὰς(99) συγκατειργάσθαι τῷ
πατρὶ τῷ σῷ μάχας καὶ κρατῆσαι παντχοῦ τὸ(100) δοκεῖν ἀηττήτους εἶναι
συνηγωνίζετο. τούτων δὲ οὐδενὸς ἔλαττον τὸ παρεστὼς Παρθυαίων δέος ἐπῆρεν
ὡς οὐκ ἀγωνισαμένους(101) πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν χώραν
αὐτήν, καὶ εἴ τι μεῖζον ἔξωθεν προσπίπτοι, καὶ τούτου πάντως κρατήσοντας.
ταχέως οὖν ἑκατὸν μεταξὺ στάδια [C] διαδραμόντες(102) ἐφειστήκεσαν ἤδη
Παρθυαίοις εἰς τὸ τεῖχος καταπεφευγόσιν, ὃ πρότερον ἤδη πεποίητο σφίσιν
ὥσπερ στρατόπεδον. ἑσπέρα δὲ ἦν λοιπὸν καὶ ὁ πόλεμος αὐτόθεν ξυνερρήγνυτο.
καὶ τὸ μὲν τεῖχος αἱροῦσιν εὐθέως τοὺς ὑπὲρ(103) αὐτοῦ κτείναντες·
γενόμενοι δὲ εἴσω τῶν ἐρυμάτων πολὺν μὲν ἠρίστευον χρόνον, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ
δίψους ἀπειρηκότες ἤδη καὶ λάκκοις ὕδατος ἐντυχόντες ἔνδον, τὴν καλλίστην
νίκην διέφθειραν καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις παρέσχον ἀναμαχέσασθαι τὸ πταῖσμα. [D]
τοῦτο τέλος τῆς μάχης ἐκείνης γέγονε, τρεῖς μὲν ἢ τέτταρας ἀφελομένης τῶν
παρ᾽ ἡμῖν, Παρθυαίων δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ τρεφόμενον, ἁλόντα πρότερον,
καὶ τῶν ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὸν παμπληθεῖς ξυνδιαφθειράσης· τούτοις δὲ ἅπασι δρωμένοις
ὁ μὲν τῶν βαρβάρων ἡγεμὼν οὐδὲ ὄναρ παρῆν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπέσχε τὴν φυγὴν πρὶν
ἢ κατὰ νώτου τὸν ποταμὸν ἐποιέσατο· [25] αὐτὸς δὲ διέμενες ἐν τοῖς ὄπλοις
δι᾽ ὄλης ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς ἁπάσης, συμμετέχων μὲν τοῖς κρατοῦσι τῶν
ἀγωνισμάτων, τοῖς πονοῦσι δὲ ἐπαρκῶν διὰ ταχέων. ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀνδρείας καὶ
τῆς εὐψυχίας εἰς τοσοῦτον τὸν ἀγῶνα μετέστησας, ὥστε αὐτοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν
αὑτῶν τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιλαβούσης ἀσμένως ἀποσώζεσθαι, ἀναχωρεῖν δὲ ἐκ τῆς
μάχης, ἑπομένου σου, καὶ τοὺς τραυματίας; οὕτω τὸ δέος πᾶσιν ἀνῆκας τῆς
φυγῆς. [B] ποῖον οὖν ἥλω φρούριον; τίς δὲ ἐπολιορκήθη πόλις; τίνος δὲ
ἀποσκευῆς οἱ πολέμιοι κρατήσαντες ἔσχον ἐφ᾽ ὅτῳ σεμνύνωνται μετὰ τὸν
πόλεμον;
(But lest anyone should suppose that, while I delight in recalling
exploits like these, I avoid mentioning occasions when luck gave the enemy
the advantage—or rather it was the nature of the ground combined with
opportunity that turned the scale—and that I do so because they brought us
no honour or glory but only disgrace, I will try to give a brief account
of those incidents also, not adapting my narrative with an eye to my own
interests, but preferring the truth in every case. For when a man
deliberately sins against the truth he cannot escape the reproach of
flattery, and moreover he inflicts on the object of his panegyric the
appearance of not deserving the praise that he receives on other accounts.
This is a mistake of which I shall beware. Indeed my speech will make it
clear that in no case has fiction been preferred to the truth. Now I am
well aware that all would say that the battle we fought before
Singara(104) was a most important victory for the barbarians. But I should
answer and with justice that this battle inflicted equal loss on both
armies, but proved also that your valour could accomplish more than their
luck; and that although the legions under you were violent and reckless
men, and were not accustomed, like the enemy, to the climate and the
stifling heat. I will relate exactly what took place. It was still the
height of summer, and the legions mustered long before noon. Since the
enemy were awestruck by the discipline, accoutrements and calm bearing of
our troops, while to us they seemed amazing in numbers, neither side began
the battle; for they shrank from coming to close quarters with forces so
well equipped, while we waited for them to begin, so that in all respects
we might seem to be acting rather in self‐defence, and not to be
responsible for beginning hostilities after the peace. But at last the
leader(105) of the barbarian army, raised high on their shields, perceived
the magnitude of our forces drawn up in line. What a change came over him!
What exclamations he uttered! He cried out that he had been betrayed, that
it was the fault of those who had persuaded him to go to war, and decided
that the only thing to be done was to flee with all speed, and that one
course alone would secure his safety, namely to cross, before we could
reach it, the river, which is the ancient boundary‐line between that
country and ours. With this purpose he first gave the signal for a retreat
in good order, then gradually increasing his pace he finally took to
headlong flight, with only a small following of cavalry, and left his
whole army to the leadership of his son and the friend in whom he had most
confidence. When our men saw this they were enraged that the barbarians
should escape all punishment for their audacious conduct, and clamoured to
be led in pursuit, chafed at your order to halt, and ran after the enemy
in full armour with their utmost energy and speed. For of your generalship
they had had no experience so far, and they could not believe that you
were a better judge than they of what was expedient. Moreover, under your
father they had fought many battles and had always been victorious, a fact
that tended to make them think themselves invincible. But they were most
of all elated by the terror that the Parthians now shewed, when they
thought how they had fought, not only against the enemy, but against the
very nature of the ground, and if any greater obstacle met them from some
fresh quarter, they felt that they would overcome it as well. Accordingly
they ran at full speed for about one hundred stades, and only halted when
they came up with the Parthians, who had fled for shelter into a fort that
they had lately built to serve as a camp. It was, by this time, evening,
and they engaged battle forthwith. Our men at once took the fort and slew
its defenders. Once inside the fortifications they displayed great bravery
for a long time, but they were by this time fainting with thirst, and when
they found cisterns of water inside, they spoiled a glorious victory and
gave the enemy a chance to retrieve their defeat. This then was the issue
of that battle, which caused us the loss of only three or four of our men,
whilst the Parthians lost the heir to the throne(106) who had previously
been taken prisoner, together with all his escort. While all this was
going on, of the leader of the barbarians not even the ghost was to be
seen, nor did he stay his flight till he had put the river behind him.
You, on the other hand, did not take off your armour for a whole day and
all the night, now sharing the struggles of those who were getting the
upper hand, now giving prompt and efficient aid to those who were hard‐
pressed. And by your bravery and fortitude you so changed the face of the
battle that at break of day the enemy were glad to beat a safe retreat to
their own territory, and even the wounded, escorted by you, could retire
from the battle. Thus did you relieve them all from the risks of flight.
Now what fort was taken by the enemy? What city did they besiege? What
military supplies did they capture that should give them something to
boast about after the war?)
Ἀλλ᾽ ἴσως, φήσει τισ, τὸ μηδέποτε τῶν πολεμίων ἧττον ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν
εὐτυχὲς καὶ εὔδαιμον ἡγητέον,(107) τὸ δὲ ἀντιστῆναι τῇ τύχῃ ῥωμαλεώτερον
καὶ(108) μείζονος ἀρετῆς ὑπάρχει σημεῖον.
(But perhaps some one will say that never to come off worse than the enemy
must indeed be considered good fortune and felicity, but to make a stand
against fortune calls for greater vigour and is a proof of greater
valour.)