resistere possent auxilia Graecorum mercede conduxerant. Quorum dux Memnon vir belli peritissimus Persis vehementer suadebat ne cum Alexandro iusto proelio dimicaretur: angustias montium potius occuparent, urbesque satis firmis praesidiis obtinerent. Idem classis in Graeciam mittendae auctor fuit, cuius adventu fore ut Graeci contra Macedones erigerentur docebat. Quibus consiliis a Persarum ducibus spretis ad flumen Granicum[1] conserta acie dimicatum est. Victis Persis Alexander fines hostium late populatus, multas urbes in deditionem accepit.[2]
194.—Alexander oppido, cui Gordio nomen erat, in ditionem suam redacto, Iovis templum intrat. Vehiculum, quo Gordium,[3] Midae[4] patrem, vectum esse constabat, aspexit. Notabile erat iugum, astrictum compluribus nodis in semetipsos implicatis et celantibus nexus. Incolis deinde affirmantibus, editam esse oraculo sortem, Asiae potiturum, qui inexplicabile vinculum solvisset, cupido incessit animo sortis eius implendae. Circa regem erat et Phrygum[5] turba et Macedonum, illa exspectatione suspensa, haec[6] sollicita ex temeraria regis fiducia. Nam serie vinculorum ita astricta, ut, unde nexus inciperet quove se conderet, nec ratione nec visu percipi posset, solvere conatus iniecerat curam[7] ne in omen[8] verteretur irritum inceptum. Ille nequicquam diu cum latentibus nodis luctatus, Nihil, inquit, interest, quomodo solvantur: gladioque ruptis omnibus loris oraculi sortem vel elusit vel implevit.
195.—Postea rex cum pulvere et sudore perfusus in flumen gelidissimum descendisset, gravi morbo correptus aegrotavit. Erat inter nobiles medicos ex Macedonia regem secutus Philippus.
- ↑ Granicum—The Granicus flows into the Propontis (Sea of Marmora).
- ↑ veriti ut—Verbs of fearing take an unusual construction. The clauses they govern must be regarded as substantival, though grammatically adverbial.
- ↑ Gordium—the capital of Phrygia.
- ↑ Midae—Midas, according to the legend, prayed that everything he touched might be turned into gold. His prayer was granted, and he soon had to pray that the fatal power might be taken from him, as he was in danger of starvation. His ears were changed into those of an ass by Apollo for deciding against him in a musical contest.
- ↑ Phrygum—the inhabitants of Phrygia.
- ↑ illa—haec—‘the former—the latter.’
- ↑ iniecerat curam—‘had caused anxiety.’
- ↑ ‘omen—‘a bad omen.’
