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Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

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86 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.<br />

concerning what Darius had written therein to him.<br />

Speech of/i^^nd when Salmus, Tone of] the kingf's counsellors,<br />

lexander's had heard the letter, he said, "O king, I will speak<br />

"and tell thee sooth. When Darius shall restore<br />

"to thee the tribute which he took from us in days<br />

"of old then will we restore' to him his mother, and<br />

"his daughter.^ And why did he not send this<br />

"message to us before he did battle against us?^<br />

"Now that God hath holpen us, and we have driven<br />

"him from his country and from his army, and have<br />

"captured his mother, and his wife, and his daughter,<br />

"he wisheth to come to us with pretexts such as<br />

"these. And moreover, know that had he con-<br />

"quered us he would have destroyed us, and he<br />

"would have debauched our women, and laid waste<br />

"our country and our cities. Know, too, that<br />

"Darius hath behaved shamefully towards us in<br />

"laying tax and tribute upon our country, and<br />

"in setting himself up above us, but behold, our<br />

"God hath holpen us against him, and we have<br />

"sought Darius + with our words, and we have<br />

"found him by the help of the glorious God. And<br />

' Read h9°hind^ ' = Read mfl^H:^ =<br />

3 The Salmus here mentioned is, no doubt, Parmenion,<br />

and his speech should end here. The Greek makes him to<br />

say e-fuj ^affiXeO 'AXegavbpe, e\d)Lipoivov (ct'v) id xpilMa<br />

Ktti Triv x^pav xriv bebo|uevr|v aoi, Kai airehujKa Aapeioi<br />

Ttiv unTepa Kai id reKva kki ti'iv yuvaiKa auxoO KOintiGei?<br />

HeT auTUJv (Meusel, p. 752), but both the Syrian and Ethiopian<br />

translators have softened the latter part of the speech.<br />

Read A'l/J-'?

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