Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

I08 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
"from us, and therefore our war against him was
"meet and right. But now we shall only destroy
"ourselves in the wild waste of this country if we
"march on to do battle against those who never
"did any harm unto us, and of whom we have
"never heard of any '
hostility or that they ever
"invaded our territory during the whole course of
"our days. Now Alexander is a warrior, and he
"loveth war and to invade foreign countries, and
"to conquer men and to be king over them; but
"is it required of us who are his soldiers to destroy
"ourselves with fatigue and exhaustion?"
Now when Alexander heard their words he
gathered together his armies, and he gave them
the sign and ordered that the Persian horsemen
should stand apart by themselves, and the Greeks
and Macedonians by themselves. And he stood
up between them and spake unto the Greek and
Aie:.ander Macedonian peoples and unto the Persian horsemen,
rebukes ^ ^ '
the
Greeks. sayiug, "Bchold, ye know that the Persians have
"submitted unto me with a good grace and that they
"have become friends and allies. Now if there be
"among you any man who wisheth to go back to
"his own people and to his own country, let him
"go back [forthwith], and if it please you that I
"should march against your enemies by myself, I
"will go on your behalf Only remember that it
"is to myself alone that God Almighty hath given
"victory in [my] wars against your enemies, for
"although ye were my helpers yet for victory I
"relied upon the Lord my God; for in His hands