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Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

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EPISTLE OF PORUS TO ALEXANDER. I 1<br />

"that thou wilt conquer the whole world? And<br />

"what would it profit thee if thou didst conquer<br />

"the whole world?' And as for myself I am heporus the<br />

"who hath never been conquered,'' and I do not<br />

"wish to slay any one of those who are before<br />

"thee. And shall I not inform thee that when<br />

"Deyaros,^ the king* of all Arabia, wished to have<br />

"from us what thou hast wished that I expelled him<br />

"from his country and overcame him even as the<br />

"dog overcometh the sheep (?), and that his people<br />

"perished by our hands and by the furious and sharp<br />

"attack of our vast numbers of weapons of war?<br />

"Now if thou desirest the escape of these who are Advises a-<br />

"with thee and thine own salvation, turn thee back/""*" ^'^<br />

"as soon as ever [this] my letter reacheth thee, for<br />

"thou art not able to do battle with me by reason<br />

"of the smallness of the number of thy troops<br />

"wherewith thou didst do battle against Darius.<br />

"Thou hast exalted thyself overmuch in thine own<br />

"opinion, and thou hast drawn nigh to do battle,<br />

"but bethink thee whether the forces which thou<br />

"hast brought [with thee] are more powerful than<br />

"mine, or if thy weapons of war are more nume-<br />

"rous than those of Porus the king of India. And<br />

^ Literally, "what is there to thee in this"?<br />

^ Gr. ejOj ouv driTTriTog einr ou i^ovov dvSpuuTTUuv<br />

TUYxdvLU pacriXeuq, dXXd Km 9ed)V (Muller, p. 95,<br />

col. ii).<br />

3 Dionysos is referred to here: the Gr. has Ktti Trapovra<br />

ydp Aiovuaov, ov XeYOucri 6e6v, dmiXaaav Ti] ibia buvd|uei<br />

oi 'Ivboi.<br />

4 Read 'J'M*' •<br />

P2<br />

' return.

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