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[5]
ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ διηγήσασθαι σοι βούλομαι Σιδωνίου τινὸς ἐμπόρου ἐπίνοιαν δι᾽ ἀπιστίαν ἀτελῆ γενομένην καὶ τῷ ἀκούσαντι ἀνόνητον. ἦρχε μὲν γὰρ ἤδη Ἀλέξανδρος Περσῶν, μετὰ τὴν
ἐν Ἀρβήλοις μάχην Δαρεῖον καθῃρηκώς: ἔδει δὲ πανταχόσε τῆς ἀρχῆς διαθεῖν τοὺς γραμματοφόρους τὰ ἐπιτάγματα τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου κομίζοντας. ἐκ Περσῶν δὲ πολλὴ εἰς Αἴγυπτον
ἐγίγνετο ἡ ὁδός: ἐκπεριιέναι γὰρ ἔδει τὰ ὄρη,
εἶτα διὰ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας εἰς τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἐλθεῖν, εἶτα ἐρήμην πολλὴν περάσαντα
ἀφικέσθαι ποτὲ μόλις εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἴκοσι μηκίστους ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ σταθμοὺς τούτους διανύσαντα. ἤχθετο οὖν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπὶ τούτῳ, διότι Αἰγυπτίους τι παρακινεῖν ἀκούων οὐκ εἶχε διὰ ταχέων ἐκπέμπειν τοῖς σατράπαις τὰ δοκοῦντὰ
οἱ περὶ αὐτῶν. τότε δὴ ὁ Σιδώνιος ἔμπορος, ‘ἐγώ σοι,’ ἔφη, ‘ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὑπισχνοῦμαι δείξειν ὁδὸν οὐ πολλὴν ἐκ Περσῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
εἰ γάρ τις ὑπερβαίη τὰ ὄρη ταῦτα — ὑπερβαίη δ᾽
ἂν τριταῖος — αὐτίκα μάλα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ οὗτὸς
[p. 140] ἐστιν.’ καὶ εἶχεν οὕτω. πλὴν ὅ γε Ἀλέξανδρος
οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν, ἀλλὰ γόητα ᾤετο εἶναι τὸν ἔμπορον. οὕτω τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ὑποσχέσεως
Lucian. Works. with an English Translation by. A. M. Harmon. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1925. 4.
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