Alexander Romance - Malay Annals

When Raja Iskandar, the Two-Horned, son of Raja Darab, a Roman of the country of
Macedonia, set out to visit the East, he came to the frontier of India !ow there was a certain
Raja, by name Raja "ida Hindi, whose kin#dom was so vast that he he$d sway over ha$f of a$$
India When he heard of the comin# of Raja Iskandar he bade his chief minister assemb$e his
forces and the %rinces who were his vassa$s &nd when they were #athered to#ether Raja "ida
Hindi went out to re%e$ Raja Iskandar &nd the two armies met and batt$e was joined, as is
re$ated in the Hikayat Iskandar &nd Raja "ida Hindi was defeated by Raja Iskandar and was
ca%tured a$ive, whereu%on Raja Iskandar ordered him to acce%t the true faith &nd he did so
and became a Muhammadan, embracin# the re$i#ion of &braham, the chosen friend of 'od
(on Him be %eace) Raja Iskandar then %resented him with robes of honour, raiment such as he
wore himse$f, and bade him return to his own country
!ow Raja "ida Hindi had a dau#hter, *hahru+$-,ariyah by name, whose beauty was such that
she had no %eer at that time- bri$$iant as the $i#ht of the sun was the $i#ht of her countenance,
and she was endowed moreover with #reat wisdom and understandin# .a$$in# his chief
minister to a %$ace where they wou$d be a$one, Raja "ida Hindi said to him, / I wou$d have
you know that I have ca$$ed you to ask for your advice This dau#hter of mine who hath no
%eer amon# the %rincesses of this time 0 it is my %ur%ose to offer her to Raja Iskandar What
think you12 &nd the chief minister answered, / What your Hi#hness %ro%oses is entire$y ri#ht
and %ro%er2 Raja "ida Hindi then said to his chief minister, 2 *o be it, %$ease 'od Tomorrow
you #o to !abi "hid$ir and te$$ him of the matter2 *o the minister went to !abi "hid$ir and
when he had #one, Raja "ida Hindi #ave orders for the name of Raja Iskandar to be inscribed
on the die of his coins and on his %ennons &nd when the minister came to !abi "hid$ir he
#ave him #reetin#, and the #reetin# was returned by !abi "hid$ir, who bade him be seated
Then said the chief minister to !abi "hid$ir, / I wou$d have you know, sir, that the Raja
whom I serve entertains for Raja Iskandar such affection as no words of mine can describe
&nd he has a dau#hter of whom it may be said that from East to West no %rincess can riva$
her In beauty, inte$$i#ence and dis%osition she has no e3ua$- and it is his desire to offer her to
be the consort of Raja Iskandar2
History then re$ates that !abi "hid$ir went forthwith to Raja Iskandar and re$ated the matter
to him Raja Iskandar si#nified his assent4 whereafter he went forth to the ha$$ of audience,
where he #ave audience to %rinces, divines and theo$o#ians, chiefs, warriors and men of
va$our, #athered around the throne, whi$st behind the kin# were his chosen retainers and
trusted henchmen Raja "ida Hindi too was %resent before the kin#, seated on a jewe$$ed chair
of #o$d &fter a$$ had been seated awhi$e !abi "hid$ir, (on him be %eace) rose to his feet, &nd
after invokin# the name of 'od a$mi#hty and askin# for the b$essin# of the 5ro%het &braham,
the .hosen friend of 'od, and a$$ the %ro%hets of ancient times, he read the marria#e formu$a
for Raja Iskandar, makin# a si#n to Raja "ida Hindi where the words re$ated to him Thus
said !abi "hid$ir, /,e it known to you, Raja "ida Hindi, that it is to our Raja here %resent
that 'od &$mi#hty has de$ivered the $ordshi% over the who$e earth from East to West, from
!orth to *outh !ow it has come to his know$ed#e that you have a dau#hter of sur%assin#
beauty, and he wou$d fain ask that you, Raja "ida Hindi, shou$d re#ard him favourab$y and
acce%t him as your son-in-$aw, so that your descendants may be connected with the
descendants of Raja Iskandar without a break unti$ the Day of 6ud#ement What say you1 Do
you assent or not12 History then re$ates that when Raja "ida Hindi heard the words of !abi
"hid$ir, he rose form his chair and stood u%on the #round- whereu%on he did obeisance to
Raja Iskandar and said, / ,e it known to your hi#hness and to a$$ here %resent, by the 5ro%het
of 'od, that I am in very truth the s$ave of Raja Iskandar, as are a$$ my chi$dren- we are not
even as the fo$$owers here that serve his needs 7eri$y it is !abi "hid$ir who is #uardian for
myse$f and for my dau#hter, 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah2 When !abi "hid$ir heard these
words of Raja "ida Hindi, he turned toward Raja Iskandar and said,2 7eri$y have I #iven
5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah in marria#e to Raja Iskandar, the dowry that sha$$ be %aid by him to
be three hundred thousand dinar Do you consent12 &nd when Raja Iskandar si#nified his
consent, the dau#hter of Raja "ida Hindi was du$y wedded by !abi "hid$ir to Raja Iskandar
fo$$owin# the ordinance of the 5ro%het &braham (the .hosen 8riend of 'od) in the %resence
of a$$ those aforesaid Then rose %rinces, chiefs, ministers, warchiefs, theo$o#ians, divines and
jurists, and strewed #o$d, si$ver, #ems and %recious stones of every kind at the feet of Raja
Iskandar, unti$ #o$d and %recious stones stood before him in hea%s $ike so many anthi$$s &$$
this treasure was distributed as a$ms to the %oor and needy
When ni#ht fe$$, Raja "ida Hindi brou#ht his dau#hter to Raja Iskandar with a$$ that she
%ossessed, to#ether with manifo$d %recious stones that were heir$ooms from her forebears, a$$
of which Raja "ida Hindi made over to her for her use &nd that ni#ht Raja Iskandar ascended
the brida$ dais4 and he was astonished at the beauty of 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah which
sur%assed a$$ descri%tion 9n the fo$$owin# day Raja Iskandar #ave 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah
robes of honour com%$ete with roya$ insi#nia and bestowed u%on her jewe$$ery %ast a$$
countin#, whi$st to the %rinces he #ave robes of honour with ornaments of rich distinction, a$$
of them of #o$d studded with every sort of #em, the content of three treasure chests &nd to
Raja "ida Hindi he #ave robes of honour (to#ether with) a hundred #o$den caskets fi$$ed with
%recious stones and rich #ems, and a hundred %icked horses with tra%%in#s of #o$d studded
with every sort of #em, so that beho$ders were astonished to $ook u%on them
Raja Iskandar then stayed for ten days, and on the e$eventh day he de%arted with traditiona$
ceremony takin# with him, the %rincess, dau#hter of Raja "ida Hindi He then set forth for the
East, as is re$ated in the famous history &fter a time he returned from his visit to the East and
sto%%ed on his way in India, where Raja "ida Hindi went out to meet him, bearin# %resents of
%recious stones and rare jewe$s Raja Hindi then to$d Raja Iskandar how sore$y he had missed
him and of his devotion to him which no words cou$d describe He to$d him too how sore$y he
had missed his dau#hter 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah, and asked that Raja Iskandar wou$d
restore her to him Raja Iskandar then #racious$y #ave 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah back to her
father, at the same time bestowin# u%on her a hundred si$ken robes of honour to#ether with
#o$d, si$ver and %recious stones, and ma#nificent #ems without number Raja "ida Hindi then
did obeisance to Raja Iskandar, who %resented him with a hundred si$ken robes of honour that
he had himse$f worn
Thereu%on the si#na$-drum was beaten and the trum%et b$own, betokenin# Raja Iskandar:s
de%arture &nd Raja Iskandar took his de%arture, with traditiona$ ceremony, on his mission to
brin# under his su;erainty a$$ Rajas who had not yet acknow$ed#ed it, as history re$ates 'od
knoweth the truth To Him do we return
!ow, accordin# to the account we have received, 5rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah, dau#hter of Raja
"ida Hindi, was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar, but neither did Raja Iskandar know of this nor
was the 5rincess herse$f aware of her %re#nancy ,ut when a month had %assed after her
return to her father, she rea$ised that she was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar as she did not
menstruate &nd she informed her father, sayin#, / I wou$d have you know, father, that I have
had no menses now for two months2 When Raja "ida Hindi heard the words of his dau#hter,
he was de$i#hted that she was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar and he $avished due care u%on her
&nd when the time was accom%$ished, %rincess *hahru+$-,ariyah brou#ht firth a son &nd
Raja "ida Hindi #ave to his #randson the name Raja &ristun *hah (*on of a 'reat "in#) and
#reat was his affection for the chi$d In due course &ristun *hah #rew u% to be an e<ceedin#$y
handsome youth, the ima#e of his father, Raja Iskandar D;u+$-"arnain, and was betrothed by
Raja "ida Hindi to the dau#hter of the Raja of Turkistan ,y her Raja &ristun *hah had a son
whom he ca$$ed Raja &ftas
8orty-five years after the return of Raja Iskandar to Macedonia, Raja "ida Hindi returned to
'od+s mercy, and was succeeded as ru$er of India by his #randson Raja &ristun, who rei#ned
three hundred and fifty-five years before he $eft this wor$d to #o to the wor$d that abideth He
was succeeded by his son Raja &ftas, who ru$ed over India for one hundred and twenty years
and on his death was succeeded by Raja &skainat, who rei#ned for three years 9n the death
of Raja &skainat, the throne %assed to Raja "asdas, who rei#ned for twe$ve years and was
succeeded on his death by his youn#er brother Raja &mbutas who rei#ned for thirteen years
When he died, Raja Heruwaskainan came to the throne and rei#ned for thirty years 9n his
death Raja &rahadaskainat came to the throne and rei#ned for nine years, to be succeeded on
his death by Raja 'udar; "uhan, son of Raja &mbutas, who rei#ned for seventy years 9n his
death Raja !ikabus &shkabus came to the throne and he rei#ned for fifty years &fter that
Raja &rdashir-I 5a%a#an, son of Raja 'udar; "uhan, came to the throne He married a
dau#hter of Raja !ushirwan =&di$, Raja of East and West, and by her he had a son named
Derma !us &fter he had attained the a#e of a hundred Raja &rdashir-i 5a%a#an died and was
succeeded by his son Deria (sic) !us who rei#ned for ninety years and was succeeded by Raja
"estah He rei#ned for four months and was succeeded on his death by Raja Ramji, who
rei#ned for twnety>two years and nine months When he died, Raja *hah Tersi became kin#
He was the son of Raja Derma !us and rei#ned for twenty-ei#ht years, to be succeeded on his
death by Raja Teja who rei#ned for thirty years 9n his death Raja &jakar came to the throne
and rei#ned for ten years When he died Raja Hurmi;d, son of Raja *hah !ahsi ( Tersi1)
became kin# and rei#ned for one hundred and twenty-si< years &fter that Raja ?a;dif#ird
came to the throne and rei#ned for si<ty-two years and four months, to be succeeded on his
death by Raja "u%i "udar, who rei#ned for si<ty-three years The ne<t kin# was Raja !arsi
,iradarash, son of Raja @imrut, #randson of Raja *hah !arsi ( Tersi1), #reat-#randson of Raja
Deria (Derma) !us, #reat-#reat-#randson of Raja &rdashiri-I 5a%a#an, who was the son of
Raja 'udar; "uhan, #randson of Raja &mbutas, #reat #randson of Raja *abur, #reat-#reat-
#randson of Raja &ftas, the son of Raja &ristun *hah who was the son of Raja Iskandar D;u+$-
"arnain
!aris ,aradar-ash married a dau#hter of Raja &mdan !a#ara, by whom he had two sons
"udar *hah 6ahan and Raja *uran 5adshah, both of them e<ceedin#$y handsome
'od knoweth the truth4 to Him do we return
CHAPTER I. ALEXANDER AT NYSA.
I! this country, $yin# between the rivers .o%hen and Indus, which was traversed by
&$e<ander, the city of !ysa is said to be situated The re%ort is, that its foundation was the
work of Dionysus, who bui$t it after he had subju#ated the IndiansA ,ut it is im%ossib$e to
determine who this Dionysus = was, and at what time, or from Bvhat 3uarter he $ed an army
a#ainst the Indians 8or I am unab$e to decide whether the Theban Dionysus, startin# from
Thebes or from the Cydian Tmo$usD came into India at the head of an army, and after
traversin# the territories of so many war$ike nations, unknown to the 'reeks of that time,
forcib$y subju#ated none of them e<ce%t that of the Indians ,ut I do not think we ou#ht to
make a minute e<amination of the $e#ends which were %romu$#ated in ancient times about the
deity4 for thin#s which are not credib$e to the man who e<amines them accordin# to the ru$e
of %robabi$ity, do not a%%ear to be who$$y incredib$e, if one adds the divine a#ency to the
story When &$e<ander came to !ysa the citi;ens sent out to him their %resident, whose name
was &cu%his, accom%anied by thirty of their most distin#uished men as envoys, to entreat
&$e<ander to $eave their city free for the sake of the #od The envoys entered &$e<ander+s tent
and found him seated in his armour sti$$ covered with dust from the journey, with his he$met
on his head, and ho$din# his s%ear in his hand When they behe$d the si#ht they were struck
with astonishment, and fa$$in# to the earth remained si$ent a $on# time ,ut when &$e<ander
caused them to rise, and bade them be of #ood coura#e, then at $en#th &cu%his be#an thus to
s%eak- /The !ysaeans beseech thee, > kin#, out of res%ect for Dionysus, to a$$ow them to
remain free and inde%endent4 for when Dionysus had subju#ated the nation of the Indians, and
was returnin# to the 'recian sea, he founded this city from the so$diers who had become unfit
for mi$itary service, and were under his ins%iration as ,acchana$s, so that it mi#ht be a
monument both of his wanderin# and of hi s victory to men of after times4 just as thou a$so
hast founded &$e<andria near mount .aucasus, and another &$e<andria in the country of the
E#y%tians Many other cities thou hast a$ready founded, and others thou wi$t found hereafter,
in the course of time, inasmuch as thou hast achieved more e<%$oits than Dionysus The #od
indeed ca$$ed the city !ysa, and the $and !ysaea after his nurse !ysa The mountain a$so
which is near the city he named Meros (ie thi#h), because, accordin# to the $e#end, he #rew
in the thi#h of @eus+ 8rom that time we inhabit !ysa, a free city, and we ourse$ves are
inde%endent, conductin# our #overnment with constitutiona$ order &nd $et this be to thee a
%roof that our city owes its foundation to Dionysus4 for ivy, which does not #row in the rest of
the country of India, #rows amon# us2
CHAPTER II. ALEXANDER AT NYSA.
&CC this was very %$easant to &$e<ander to hear4 for he wished that the $e#end about the
wanderin# of Dionysus shou$d be be$ieved, as we$$ as that !ysa owed its foundation to that
deity, since he had himse$f reached the %$ace where Dionysus came, and had even advanced
beyond the $imits of the $atter+s march He a$so thou#ht that the Macedonians wou$d not
dec$ine sti$$ to share his $abours if he advanced further, from a desire to sur%ass the
achievements of Dionysus He therefore #ranted the inhabitants of !ysa the %rivi$e#e of
remainin# free and inde%endent4 and when he heard about their $aws, and that the #overnment
was in the hands of the aristocracy he commended these thin#s He re3uired them to send E>>
of their horsemen to accom%any him, and to se$ect and send ioo of the aristocrats who
%resided over the #overnment of the *tate, who a$so were E>> in number He ordered &cu%his
to make the se$ection, and a%%ointed him #overnor of the $and of !ysaea When &cu%his
heard this, he is said to have smi$ed at the s%eech4 whereu%on &$e<ander asked him why he
$au#hed &cu%his re%$ied F/How, 9 kin#, cou$d a sin#$e city de%rived of ioo of its #ood men
be sti$$ we$$ #overned1 ,ut if thou carest for the we$fare of the !ysaeans, $ead with thee the
E>> horsemen, and sti$$ more than that number if thou wishest-
but instead of the hundred of the best men whom thou orderest me to se$ect $ead with thee
doub$e the number of the others who are bad, so that when thou comest here a#ain the city
may a%%ear+ in the same #ood order in which it now is2 ,y these remarks he %ersuaded
&$e<ander4 for he thou#ht he was s%eakin# with %rudence *o he ordered them to send the
horsemen to accom%any him, but no $on#er demanded the hundred se$ect men, nor indeed
others in their stead ,ut he commanded &cu%his to send his own son and his dau#hter+s son
to accom%any him He was now sei;ed with a stron# desire of seein# the %$ace where the
!ysaeans boasted to have certain memoria$s of Dionysus *o he went to Mount Merus with
the .om%anion cava $ry and the foot #uard, and saw the mountain, which was 3uite covered
with ivy and $aure$ and #roves thick$y shaded with a$$ sorts of timber, and on it were chases of
a$$ kinds of wi$d anima$s The Macedonians were de$i#hted at seein# the ivy, as they had not
seen any for a $on# time4 for in the $and of the Indians there was no ivy, even where they had
vines They ea#er$y made #ar$ands of it, and crowned themse$ves with them, as they were,
sin#in# hymns in honour of Dionysus, and invokin# the deity by his various names
&$e<ander there offered sacrifice to Dionysus, and feasted in com%any with his com%anions
*ome authors have a$so stated, but I do not know if any one wi$$ be$ieve it, that many of the
distin#uished Macedonians in attendance u%on him, havin# crowned themse$ves with ivy,
whi$e they were en#a#ed in the invocation of the deity, were sei;ed with the ins%iration of
Dionysus, uttered cries of Evoi in honour of the #od, and acted as ,acchana$s CHAPTER
III. INCREDULITY ! ERATSTHENES."PASSA#E ! THE INDUS.
&!? one who receives these stories may be$ieve or disbe$ieve them as he %$eases ,ut I do
not a$to#ether a#ree with Eratosthenes the .yrenaean, who says that everythin# which was
attributed to the divine a#ency by the Macedonians was rea$$y said to #ratify &$e<ander by
e<cessive eu$o#y 8or he says that the Macedonians, seein# a cavern in the $and of the
5ara%amisadians, and hearin# a certain $e#end which was current amon# the natives, or
themse$ves formin# a conjecture, s%read the re%ort that this forsooth was the cave where
5rometheus had been bound, that an ea#$e fre3uented it to feast on his inward %arts, that when
Herac$es arrived there he ki$$ed the ea#$e and set 5rometheus free from his bonds He a$so
says that by their account the Macedonians transferred Mount .aucasus from the Eu<ine *ea
to the eastern %arts of the earth, and the $and of the 5ara%amisadians to that of the Indians 4
ca$$in# what was rea$$y mount 5ara%amisus by the name of .aucasus, in order to enhance
&$e<ander+s #$ory, seein# that he forsooth had #one over the .aucasus He adds, that when
they saw in India itse$f some o<en marked with the brand of a c$ub, they conc$uded from th is
that Herac$es had %enetrated into India Eratosthenes a$so disbe$ieves the simi$ar ta$e of the
wanderin# of Dionysus Cet me $eave the stories about these matters und ecided as far as I am
concerned
brid#e made over it by He%haestion, and two thirty-oared #a$$eys, besides many sma$$er craft
He moreover found that A>> ta$ents of si$ver, E,>>> o<en, above mo,ooo shee% for sacrificia$
victims, and thirty e$e%hants had arrived as #ifts from Ta<i$es the Indian4 G>> Indian horsemen
a$so arrived from Ta<i$es as a reinforcement, and that %rince sent word that he wou$d
surrender to him the city of Ta<i$a, the $ar#est town between the river Indus and
Hydas%es&$e<ander there offered sacrifice to the #ods to whom he was in the habit of
sacrificin#, and ce$ebrated a #ymnastic and horse contest near the river The sacrifices were
favourab$e to his crossin#
CHAPTER I$. DI#RESSIN A%UT INDIA.
THE fo$$owin# are statements about the river Indus which are 3uite un3uestionab$e, and
therefore $et me record them The Indus is the $ar#est of a$$ the rivers in &sia and Euro%e,
e<ce%t the 'an#es, which is a$so an Indian river It takes its rise on this side mount
5ara%amisus, or .aucasus, and dischar#es its water into the 'reat *ea which $ies near India in
the direction of the south wind It has two mouths, both of which out$ets are fu$$ of sha$$ow
%oo$s $ike the five out$ets of the Ister (Danube) It forms a De$ta in the $and of the Indians
resemb$in# that of E#y%t 4 and this is ca$$ed 5atta$a in the Indian $an#ua#e The Hydas%es,
&cesines, Hydraotes, and Hy%hasis are a$so Indian rivers, and far e<ceed the other rivers of
&sia in si;e4 but they are not on$y sma$$er but much sma$$er than the Indus, just as that river
itse$f is sma$$er than the 'an#es Indeed .tesias says (if any one thinks his evidence to be
de%ended u%on), that where the Indus is narrowest, its banks are forty stades a%art4 where it is
broadest, too stades4 and most of it is the mean between these breadths This river Indus
&$e<ander crossed at daybreak with his army into the country of the Indians 4 concernin#
whom, in this history I have described neither what $aws they enjoy, nor what stran#e anima$s
their $and %roduces, nor how many and what sort of fish and water-monsters are %roduced by
the Indus, Hydas%es, 'an#es, or the other rivers of India !or have I described the ants which
work the #o$d for them, nor the #uardian #riffins, nor any of the other ta$es that have been
com%osed rather to amuse than to be received as the re$ation of facts 4 since the fa$sity of the
stran#e stories which have been fabricated about India wi$$ not be e<%osed by any one+
However, &$e<ander and those who served in his army e<%osed the fa$sity of most of these
ta$es 4 but there were even some of these very men who fabricated other stories They %roved
that the Indians whom &$e<ander visited with his army, and he visited many tribes of them,
were dest itute of #o$d4 and a$so that they were by no means $u<urious in their mode of $ivin#
Moreover, they discovered that they were ta$$ in stature, in fact as ta$$ as any men throu#hout
&sia, most of them bein# five cubits in hei#ht, or a $itt$e $ess They were b$acker than the rest
of men, e<ce%t the Ethio%ians4 and in war they were far the bravest of a$$ the races inhabitin#
&sia at that time 8or I cannot with any justice com%are the race of the ancient 5ersians with
those of India, thou#h at the head of the former .yrus, son of .atnbyses, set out and de%rived
the Medes of the em%ire of &sia, and subdued many other races %art$y by force and %art$y by
vo$untary surrender on their own %art 8or at that time the 5ersians were a %oor %eo%$e and
inhabitants of a ru##ed $and, havin# $aws and customs very simi$ar to the Caconian
disci%$ine+ !or am I ab$e with certainty to conjecture whether the defeat sustained by the
5ersians in the *cythian $and was due to the difficu$t nature of the country met with or to
some other error on the %art of .yrus, or whether the 5ersians were rea$$y inferior in war$ike
matters to the *cythians of that district
CHAPTER $.MUNTAINS AND RI$ERS ! ASIA.
,HT of the Indians I sha$$ treat in a distinct work, #ivin# the most credib$e accounts which
were com%i$ed by those who accom%anied &$e<ander in his e<%edition, as we$$ as by
!earchus, who sai$ed ri#ht round the 'reat *ea which is near India Then I sha$$ add what has
been com%i$ed by Me#asthenes and Eratosthenes, two men of distin#uished authority I sha$$
describe the customs %ecu$iar to the Indians and the stran#e anima$s which are %roduced in the
country, as we$$ as the voya#e itse$f in the e<terna$ sea ,ut now $et me describe so much on$y
as a%%ears to me sufficient to e<%$ain &$e<ander+s achievements Mount Taurus divides &sia,
be#innin# from Myca$e, the mountain which $ies o%%osite the is$and of *amos4 then, cuttin#
throu#h the country of the 5am%hy$ians and .i$icians, it e<tends into &rmenia 8rom this
country it stretches into Media and throu#h the $and of the 5arthians and .horasmians In
,actria it unites with mount 5ara%amisus, which the Macedonians who served in &$e<ander+s
army ca$$ed .aucasus, in order, as it is said, to enhance their kin#+s #$ory4 assertin# that he
went even beyond the .aucasus with his victorious arms 5erha%s it is a fact that this
mountain ran#e is a continuation of the other .aucasus in *cythia, as the Taurus+ is of the
same 8or this reason I have on a %revious occasion ca$$ed this ran#e .aucasus, and by the
same name I sha$$ continue tt ca$$ it in the future This .aucasus e<tends as far as the 'reat
*ea which $ies in the direction of India and the East 9f the rivers in &sia worth consideration
which take their rise from the Taurus and .aucasus, some have their course turned towards
the north, dischar#in# themse$ves either into the $ake Maeotis,+ or into the sea ca$$ed
Hyrcanian, which in rea$ity is a #u$f of the 'reat *ea 9thers f$ow towards the south, name$y,
the Eu%hrates, Ti#res, Indus, Hydas%es, &cesines, Hydraotes, Hy%hasis, and a$$ those that $ie
between these and the river 'an#es &$$ these either dischar#e their water into the sea, or di
sa%%ear by %ourin# themse$ves out into marshes, as the river Eu%hrates+ does
CHAPTER $I.
#ENERAL DESCRIPTIN ! INDIA.
WH9E7ER arran#es the %osition of &sia in such a way that it is divided by the Taurus and
the .aucasus from the west wind to the east wind, wi$$ find that these two very $ar#e divisions
are made by the Taurus itse$f, one of which is inc$ined towards the south and the south wind,
and the other towards the north and the north wind *outhern &sia a#ain may be divided into
four %arts, of which Eratosthenes and Me#asthene* make India the $ar#est The $atter author
$ived with *ibyrtius,+ the viceroy of &rachosia, and says that he fre3uent$y visited
*andracotus, kin# of the IndiansA These authors say that the sma$$est of the four %arts is that
which is bounded by the river Eu%hrates and e<tends to our in$and sea The other two $yin#
between the rivers Eu%hrates and Indus are scarce$y worthy to be com%ared with India, if they
were joined to#ether They say that India is bounded towards the east and the east wind as far
as the south by the 'reat *ea, towards the north by mount .aucasus, as far as its junction with
the Taurus4 and that the river Indus cuts it off towards the west and the north-west wind, as far
as the 'reat *ea The #reater %art of it is a %$ain, which, as they conjecture, has been formed
by the a$$uvia$ de%osits of the rivers4 just as the %$ains in the rest of the earth $yin# near the sea
are for the most %art due to the a$$uvia$ action of the rivers by themse$ves .onse3uent$y, the
names by which the countries are ca$$ed were attached in ancient times to the rivers 8or
instance, a certain %$ain was ca$$ed after the Hermus, which rises in the country of &sia from
the mountain of Mother Dindymene, and after f$owin# %ast the &eo$ian city of *myrna
dischar#es its water into the sea &nother Cydian %$ain is named after the .ayster, a Cydian
river4 another in Mvsia from the .aicus4 and the .arian %$ain, e<tendin# as far as the Ionian
city of Mi$etus, is named from the Maeander ,oth Herodotus and Hecataeus the historians
(un$ess the work about the E#y%tian country is by another %erson, and not by Hecat aeus) in
$ike manner ca$$ E#y%t a #ift of the river B and Herodotus has shown by no uncertain %roofs
that such is the case4 so that even the country itse$f $)erha%s received its name from the river
8or that the river which both the E#y%tians and men outside E#y%t now name the !i$e, was in
ancient times ca$$ed &e#y%tus, Homer is sufficient to %rove4 since he says that Mene$aus
stationed his shi%s at the out$et of the river &e#y%tus If therefore sin#$e rivers by themse$ves,
and those not $ar#e ones, are sufficient to form an e<tensive tract of country, whi$e f$owin#
forward into the sea, since they carry down shine and mud from the hi#her districts whence
they derive their sources, sure$y it is unbecomin# to e<hibit incredu$ity about India, how it has
come to %ass that most of it is a %$ain, which has been formed by the a$$uvia$ de%osits of its
rivers 8or if the Hermus, the .ayster, the .aicus, the Maeander, and a$$ the many rivers of
&sia which dischar#e their waters into this in$and sea were a$$ %ut to#ether, they wou$d not be
worthy of com%arison for vo$ume of water with one of the Indian rivers !ot on$y do I mean
the 'an#es, which is the $ar#est, and with which neither the water of the E#y%tian !i$e nor the
Ister f$owin# throu#h Euro%e is worthy to com%are4 but if a$$ those riyers were min#$ed
to#ether they wou$d not even then become e3ua$ to the river Indus, which is a $ar#e river as
soon as it issues from its s%rin#s, and after receivin# fifteen rivers, a$$ $ar#er than those in the
%rovince of &sia, dischar#es its water into the sea, retainin# its own name and absorbin# those
of its tributaries Cet these remarks which I have made about India suffice for the %resent, and
$et the rest be reserved for my /Descri%tion of India2
CHAPTER $II.
METHD ! %RID#IN# RI$ERS.
How &$e<ander constructed his brid#e over the river Indus is e<%$ained neither by &ristobu$us
nor 5to$emy, authors whom I usua$$y fo$$ow4 nor am I ab$e to form a decided o%inion whether
the %assa#e was brid#ed with boats, as the He$$es%ont was by Ier<es and the ,os%orus and
the Ister were by Darius, or whether he made a continuous brid#e over the river To me it
seems %robab$e that the brid#e was made of boats4 for the de%th of the water wou$d not have
admitted of the construction of a re#u$ar brid#e, nor cou$d so enormous a work have been
com%$eted in so short a time+ If the %assa#e was brid#ed with boats, I cannot decide whether
the vesse$s bein# fastened to#ether with ro%es and moored in a row were sufficient to form the
brid#e, as Herodotus the Ha$icarnassian says the He$$es%ont was brid#ed, or whether the work
was effected in the way in which the brid#e u%on the Ister and that u%on the .e$tic Rhine are
made by the Romans, and in the way in which they brid#ed the Eu%hrates and Ti#res, as often
as necessity com%e$$ed them However, as I know myse$f, the Rornans find the 3uickest way
of makin# a brid#e to be with vesse$s4 and this method I sha$$ on the %resent occasion e<%$ain,
because it is worth describin# &t a %reconcerted si#na$ they $et the vesse$s $oose down the
stream, not with their %rows forward, but as if backin# water &s mi#ht natura$$y be e<%ected,
the stream carries them down, but a skiff furnished with oars ho$ds them back, unti$ it sett$es
them in the %$ace assi#ned to them Then %yramida$ wicker-baskets made of wi$$ow, fu$$ of
unhewn stones, are $et down into the water from the %roBv of each vesse$, in order to ho$d it
u% a#ainst the force of the stream &s soon as any one of these vesse$s has been he$d fast,
another is in the same way moored with its %row a#ainst the stream, distant from the first as
far as is consistent with their su%%ortin# what is %ut u%on them 5ieces of timber are 3uick$y
%ut on them, %rojectin# out from both of them, on which cross-%$anks are %$aced to bind them
to#ether4 and so %roceeds the work throu#h a$$ the vesse$s which are re3uired to brid#e the
river &t each end of this brid#e firm$y fi<ed #an#ways are thrown forward, so that the
a%%roach may be safer for the horses and wa##ons, and at the same time to serve as a bond to
the brid#e In a short time the who$e is finished with a #reat noise and bust$e but yet disci%$ine
is not re$a<ed whi$e the work is #oin# on In each vesse$ the e<hortations of the overseers to
the men as they chance to occur, or their censures of s$u##ishness, neither %revent the orders
bein# heard nor im%ede the ra%idity of the work
.H&5TER 7III M&R.H 8R9M THE I!DH* T9 THE H?D&*5E*
THI* has been the method of constructin# brid#es, %ractised by the Romans from o$den
times4 but how &$e<ander $aid a brid#e over the river Indus I cannot say, because those who
served in his army have said nothin# about it ,ut I shou$d think that the brid#e was made as
near as %ossib$e as I have described, or if it were effected by some other contrivance so $et it
be When &$e<ander had crossed to the other side of the river Indus, he a#ain offered sacrifice
there, accordin# to his custom Then startin# from the Indus, he arrived at Ta<i$a, a $ar#e and
%ros%erous city, in fact the $ar#est of those situated between the rivers Indus and Hydas%es
He was received in a friend$y manner by Ta<i$es, the #overnor of the city, and by the Indians
of that
%$ace4 and he added to their territory as much of the adjacent .ountry as they asked for
Thither a$so came to him envoys from &bisares, kin# of the mountaineer Indians, the embassy
inc$udin# the brother of &bisares as we$$ as the other most notab$e men 9ther envoys a$so
came from Do<areus, the chief of the %rovince, brin#in# #ifts with them Here a#ain at Ta<i$a
&$e<ander offered the sacrifices which were customary for him to offer, and ce$ebrated a
#ymnastic and e3uestrian contest Havin# a%%ointed 5hi$i%, son of Machatas, viceroy of the
Indians of that district, he $eft a #arrison in Ta<i$a, as we$$ as the so$diers who were inva$ided
by sickness, and then marched towards the river Hydas%es 8or he was informed that 5orus,
with the who$e of his army, was on the other side of that river, havin# determined either to
%revent him from makin# the %assa#e, or to attack him whi$e crossin# When &$e<ander
ascertained this, he sent .oenus, son of 5o$emocrates, back to the river Indus, with
instructions to cut in %ieces a$$ the vesse$s which he had re%ared for the %assa#e of that river,
and to brin# them to the river Hydas%es .oenus cut the vesse$s in %ieces and conveyed them
thither, the sma$$er ones bein# cut into two %arts, and the thirty-oared #a$$eys into three The
sections were conveyed u%on wa##ons, as far as the bank of the Hydas%es4 and there the
vesse$s were fi<ed to#ether a#ain, and seen as a f$eet u%on that river &$e<ander took the
forces which he had when $ie arrived at Ta<i$a, and the J,>>> Indians under the command of
Ta<i$es and the chiefs of that district, and marched towards the same river
.H&5TER II 59RH* 9,*TRH.T* &CEI&!DER+* 5&**&'E
&CEI&!DER encam%ed on the bank of the Hydas%es, and 5orus was seen with a$$ his army
and his $ar#e troo% of e$e%hants $inin# the o%%osite bank+ He remained to #uard the %assa#e at
the %$ace where he saw &$e<ander had encam%ed and sent #uards to a$$ the other %arts of the
river which were more easi$y fordab$e, %$acin# officers over each detachment, bein# reso$ved
to obstruct the %assa#e of the Macedonians When &$e<ander saw this, he thou#ht it advisab$e
to move his army in various directions, to distract the attention of 5orus, and render him
uncertain what to do Dividin# his army into many %arts, he himse$f $ed some of his troo%s
now into one %art of the $and and now into another, at one time rava#in# the enemy+s %ro%erty,
at another $ookin# out for a %$ace where the river mi#ht a%%ear easier for him to ford it The
rest of his troo%s he intrusted to his different #enera$s, and sent them about in many
directions He a$so conveyed corn from a$$ 3uarters into his cam% from the $and on this side
the Hydas%es, so that it mi#ht be evident to 5orus that he had reso$ved to remain 3uiet near
the bank unti$ the water of the river subsided in the winter, and afforded him a %assa#e in
many %$aces &s his vesse$s were sai$in# u% and down the river, and skins were bein# fi$$ed
with hay, and the who$e bank a%%eared to be covered in one %$ace with cava$ry and in another
with infantry, 5orus was not a$$owed to kee% at reB or to brin# his %re%arations to#ether from
a$$ sides to any one %oint if he se$ected this as suitab$e for the defence of the %assa#e ,esides
at this season a$$ the Indian rivers were f$owin# with swo$$en and turbid waters and with ra%id
currents4 for it was the time of year when the sun is wont to turn towards the summer so$stice
&t this season incessant and heavy rain fa$$s in India4 and the snows on the .aucasus, whence
most of the rivers have their sources, me$t and swe$$ their streams to a #reat de#ree ,ut in the
winter they a#ain subside, become sma$$ and c$ear, and are fordab$e in certain %$aces, with the
e<ce%tion of the Indus, 'an#es, and %erha%s one or two others &t any rate the Hydas%es
becomes fordab$e
.H&5TER I &CEI&!DER &!D 59RH* &T THE H7D&*5E*
&CEI&!DER therefore s%read a re%ort that he wou$d wait for that season of the year, if his
%assa#e was obstructed at the %resent time 4 but yet a$$ the tune he was waitin# in ambush to
see whether by ra$)idity of movement he cou$d stea$ a %assa#e anywhere without bein#
observed ,ut he %erceived that it was im%ossib$e for him to cross at the %$ace where 5orus
himse$f had encam%ed near the bank of the Hydas%es, not on$y on account of the mu$titude of
his e$e%hants, but a$so because a $ar#e army, and that, too, arran#ed in order of batt$e and
s%$endid$y accoutred, was ready to attack his men as they emer#ed from the water Moreover
he thou#ht that his horses wou$d refuse even to mount the o%%osite bank, because the
e$e%hants wou$d at once fa$$ u%on them and fri#hten them both by their as%ect and trum%etin#4
nor even before that wou$d they remain u%on the inf$ated hides durin# the %assa#e of the
river4 but when they $ooked across and saw the e$e%hants on the other side they wou$d become
frantic and $ea% into the water He therefore reso$ved to stea$ a crossin# by the fo$$owin#
manoeuvre FIn the ni#ht he $ed most of his cava$ry a$on# the bank in various directions,
makin# a c$amour and raisin# the batt$e-cry in honour of Enya$ius+ Every kind of noise was
raised, as if they were makin# a$$ the %re%arations necessary for crossin# the river 5orus a$so
marched a$on# the river at the head of his e$e%hants o%%osite the %$aces where the c$amour
was heard, and &$e<ander thus #radua$$y #ot him into the habit of $eadin# his men a$on#
o%%osite the noise ,ut when this occurred fre3uuent$y, and there was mere$y a c$amour and a
raisin# of the batt$eBcry, 5orus no $on#er continued to move about to meet the e<%ected
advance of the cava$ry4 but %erceivin# that his fear had been #round$ess, he ke%t his %osition
in the cam% However he %osted his scouts at many %$aces a$on# the bank When &$e<ander
had brou#ht it about that the mind of 5orus no $on#er entertained any fear of his nocturna$
attem%ts, he devised the fo$$owin# st rata#em
.H&5TER II &CEI&!DER+* *TR&T&'EM T9 'ET &.R9**
THERE was in the bank of the Hydas%es, a %rojectin# %oint, where the river makes a
remarkab$e bend It was dense$y covered by a #rove of a$$ sorts of trees4 and over a#ainst it in
the river was a woody is$and without a foot-track, on account of its bein# uninhabited
5erceivin# that this is$and was ri#ht in front of the %rojectin# %oint, and that both the s%ots
were woody and ada%ted to concea$ his attem%t to cross the river, he reso$ved to convey his
army over at this %$ace The %rojectin# %oint and is$and were KJ> stades distant from his #reat
cam% &$on# the who$e of the bank, he %osted sentries, se%arated as far as was consistent with
kee%in# each other in si#ht, and easi$y hearin# when any order shou$d be sent a$on# from any
3uarter 8rom a$$ sides a$so durin# many ni#hts c$amours were raised and fires were burnt
,itt when he had made u% his mind to undertake the %assa#e of the river, he o%en$y %re%ared
his measures for crossin# o%%osite the cam% .ratetus had been $eft behind at the cam% with
his own division of cava$ry, and the horsemen from the &rachotians and 5ara%amisadians, as
we$$ as the bri#ades of &$cetas and 5o$ys%erchon from the %ha$an< of the Macedonian
infantry, to#ether with the chiefs of the Indians dwe$$in# this side of the Hy%hasis, who had
with them J,>>> men He #ave .raterus orders not to cross the river before 5orus moved off
with his forces a#ainst them, or before he ascertained that 5orus was in f$i#ht and that they
were victorious+ /If however,2 said he, /5orus shou$d take on$y a %art of his army and march
a#ainst me, and $eave the other %art with the e$e%hants in his cam%, in that case do thou a$so
remain in thy %resent %osition ,ut if he $eads a$$ his e$e%hants with him a#ainst me, and a %art
of the rest of his army is $eft behind in the cam%, then do thou cross the river with a$$ s%eed
8or it is the e$e%hants a$one,2 said he, /which render it im%ossib$e for the horses to $and on the
other bank The rest of the army can easi$y cross2
.H&5TER III 5&**&'E 98 THE H?D&*5E*
*uch were the injunctions $aid u%on .raterus ,etween the is$and and the #reat cam% where
&$e<ander had $eft this #enera$, he %osted Me$ea#er, &tta$us, and 'or#ias, with the 'recian
mercenaries, cava$ry and infantry, #ivin# them instructions to cross in detachments, breakin#
u% the army as soon as they saw the Indians a$ready invo$ved in batt$e He then %icked the
se$ect body-#uard ca$$ed the .om%anions, as we$$ as the cava$ry re#iments of He%haestion,
5erdiccas, and Demetrius, the cava$ry from ,actria, *o#diana, and *cythia, and the Daan
horse-archers4 and from the %ha$an< of infantry the shie$d-bearin# #uards, the bri#ades of
.$itus and .oenus, with the archers and &#rianians, and made a secret march, kee%in# far
away from the bank of the river, in order not to be seen marchin# towards the is$and and
head$and, from which he had determined to cross There the skins were fi$$ed in the ni#ht with
the hay which had been %rocured $on# before, and they were ti#ht$y stitched u% In the ni#ht a
furious storm of rain occurred, on account of which his %re%arations and attem%t to cross were
sti$$ $ess observed, since the c$a%s of thunder and the storm drowned with their din the c$atter
of the wea%ons and the noise which arose from the orders #iven by the officers Most of the
vesse$s, the thirty-oared #a$$eys inc$uded with the rest, had been cut in %ieces by his order and
conveyed to this %$ace, where they had been secret$y fi<ed to#ether a#ain and hidden in the
wood &t the a%%roach of day$i#ht, both the wind and the rain ca$med down4 and the rest of
the army went over o%%osite the is$and, the cava$ry mountin# u%on the skins, and as many of
the foot so$diers as the boats wou$d receive #ettin# into them They went so secret$y that they
were not observed by the sentine$s %osted by 5orus, before they had a$ready #ot beyond the
is$and and were on$y a $itt$e way from the other bank
.H&5TER IIII5&**&'E 98 THE H?D&*5E*
&CEI&!DER himse$f embarked in a thirty-oared #a$$ey and went over, accom%anied by
5to$emy, 5erdiccas, and Cysimacbus, the confidentia$ body-#uards, *e$eucus, one of the
.om%anions, who was afterwards kin#, and ha$f of the shie$d-bearin# #uards4 the rest of these
troo%s bein# conveyed in other #a$$eys of the same si;e When the so$diers #ot beyond the
is$and, they o%en$y directed their course to the bank4 and when the sentine$s %erceived that
they had started, they at once rode off to 5orus as fast as each man+s horse cou$d #a$$o%
&$e<ander himse$f was the first to $and, and he at once took the cava$ry as they ke%t on
$andin# from his own and the other thirty-oared #a$$eys, and drew them u% in %ro%er order
8or the cava$ry had been arran#ed to $and first4 and at the head of these in re#u$ar array he
advanced ,ut throu#h i#norance of the $oca$ity he had effected a $andin# on #round which
was not a %art of the main$and, but an is$and, a $ar#e one indeed and where from the fact that
it was an is$and, he more easi$y esca%ed notice It was cut off from the rest of the $and by a
%art of the river where the water was sha$$ow However, the furious storm of rain, which
$asted the #reater %art of the ni#ht, had swe$$ed the water so much that his cava$ry cou$d not
find out the ford4 and he was afraid that he wou$d have to under#o another $abour in crossin#
as #reat as the first ,ut when at $ast the ford was found, he $ed his men throu#h it with much
difficu$ty4 for where the water was dee%est, it reached hi#her than the breasts of the infantry4
and of the horses on$y the heads rose above the river+ When he had a$so crossed this %iece of
water, he se$ected the choice #uard of cava$ry, and the best men from the other cava$ry
re#iments, and brou#ht them u% from co$umn into $ine on the ri#ht win# In front of a$$ the
cava$ry he %osted the horse-archers, and %$aced ne<t to the cava$ry in front of the other
infantry the roya$ shie$d-bearin# #uards under the command of *e$eucus !ear these he %$aced
the roya$ foot-#uard, and ne<t to these the other shie$d-bearin# #uards, as each ha%%ened at
the time to have the ri#ht of %recedence+ 9n each side, at the e<tremities of the %ha$an<, his
archers, &#rianians and jave$in-throwers were %osted
.H&5TER II7 THE ,&TTCE &T THE H7D&*5E*
H&7I!' thus arran#ed his army, he ordered the infantry to fo$$ow at a s$ow %ace and in
re#u$ar order, numberin# as it did not much under L,ooo men 4 and because he thou#ht he was
su%erior in cava$ry, he took on$y his horse-so$diers, who were J,>>> in number, and $ed them
forward with s%eed He a$so instructed Tauron, the comnunder of the archers, to $ead them on
a$so with s%eed to back u% the cava$ry He had come to the conc$usion that if 5orus shou$d
en#a#e him with a$$ his forces, he wou$d easi$y be ab$e to overcome him by attackin# with his
cava$ry, or to stand on the defensive unti$ his infantry arrived in the course of the action4 but if
the Indians shou$d be a$armed at his e<traordinary audacity in makin# the %assa#e of the river
and take to f$i#ht, he wou$d be ab$e to kee% c$ose to them in their f$i#ht, so that the s$au#hter
of them in the retreat bein# #reater, there wou$d be on$y a s$i#ht work $eft for him &ristobu$us
says that the son of 5orus arrived with about si<ty chariots before &$e<ander made his $ater
%assa#e from the $ar#e is$and, and that he cou$d have hindered &$e<ander+s crossin# (for he
made the %assa#e with difficu$ty even when no one o%%osed him), if the Indians had $ea%ed
c$own from their chariots and assau$ted those who first emer#ed from the water ,ut he %assed
by with the chariots and thus made the %assa#e 3uite safe for &$e<ander4 who on reachin# the
bank dischar#ed his horse-archers a#ainst the Indians in the chariots, and these were easi$y %ut
to rout, many of them bein# wounded 9ther writers say that a batt$e took %$ace between the
Indians, who came with the son of 5orus, and &$e<ander at the head of his cava$ry when the
%assa#e had been effected, that the son of 5orus came with a #reater force, that &$e<ander
himse$f was wounded by him, and that his horse ,uce%ha$as, of which he was e<ceedin#$y
fond, was ki$$ed, bein# wounded $ike his master by the son of 5orus ,ut 5to$emy, son of
Ca#os, with whom I a#ree, #ives a different account This author a$so says that 5orus dis%atch
ed his son, but not at the head of mere$y si<ty chariots4 nor is it indeed $ike$y that 5orus
hearin# from his scouts that either &$e<ander himse$f or at any rate a %art of his army had
effected the %assa#e of the Hydas%es, wou$d dis%atch his son a#ainst him with on$y si<ty
chariots+ These indeed were too many to be sent out as a reconnoitrin# %arty, and not ada%ted
for s%eedy retreat4 but they were by no means a sufficient force to kee% back those of the
enemy who had not yet #ot across, as weI$ as to attack those who had a$ready $anded 5to$emy
says that the son of 5orus arrived at the head of A,>>> cava$ry and KA> chariots4 but that
&$e<ander had a$ready made even the $ast %assa#e from the is$and before he a%%eared
.H&5TER I7 &RR&!'EME!T* 98 59RH*
5T9CEM? a$so says that &$e<ander in the first %$ace sent the horse-archers a#ainst these, and
$ed the cava$ry himse$f, thinkin# that 5orus was a%%roachin# with a$$ his forces, and that this
body of cava$ry was marchin# in front of the rest of his army, bein# drawn u% by him as the
van#uard ,ut as soon as he had ascertained with accuracy the number of the Indians, he
immediate$y made a ra%id char#e u%on them with the cava$ry around him When they
%erceived that &$e<ander himse$f and the body of cava$ry around him had made the assau$t,
not in $ine of batt$e re#u$ar$y formed, but by s3uadrons, they #ave way4 and D>> of their
cava$ry, inc$udin# the son of 5orus, fe$$ in the contest The chariots a$so were ca%tured, horses
and a$$, bein# heavy and s$ow in the retreat, and use$ess in the action itse$f on account of the
c$ayey #round When the horsemen who had esca%ed from this rout brou#ht news to 5orus
that &$e<ander himse$f had crossed the river with the stron#est %art of his army, and that his
son had been s$ain in the batt$e, he neverthe$ess cou$d not make u% his mind what course to
take, because the men who had been $eft behind under .raterus were seen to be attem%tin# to
cross the river from the #reat cam% which was direct$y o%%osite his %osition However, at $ast
he %referred to march a#ainst &$e<ander himse$f with a$$ his army, and to come into a decisive
conf$ict with the stron#est division of the Macedonians, commanded by the kin# in %erson
,ut neverthe$ess he $eft a few of the e$e%hants to#ether with a sma$$ army there at the cam% to
fri#hten the cava$ry under .raterus from the bank of the river He then took a$$ his cava$ry to
the number of D,>>> men, a$$ his chariots to the number of E>>, with A>> of his e$e%hants and
a$$ the infantry avai$ab$e to the number of E>,>>>,+ and marched a#ainst &$e<ander When he
found a %$ace where he saw there was no c$ay, but that on account of the sand the #round was
a$$ $eve$ and hard, and thus fit for the advance and retreat of horses, he there drew u% his
armyA 8irst he %$aced the e$e%hants in the front, each anima$ bein# not $ess than a %$ethrum+
a%art, so that they mi#ht be e<tended in the front before the who$e of the %ha$an< of infantry,
and %roduce terror everywhere amon# &$e<ander+s cava$ry ,esides he thou#ht that none of
the enemy wou$d have the audacity to %ush themse$ves into the s%aces $)etween the e$e%hants,
the cava$ry bein# deterred by the fri#ht of their horses4 and stB$ess wou$d the infantry do so, it
bein# $ike$y they wou$d be ke%t off in front by the heavy-armed so$diers fa$$in# u%on them,
and tram%$ed down by the e$e%hants whee$in# round a#ainst them !ear these he had %osted
the infantry, not occu%yin# a $ine on a $eve$ with the beasts, but in a second $ine behind them,
on$y so far behind that the com%anies of foot mi#ht be thrown forward a short distance into
the s%aces between them He had a$so bodies of infantry standin# beyond the e$e%hants on the
win#s4 and on both sides of the infantry he had %osted the cava$ry, in front of which were
%$aced the chariots on both win#s of his army
.H&5TER I7I &CEI&!DER * T&.TI.*
*H.H was the arran#ement which 5orus made of his forces &s soon as &$e<ander observed
that the Indians were drawn u% in order of batt$e, he sto%%ed his cava$ry from advancin#
farther, so that he mi#ht take u% the infantry as it ke%t on arrivin#4 and even when the %ha$an<
in 3uick march had effected a junction with the cava$ry, he did not at once draw it out and $ead
it to the attack, not wishin# to hand over his men e<hausted with fati#ue and out of breath, to
the barbarians who were fresh and untired 9n the contrary, he caused his infantry to rest unti$
their stren#th was recruited, ridin# a$on# round the $ines to ins%ect them When he had
surveyed the arran#ement of the Indians, he reso$ved not to advance a#ainst the centre, in
front of which the e$e%hants had been %osted, and in the #a%s between them a dense %ha$an<
of men arran#ed4 for he was a$armed at the very arran#ements which 5orus had made here
with that e<%ress desi#n ,ut as he was su%erior in the number of his cava$ry, he took the
#reater %art of that force, and marched a$on# a#ainst the $eft win# of the enemy for the
%ur%ose of makin# an attack in this direction &#ainst the ri#ht win# he sent .oenus with his
own re#iment of cava$ry and that of Demetrius, with instructions to kee% c$ose behind the
barbarians when they, seein# the dense mass of cava$ry o%%osed to them, shou$d ride out to
fi#ht them *e$eucus, &nti#enes, and Tauron were ordered to $ead the %ha$an< of infantry, but
not to en#a#e in the action unti$ they observed+ the enemy+s cava$ry and %ha$an< of infantry
thrown into disorder by the cava$ry under his own command ,ut when they came within
ran#e of missi$es, he $aunched the horse-archers, K,>>> in number, a#ainst the $eft win# of the
Indians, in order to throw those of the enemy who were %osted there into confusion by the
incessant storm of arrows and by the char#e of the horses He himse$f with the .om%anion
cava$ry marched a$on# ra%id$y a#ainst the $eft win# of the barbarians, bein# ea#er to attack
them in ftank whi$e sti $$ in a state of disorder, before their cava$ry cou$d he de%$oyed in $ine
.H&5TER I7II DE8E&T 98 59RH*
ME&!TIME the Indians had co$$ected their cava$ry from a$$ %arts, and were ridin# a$on#,
advancin# out of their %osition to meet &$e<ander+s char#e .oenus a$so a%%eared with his
men in their rear, accordin# to his instructions The Indians, observin# this, were com%e$$ed to
make the $ine of their cava$ry face both ways4+ the $ar#est and best %art a#ainst &$e<ander,
whi$e the rest whee$ed round a#ainst .oenus and his forces This therefore at once threw the
ranks as we$$ as the decisions of the Indians into confusion &$e<ander, seein# his o%%ortunity,
at the very moment the cava$ry was whee$in# round in the other direction, made an attack on
those o%%osed to him with such vi#our that the Indians cou$d not sustain the char#e Bf his
cava$ry, but were scattered and driven to the e$e%hants, as to a friend$y wa$$, for refu#e H%on
this, the drivers of the e$e%hants ur#ed forward the beasts a#ainst the cava$ry but now the
%ha$an< itse$f of the Macedonians was advancin# a#ainst the e$e%hants, the men castin# darts
at the riders and a$so strikin# the beasts themse$ves, standin# round them on a$$ sides The
action was un$ike any of the %revious contests4
for wherever the beasts cou$d whee$ round, they rushed forth a#ainst the ranks of infantry and
demo$ished the %ha$an< of the Macedonians, dense as it was The Indian cava$ry a$so, seein#
that the infantry were en#a#ed in the action, ra$$ied a#ain and advanced a#ainst the
Macedonian cava$ry ,ut when &$e<ander+s men, who far e<ce$$ed both in stren#th and
mi$itary disci%$ine, #ot the mastery over them the second time, they were a#ain re$)u$sec$
towards the e$e6)hants and coo%ed u% amon# them ,y this time the who$e of &$e<ander+s
cava$ry had co$$ected into one s3uadron, not by any command of his, but havin# sett$ed into
this arran#ement by the mere effect of the stru##$e itse$f4 and wherever it fe$$ u%on the ranks
of the Indians they were broken $i% with #reat s$au#hter The beasts bein# now coo%ed u% into
a narrow s%ace, their friends were no $ess injured by them than their foes, bein# tram%$ed
down in their whee$in# and %ushin# about &ccordin#$y there ensued a #reat s$au#hter of the
cava$ry, coo%ed ti% as it was in a narrow s%ace around the e$e%hants Most of the kee%ers of
the e$e%hants had been ki$$ed by the jave$ins, and some of the e$e%hants themse$ves had been
wounded, whi$e others no $on#er ke%t a%art in the batt$e on account of their sufferin#s or from
bein# destitute of kee%ers ,ut, as if frantic with %ain, rushin# forward at friends and foes
a$ike, they %ushed about, tram%$ed down and ki$$ed them in every kind of way However, the
Macedonians inasmuch as they were attackin# the beasts in an o%en s%ace and in accordance
with their own %$an, #ot out of their way whenever they rushed at them4 and when they
whee$ed round to return, fo$$owed them c$ose$y and hur$ed jave$ins at them4 whereas the
Indians retreatin# amon# them were now receivin# #reater injury from them ,ut when the
beasts were tired out, and were no $on#er ab$e to char#e with any vi#our, they be#an to retire
s$ow$y, facin# the foe $ike shi%s backin# water,+ mere$y utterin# a shri$$ %i%in# sound
&$e<ander himse$f surrounded the who$e $ine with his cava$ry, and #ave the si#na$ that the
infantry shou$d $ink their shie$ds to#ether so as to form a very dense$y c$osed body, and thus
advance in %ha$an< ,y this means the Indian cava$ry, with the e<ce%tion of a few men, was
3uite cut u% in the action4 as was a$so the infantry, since the Macedonians were now %ressin#
u%on them from a$$ sides H%on this, a$$ who cou$d do so turned to f$i#ht throu#h the s%aces
which intervened between the %arts of &$e<ander+s cava$ry
.H&5TER I7III C9**E* 98 THE .9M,&T&!T*F59RH* *HRRE!DER*
&T the same time .raterus and the other officers of &$e<ander+s army who had been $eft
behind on the bank of the Hydas%es crossed the river, when they %erceived that &$e<ander
was winnin# a bri$$iant victory These men, bein# fresh, fo$$owed u% the %ursuit instead of
&$e<ander+s e<hausted troo%s, and made no $ess a s$au#hter of the Indians in their retreat 9f
the Indians $itt$e short of A>,>>> infantry and E,>>> cava$ry were ki$$ed in this batt$e+M &$$
their chariots were broken to %ieces4 and two sons of 5orus were s$ain, as were a$so *%itaces,
the #overnor of the Indians of that district, the mana#ers of the e$e%hants and of the chariots,
and a$$ the cava$ry officers and #enera$s of 5orus+s army &$$ the e$e%hants which were not
ki$$ed there, were ca%tured 9f &$e<ander+s forces, about No of the L,ooo foot-so$diers who
were en#a#ed in the first attack were ki$$ed,4 K> of the horse-archers, who were a$so the first
to en#a#e in the action4 about A> of the .om%anion cava$ry, and about A>> of the other
horsemen fe$$ When 5orus, who e<hibited #reat ta$ent in the batt$e, %erformin# the deeds not
on$y of a #enera$ but a$so of a va$iant so$dier, observed the s$au#hter of his cava$ry, and some
of his e$e%hants $yin# dead, others destitute of kee%ers strayin# about in a for$orn condition,
whi$e most of his infantry had %erished, he did not de%art as Darius the 'reat "in# did, settin#
an e<am%$e of f$i#ht to his men4 but as $on# as any body of Indians remained com%act in the
batt$e, he ke%t u% the stru##$e ,ut at $ast, havin# received a wound on the ri#ht shou$der,
which %art of his body a$one was un%rotected durin# the batt$e, he whee$ed round His coat of
mai$ warded off the missi$es from the rest of his body, bein# e<traordinary both for its
stren#th and the c$ose fittin# of its joints, as it was afterwards %ossib$e for those who saw him
to observe Then indeed he turned his e$e%hant round and be#an to retire &$e<ander, havin#
seen that he was a #reat man and va$iant in the batt$e, was very desirous of savi n# his $ife He
accordin#$y sent first to him Ta<i$es the Indian 4 who rode u% as near to the e$e%hant which
was carryin# 5orus as seemed to him safe, and bade him sto% the beast, assurin# him that it
was no $on#er %ossib$e for him to f$ee, and biddin# him $isten to &$e<ander+s messa#e ,ut
when he saw his o$d foe Ta<i$es, he whee$ed round and was %re%arin# to strike him with a
jave$in4 and %erha%s he wou$d have ki$$ed him, if he had not 3uick$y driven his horse forward
out of the reach of 5orus before he cou$d strike him ,ut not even on this account was
&$e<ander an#ry with 5orus4 but he ke%t on sendin# others in succession4 and $ast of a$$
MeroOs an Indian, because he ascertained that he was an o$d friend of 5orus &s soon as the
$atter heard the messa#e brou#ht to him by MeroOs, bein# at the same time overcome by
thirst, he sto%%ed his e$e%hant and dismounted from it &fter he had drunk some water and fe$t
refreshed, he ordered MeroOs to $ead him without de$ay to &$e<ander4 and MeroOs $ed him
thither
.H&5TER III
&CCI&!.E WITH 59RH*FDE&TH 98 ,H.E5H&C&*
WHE! &$e<ander heard that MeroOs was brin#in# 5orus to him, he rode in front of the $ine
with a few of the .om%anions to meet 5orus4 and sto%%in# his horse, he admired his
handsome fi#ure and his stature, which reached somewhat above five cubits He was a$so
sur%rised that he did not seem to be cowed in s%irit,A but advanced to meet him as one brave
man wou$d meet another brave man, after havin##a$$ant$y stru##$ed in defence of his own
kin#dom a#ainst another kin# Then indeed &$e<ander was the first to s%eak, biddin# him say
what treatment he wou$d $ike to receive The story #oes that 5orus re%$ied- /Treat me, 9
&$e<ander, in a kin#$y way P/ &$e<ander bein# %$eased at the e<%ression, said - /8or my own
sake, 9 5orus, thou sha$t be thus treated4 but for thy own sake do thou demand what is
%$easin# to theeP2 ,ut 5orus said that everythin# was inc$uded in that &$e<ander, bein# sti$$
more %$eased at this remark, not on$y #ranted him the ru$e over his own Indians, but a$so
added another country to that which he had before, of $ar#er e<tent than the former+ Thus he
treated the brave man in a kin#$y way, and from that time found him faithfu$ in a$$ thin#s
*uch was the resu$t of &$e<ander+s batt$e with 5orus and the Indians $ivin# beyond the river
Hydas%es, which was fou#ht in the archonshi% of He#emon at &thens, in the month
Munychion (KJ &%ri$ to KN May, EAL ,c)
&$e<ander founded two cities, one where the batt$e took %$ace, and the other on the s%ot
whence he started to cross the river Hydas%es4 the former he named !icaea,+ after his victory
over the Indians, and the $atter ,uce%ha$a in memory of his horse ,uce%ha$as, which died
there, not from havin# been wounded by any one, but from the effects of toi$ and o$d a#e4 for
he was about thirty years o$d, and 3uite worn out with toi$ This ,uce%ha$as had shared many
hardshi%s and incurred many dan#ers with &$e<ander durin# many years, bein# ridden by
none but the kin#, because he rejected a$$ other riders He was both of unusua$ si;e and
#enerous in mett$e Th e head of an o< had been en#raved u%on him as a distin#uishin# mark,
and accordin# to some this was the reason why he bore that name4 but others say, that thou#h
he was b$ack he had a white mark u%on his head which bore a #reat resemb$ance to the head
of an o< In the $and of the H<ians this horse vanished from &$e<ander, who thereu%on sent a
%roc$amation throu#hout the country that he wou$d ki$$ a$$ the inhabitants un$ess they brou#ht
the horse back to him &s a resu$t of this %roc$amation it was imniediate$y brou#ht back *o
#reat was &$e<ander+s attachment to the horse, and so #roat was the fear of &$e<ander
entertained by the barbarians Cet so much honour be %aid by me to this ,uce%ha$as for the
sake of his master
.H&5TER II
.9!QHE*T 98 THE 'C&H*I&!*FEM,&**? 8R9M &,I*&RE* F5&**&'E 98
THE &.E*I!E*
WHE! &$e<ander had %aid a$$ due honours to those who had been ki$$ed in the batt$e, he
offered the customary sacrifices to the #ods in #ratitude for his victory, and ce$ebrated a
#ymnastic and horse contest u%on the bank of the Hydas%es at the %$ace where he first crossed
with his army He then $eft .raterus behind with a %art of the army, to erect and fortify the
cities which he was foundin# there4 but he himse$f marched a#ainst the Indians conterminous
with the dominion of 5orus &ccordin# to &ristobu$us the name of this nation was
'$au#anicians4 but 5to$emy ca$$s them '$ausians I am 3uite indifferent which name it bore
&$e<ander traversed their $and with ha$f the .om%anion cava$ry, the %icked men from each
%ha$an< of the infantry, a$$ the horse-bowmen, the &#rianians, and the archers &$$ the
inhabitants came over to him on terms of ca%itu$ation4 and he thus took thirty-seven cities, the
inhabitants of which, where they were fewest, amounted to no $ess then J,>>>, and those of
many numbered above Io,ooo He a$so took many vi$$a#es, which were no $ess %o%u$ous than
the cities This $and a$so he #ranted to 5orus to ru$e4 and sent Ta<i$es back to his own abode
after effectin# a reconci$iation between him and 5orus &t this time arrived envoys from
&bisares,A who to$d him that their kin# was ready to surrender himse$f and the $and which he
ru$ed &nd yet before the batt$e which was fou#ht between &$e<ander and 5orus, &bisares
intended to join his forces with those of the $atterA 9n this occasion he sent his brother with
the other envoys to &$e<ander, takin# with them money and forty e$e%hants as a #ift Envoys
a$so arrived from the inde%endent Indians, and from a certain other Indian ru$er named 5orus+
&$e<ander ordered &bisares to come to him as soon as %ossib$e, threatenin# that un$ess he
came he wou$d see him arrive with his army at a %$ace where he wou$d not rejoice to see him
&t this time 5hrata%hernes, viceroy of 5arthia and Hyrcania, came to &$e<ander at the head of
the Thracians who had been $e ft with himA Messen#ers a$so came from *isicottus, viceroy of
the &ssacenians, to inform him that those %eo%$e had s$ain their #overnor and revo$ted from
&$e<ander &#ainst these he dis%atched 5hi$i% and Tyrias%es with an army, to arran#e and set
in order the affairs of their $and
He himse$fadvanced towards the river&cesinesB 5to$emy, son of Ca#us, has described the
si;e of this river a$one of those in India, statin# that where &$e<ander crossed it with his army
u%on boats and skins, the stream was ra%id and the channe$ was fu$$ of $ar#e and shar% rocks,
over which the water bein# vio$ent$y carried seethed and dashed He says a$so that its breadth
amounted to fifteen stades4 that those who =vent over u%on skins had an easy %assa#e but that
not a few of those who crossed in the boats %erished there in the water, many of the boats
bein# wrecked u%on the rocks and dashed to %ieces 8rom this descri%tion theft it wou$d be
%ossib$e for one to come to a conc$usion by com%arison, that the si;e of the river Indus has
been stated not far from the fact by those who think that its mean breadth is forty stades, but
that it contracts to fifteen stades where it is narrowest and therefore dee%est4 and that this is
the width of the Indus in many %$aces I come then to the conc$usion that &$e<ander chose a
%art of the &cesines where the %assa#e was widest, so that he mi#ht find the stream s$ower
than e$sewhere
.H&5TER III &D7&!.E ,E?9!D THE H?DR&9TE*
&8TER crossin# the river, he $eft .oenus with his own bri#ade there u%on the bank, with
instructions to su%erintend the %assa#e of the %art of the army which had been $eft behind for
the %ur%ose of co$$ectin# corn and other su%%$ies from the country of the Indians which was
a$ready subject to him He now sent 5orus away to his own abode, commandin# him to se$ect
the most war$ike of the Indians and take a$$ the e$e%hants he had and come to him He
reso$ved to %ursue the other 5orus, the bad one, with the $i#htest troo%s in his army, because
he was informed that he had $eft the $and which he ru$ed and had f$ed 8or this 5orus, whi$e
hosti$ities subsisted between &$e<ander and the other 5orus, sent envoys to &$e<ander offerin#
to surrender both himse$f and the $and subject to him, rather out of enmity to 5orus than from
friendshi% to &$e<ander ,ut when he ascertained that the former had been re$eased, and that
he was ru$in# over another $ar#e country in addition to his own, then, fearin# not so much
&$e<ander as the other 5orus, his namesake, he f$ed from $Bis own $and, takin# with him as
many of his warriors as he cou$d %ersuade to share his f$i#ht &#ainst this man &$e<ander
marched, and arrived at the Hydraotes,+ which is another Indian river, not $ess than the
&cesines in breadth, but $ess in swiftness of current He traversed the who$e country as far as
the Hydraotes, $eavin# #arrisons in the most suitab$e %$aces, in order that .raterus and .oenus
mi#ht advance with safety, scourin# most of the $and for fora#e Then he dis%atched
He%haestion into the $and of the 5orus who had revo$ted, #ivin# him a %art of the army,
com%risin# two bri#ades of infantry, his own re#iment of cava$ry with that of Demetrius and
ha$f of the archers, with instructions to hand the country over to the other 5orus, to win over
any inde%endent tribes of Indians which dwe$t near the banks of the river Hydraotes, and to
#ive them a$so into the hands of 5orus to ru$e He himse$f then crossed the river Hydraotes,
not with difficu$ty, as he had crossed the &cesines &s he was advancin# into the country
beyond the bank of Hydraotes, it ha%%ened that most of the %eo%$e yie$ded themse$ves u% on
terms of ca%itu$ation4 but some came to meet him with arms, whi$e others who tried to esca%e
he ca%tured and forcib$y reduced to obedience
.H&5TER IIII I!7&*I9! 98 THE C&!D 98 THE .&TH&E&!*
ME&!TIME he received information that the tribe ca$$ed .athaeans and some other tribes of
the inde%endent Indians were %re%arin# for batt$e, if he a%%roached their $and4 and that they
were summonin# to the enter%rise a$$ the tribes conterminous with them who were in $ike
manner inde%endent He was a$so informed that the city, *an#a$a by name,+ near which they
were thinkin# of havin# the stru##$e, was a stron# one The .athaeans themse$ves were
considered very darin# and ski$fu$ in war4 and two other tribes of Indians, the 9<ydracians
and Ma$$ians, were in the same tem%er as the .athaeans 8or a short time before, it ha%%ened
that 5orus and &bisares had marched a#ainst them with their own forces and had roused many
other tribes of the inde%endent Indians to arms, but were forced to retreat without effectin#
anythin# worthy of the %re%arations they had made When &$e<ander was informed of this, he
made a forced march a#ainst the .athaeans, and on the second day after startin# from the
river Hydraotes he arrived at a city ca$$ed 5im%rama, inhabited by a tribe of Indians named
&draistaeans, who yie$ded to him on terms of ca%itu$ation 'ivin# his army a rest the ne<t
day, he advanced on the third day to *an#a$a, where the .athaeans and the other nei#hbourin#
tribes had assemb$ed and marsha$$ed themse$ves in front of the city u%on a hi$$ which was not
%reci%itous on a$$ sides They had %osted their wa##ons a$$ round this hi$$ and were
encam%in# within them in such a way that they were surrounded by a tri%$e %a$isade of
wa##ons When &$e<ander %erceived the #reat number of the barbarians and the nature of
their %osition, he drew u% his forces in the order which seemed to him es%ecia$$y ada%ted to
his %resent circumstances, and sent his horse-archers at once without any de$ay a#ainst them,
orderin# them to ride a$on# and shoot at them from a distance4 so that the Indians mi#ht not
be ab$e to make any sortie, before his army was in %ro%er array, and that even before the batt$e
commenced they mi#ht be wounded within their stron#ho$d H%on the ri#ht win# he %osted
the #uard of cava$ry and the cava$ry re#iment of .$itus4 ne<t to these the shie$d-bearin#
#uards, and then the &#rianians Towards the $eft he had stationed 5erdiccas with his own
re#iment of cava$ry, and the batta$ions of foot .om%anions The archers he divided into two
%arts and %$aced them on each win# Whi$e he was marsha$$in# his army, the infantry and
cava$ry of the rear-#uard came u% 9f these, he divided the cava$ry into two %arts and $ed
them to the win#s, and with the infantry which came u% he made the ranks of the %ha$an<
more dense and com%act He then took the cava$ry which had $)een drawn u% on the ri#ht, and
$ed it towards the wa##ons on the $eft win# of the Indians4 for here their %osition seemed to
him more easy to assai$, and the wa##ons had not been %$aced to#ether so dense$y
.H&5TER IIIII &**&HCT H59! *&!'&C&
&s the Indians did not run out from behind the wa##ons a#ainst the advancin# cava$ry, but
mounted u%on them and be#an to shoot from the to% of them, &$e<ander, %erceivin# that it
was not the work for cava$ry, $ea%ed down from his horse, and on foot $ed the %ha$an< of
infantry a#ainst them The Macedonians without difficu$ty forced the Indians from the first
row of wa##ons4 but then the Indians, takin# their stand in front of the second row, more
easi$y re%u$sed the attack, because they were %osted in denser array in a sma$$er circ$e
Moreover the Macedonians were attackin# them $ikewise in a confined s%ace, whi$e the
Indians were secret$y cree%in# under the front row of wa##ons, and without re#ard to
disci%$ine were assau$tin# their enemy throu#h the #a%s $eft between the wa##ons as each
man found a chance ,ut neverthe$ess even from these the Indians were forcib$y driven by the
%ha$an< of infantry They no $on#er made a stand at the third row, but f$ed as fast as %ossib$e
into the city and shut themse$ves u% in it Duriii# that day &$e<ander with his infantry
encam%ed round the city, as much of it, at $east, as his %ha$an< cou$d surround for he cou$d
not Bvith his cam% com%$ete$y encirc$e the wa$$, so e<tensive was it 9%%osite the %art
uninc$osed by his cam%, near which a$so was a $ake, he %osted the cava$ry, %$acin# them a$$
round the $ake, which he discovered to be sha$$ow Moreover, he conjectured that the Indians,
bein# terrified at their %revious defeat, wou$d abandon the city in the ni#ht4 and it turned out
just as he had conjectured4 for about the second watch of the ni#ht most of them dro%%ed
down from the wa$$, but fe$$ in with A the sentine$s of cava$ry
The foremost of them were cut to %ieces by these4 but the men behind them %erceivin# that
the $ake was #uarded a$$ round, withdrew into the city a#ain &$e<ander now surrounded the
city with a doub$e stockade, e<ce%t in the %art where the $ake shut it in, and round the $ake he
%osted more %erfect #uards He a$so reso$ved to brin# mi$itary en#ines u% to the wa$$, to batter
it down ,ut some of the men in the city deserted to him, and to$d him that the Indians
intended that very ni#ht to stea$ out of the city and esca%e by the $ake, where the #a% in the
stockade e<isted He accordin#$y stationed 5to$emy, son of Ca#us, there, #ivin# him three
re#iments of the shie$d-bearin# #uards, a$$ the &#rianians, and one $ine of archers, %ointin#
out to him the %$ace where he es%ecia$$y conjectured the barbarians wou$d try to force their
way /When thou %erceivest the barbarians forcin# their way here,2 said he, /do thou, with the
army obstruct their advance, and order the bu#$er to #ive the si#na$ &nd do you, > officers, as
soon as the si#na$ has been #iven, each bein# arrayed in batt$e order with your own men,
advance towards the noise, wherever the bu#$e summons you !or wi$$ I myse$f withdraw
from the action2
.H&5TER III7 .&5THRE 98 *&!'&C&
*H.H were the orders he #ave4 and 5to$emy co$$ected there as many wa##ons as he cou$d
from those which had been $eft behind in the first f$i#ht, and %$aced them athwart, so that
there mi#ht seem to the fu#itives in the ni#ht to be many difficu$ties in their way4 and as the
stockade had been knocked down, or had not been firm$y fi<ed in the #round, he ordered his
men to hea% u% a mound of earth in various %$aces between the $ake and the wa$$ This his
so$diers effected in the ni#ht When it was about the fourth watch, the barbarians, just as
&$e<ander had been informed, o%ened the #ates towards the $ake, and made a run in that
direction However they did not esca%e the notice of the #uards there,+ nor that of 5to$emy,
who had been %$aced behind them to render aid ,ut at this moment the bu#$ers #ave the
si#na$ for him, and he advanced a#ainst the barbarians with his army fu$$y e3ui%%ed and
drawn u% in batt$e array Moreover the wa##ons and the stockade which had been %$aced in
the intervenin# s%ace were an obstruction to them When the bu#$e sounded and 5to$emy
attacked them, ki$$in# the men as they ke%t on stea$in# out throu#h the wa##ons, then indeed
they turned back a#ain into the city4 and in their retreat J>> of them were ki$$ed In the
meanwhi$e 5orus arrived, brin#in# with him the e$e%hants that were $eft to him, and J,>>>
Indians &$e<ander had constructed his mi$itary en#ines and they were bein# $ed u% to the
wa$$4 but before any of it was battered down, the Macedonians took the city by storm, di##in#
under the wa$$, which was made of brick, and %$acin# sca$in# $adders a#ainst it a$$ round In
the ca%ture a G,>>> of the Indians were ki$$ed, and above G>,>>> were ca%tured, besides E>>
chariots and Bco cava$ry In the BB=ho$e sie#e a $itt$e $ess than ioo of &$e<ander+s army were
ki$$ed4 but the number of the wounded was #reater than the %ro%ortion of the s$ain, bein# more
than K,A>>, amon# whom were Cysimacbus, the confidentia$ body-#uard, and other officers
&fter buryin# the dead accordin# to his custom, &$e<andBr sent Eurnenes, the secretary,+ with
E>> cava$ry to the two cities which had joined *an#a$a in revo$t, to te$$ those who he$d them
about the ca%ture of *an#a$a, and to inform them that they wou$d receive no harsh treatment
from &$e<ander if they stayed there and received him as a friend4 for no harm had ha%%ened to
any of the other inde%endent Indians who had surrendered to him of their own accord ,ut
they had become fri#htened, and had abandoned the cities and were f$eein#4 for the news had
a$ready reached them that &$e<ander had taken *an#a$a by storm When &$e<ander was
informed of their f$i#ht he %ursued them with s%eed4 but most of them were too 3uick for him,
and effected their esca%e, because the %ursuit be#an from a distant startin#B %$ace ,ut a$$
those who were $eft behind in the retreat from weakness, were sei;ed by the army and ki$$ed,
to the number of about Joo Then, #ivin# u% the desi#n of %ursuin# the fu#itives any further,
he returned to *an#a$a, and ra;ed the city to the #round He added the $and to that of the
Indians who had former$y been inde%endent, but who had then vo$untari$y submitted to him
He then sent 5orus with his forces to the cities which had submitted to him, to introduce
#arrisons into them 4 whi$st he hinise$f with his army, advanced to the river Hy%hasis,+ to
subju#ate the Indians beyond it !or did there seem to him any end of the war, so $on# as
anythin# hosti$e to him remained
.H&5TER II7 THE &RM? RE8H*E* T9 &D7&!.EF&CEI&!DER+* *5EE.H T9
THE 988I.ER*
IT was re%orted that the country beyond the river Hy%hasis was ferti$e, and that the men were
#ood a#ricu$turists, and #a$$ant in war4 and that they conducted their own %o$itica$ affairs in a
re#u$ar and constitutiona$ manner 8or the mu$titude was ru$ed by the aristocracy, who
#overned in no res%ect contrary to the ru$es of moderation It was a$so stated that the men of
that district %ossessed a much #reater number of e$e%hants than the other Indians, and that
they were men of very #reat stature, and e<ce$$ed in va$our These re%orts e<cited in
&$e<ander an ardent desire to advance farther4 but the s%irit of the Macedonians now be#an to
f$a#, when they saw the kin# raisin# one $abour after another, and incurrin# one dan#er after
another .onferences were he$d throu#hout the cam%, in which those who were the most
moderate bewai$ed their $ot, whi$e others resohtfte$y dec$ared that they wou$d not fo$$ow
&$e<ander any farther, even if he shou$d $ead the way When he heard of this, before the
disorder and %usi$$animity of the so$diers shou$d advance to a #reater de#ree, he ca$$ed a
counci$ of the officers of the bri#ades and addressed them as fo$$ows-
F/ 9 Macedonians and 'recian a$$ies, seein# that you no $on#er fo$$ow me into dan#erous
enter%rises with a reso$ution e3ua$ to that which former$y animated you, I have co$$ected you
to#ether into the same s%ot, so that I may either %ersuade you to march forward with me, or
may be %ersuaded by you to return If indeed the $abours which you have a$ready under#one
u% to our %resent %osition seem to you worthy of disa%%robation, and if you do not a%%rove of
my $eadin# you into them, there can be no advanta#e in my s%eakin# any further ,ut, if as the
resu$t of these $abours, you ho$d %ossession of Ionia,+ the He$$es%ont, both the 5hry#ias,
.a%%adocia, 5a%h$a#onia, Cydia, .aria, Cycia, 5am%hy$ia, 5hoenicia, E#y%t to#ether with
'recian Cibya, as we$$ as %art of &rabia, Ho$$ow *yria, *yria between the rivers, ,aby$on, the
nation of the *usians, 5ersia, Media, besides a$$ the nations which the 5ersians and the Medes
ru$ed, and many of those which they did not ru$e, the $and beyond the .as%ian 'ates, the
country beyond the .aucasus, the Tanais, as we$$ as the $and beyond that river, ,actria,
Hyrcania, and the Hyrcanian *ea4 if we have a$so subdued the *cythians as far as the desert4 if
in addition to these, the river Indus f$ows throu#h our territory, as do a$so the Hydas%es, the
&cesines, and the Hydraotes, why do ye shrink from addin# the Hy%hasis a$so, and the
nations beyond this river, to your em%ire of Macedonia1 Do ye fear that your advance wi$$ be
sto%%ed in the future by any other barbarians1 9f whom some submit to us of their own
accord, and others are ca%tured in the act of f$eein#, whi$e others, succeedin# in their efforts
to esca%e, hand over to us their deserted $and, which we add to that of our a$$ies, or to that of
those who have vo$untari$y submitted to us
.H&5TER II7I &CEI&!DER * *5EE.H (continued)
I, 89R my %art, think, that to a brave man there is no end to $abours e<ce%t the $abours
themse$ves, %rovided they $ead to #$orious achievements ,ut if any one desires to hear what
wi$$ be the end to our warfare itse$f4 $et him $earn that the distance sti$$ remainin# before we
reach the river 'an#es and the Eastern *ea is not #reat4 and I inform you that the Hyrcanian
*ea wi$$ be seen to be united with this, because the 'reat *ea encirc$es the who$e earth I wi$$
a$so demonstrate both to the Macedonians and to the 'recian a$$ies, that the Indian 'u$f is
conf$uent with the 5ersian, and the Hyrcanian *ea with the Indian 'u$f 8rom the 5ersian 'u$f
our e<%edition wi$$ sai$ round into Cibya as far as the 5i$$ars of Herac$es 8rom the 5i$$ars a$$
the interior of Cibya becomes ours, and so the who$e of &sia wi$$ be$on# to us, and the $imits
of our em%ire, in that direction, wi$$ be those which 'od has made a$so the $imits of the earth
,ut, if we now return, many war$ike nations are $eft uncon3uered beyond the Hy%hasis as far
as the Eastern *ea, and many besides between these and Hyrcania in the direction of the north
wind, and not far from these the *cythian races Wherefore, if we #o back, there is reason to
fear that the races whic$Bare now he$d in subjection, not bein# firm in their a$$e#iance, may be
e<cited to revo$t by those who are not yet subdued Then our many $abours wi$$ %rove to have
been in vain4 or it wi$$ be necessary for us to incur over a#ain fresh $abours and dan#ers, as at
the be#innin# ,ut, 9 Macedonians and 'recian a$$ies, stand firmP '$orious are the deeds of
those who under#o $abour and run the risk of dan#er4 and it is de$i#htfu$ to $ive a $ife of va$our
and to die $eavin# behind immorta$ #$ory Do ye not know that our ancestor reached so #reat a
hei#ht of #$ory as from bein# a man to become a #od, or to seem to become one, not by
remainin# in Tiryns or &r#os, or even in the 5e$o%onnese or at Thebes1 The $abours of
Dionysus were not few, and he was too e<a$ted a deity to be com%ared wi th Herac$es ,ut we,
indeed, have %enetrated into re#ions beyond !ysa 4 and the rock of &ornus, which Herac$es
was unab$e to ca%ture, is in our %ossession Do ye a$so add the %arts of &sia sti$$ $eft
unsubdued to those a$ready ac3uired, the few to the many ,ut what #reat or #$orious deed
cou$d we have %erformed, if, sittin# at ease in Macedonia, we had thou#ht it sufficient to
%reserve our own country without any $abour, sim%$y re%e$$in# the attacks of the nations on
our frontiers, the Thracians, I$$yrians, and Triba$$ians, or even those 'reeks who were
unfriend$y to our interests1 If, indeed, without under#oin# $abour and bein# free from dan#er I
were actin# as your commander, whi$e you were under#oin# $abour and incurrin# dan#er, not
without reason wou$d you be #rowin# faint in s%irit and reso$ution, because you a$one wou$d
be sharin# the $abours, whi$e %rocurin# the rewards of them for others ,ut now the $abours
are common to you and me, we have an e3ua$ share of the dan#ers, and the rewards are o%en
to the free com%etition of a$$ 8or the $and is yours, and you act as its vtceroys The #reater
%art a$so of the money now comes to you4 and when we have traversed the who$e of &sia,
then, by @eus, not mere$y havin# satisfied your e<%ectations, but havin# even e<ceeded the
advanta#es which each man ho%es to receive, those of you who wish to return home I wi$$
send back to their own $and, or I wi$$ myse$f $ead them back4 whi$e those who remain here, I
wi$$ make objects of envy to those who #o back2
.H&5TER II7II THE &!*WER 98 .9E!H*
WHE! &$e<ander had uttered these remarks, and others in the same strain, a $on# si$ence
ensued, for the auditors neither had the audacity to s%eak in o%%osition to the kin# without
constraint, nor did they wish to ac3uiesce in his %ro%osa$ Hereu%on, he re%eated$y ur#ed any
one who wished it, to s%eak, if he entertained different views from those which he had himse$f
e<%ressed !everthe$ess the si$ence sti$$ continued a $on# time4 but at $ast, .oenus, son of
5o$emocrates, %$ucked u% coura#e and s%oke as fo$$ows /9 kin#, inasmuch as thou dost not
wish to ru$e Macedonians by com%u$sion, but sayest thou wi$t $ead them by %ersuasion, or
yie$din# to their %ersuasion wi$t not use vto$en'e towards them, I am #oin# to make a s%eech,
not on my own beha$f and that of my co$$ea#ues here %resent, who are he$d in #reater honour
than the other so$diers, and most of us have a$ready carried off the rewards of our $abours, and
from our %re-eminence are more ;ea$ous than the rest to serve thee in a$$ thin#s4 but I am
#oin# to s%eak on beha$f of the bu$k of the army 9n beha$f of this army I am not #oin# to say
what may be #ratifyin# to the men, but what I consider to be both advanta#eous to thee at
%resent, and safest for the future I fee$ it incumbent u%on me not to concea$ what I think the
best course to %ursue, both on account of my a#e, the honour %aid to me by the rest of the
army at thy behest, and the bo$dness which I have without any hesitation dis%$ayed u% to the
%resent time in incurrin# dan#ers and under#oin# $abours The more numerous and the #reater
the e<%$oits have been, which have been achieved by thee as our commander, and by those
who started from home with thee, the more advanta#eous does it seem to me that some end
shou$d be %ut to our $abours and dan#ers 8or thou thyse$f seest how many Macedonians and
'reeks started with thee, and how few of us have been $eft 9f our number thou didst we$$ in
sendin# back home the Thessa$ians at once from ,actra, because thou didst %erceive that they
were no $on#er ea #er to under#o $abours 9f the other 'reeks, some have been sett$ed as
co$onists in the cities which thou hast founded4 where they remain not indeed a$$ of them of
their own free wi$$ The Macedonian so$diers and the other 'reeks who sti$$ continued to
share our $abours and dan#ers, have either %erished in the batt$es, become unfit for war on
account of their wounds, or been $eft behind in the different %arts of &sia The majority,
however, have %erished from disease, so that few are $eft out of many4 and these few are no
$on#er e3ua$$y vi#orous in body, whi$e in s%irit they are much more e<hausted &$$ those
whose %arents sti$$ survive, fee$ a #reat yearnin# to see them once more4 they fee$ a yearnin#
after their wives and chi$dren, and a yearnin# for their native $and itse$f4 which it is sure$y
%ardonab$e for them to yearn to see a#ain with the honour and di#nity they have ac3uired
from thee, returnin# as #reat men, whereas they de%arted sma$$, and as rich men instead of
=bein# %oor Do not $ead us now a#ainst our wi$$4 for thou wi$t no $on#er find us the same men
in re#ard to dan#ers, since free-wi$$ Bvi$$ be wantin# to us in the contests ,ut, rather, if it
seem #ood to thee, return of thy own accord to thy own $and, see thy mother, re#u$ate the
affairs of the 'reeks, and carry to the home of thy fathers, these victories so many and #reat
Then start afresh on another e<%ediB tion, if thou wishest, a#ainst these very tribes of Indians
situated towards the east4 or, if thou wishest, into the Eu<ine *ea4 or e$se a#ainst .archedon
and the %arts of Cibya beyond the .archedonians2 It is now thy business to mana#e these
matters4 and other Macedon ians and 'reeks wi$$ fo$$ow thee, youn# men in %$ace of o$d,
fresh men in %$ace of e<hausted ones, and men to whom warfare has no terrors, because u% to
the %resent time they have had no e<%erience of it4 and they wi$$ be ea#er to set out, from
ho%e of future reward The %robabi$ity a$so is, that they wi$$ accom%any thee with sti$$ more
;ea$ on this account, when they see that those who in the ear$ier e<%edition shared thy iabours
and dan#ers have returned to their own abodes as rich men instead of bein# %oor, and
renowned instead of bein# obscure as they were before *e$f-contro$ in the midst of success is
the nob$est of a$$ virtues, > kin# 8or thou hast nothin# to fear from enemies, whi$e thou art
commandin# and $eadin# such an army as this4 but the visitations of the deity are une<%ected,
and conse3uent$y men can take no %recautions a#ainst them2
.H&5TER II7III &CEI&!DER RE*9C7E* T9 RETHR!
WHE! .oenus had conc$uded this s%eech, $oud a%%$ause was #iven to his words by those
who were %resent4 and the fact that many even shed tears, made it sti$$ more evident that they
were disinc$ined to incur further ha;ards, and that return wou$d be de$i#htfu$ to them
&$e<ander then broke u% the conference, bein# annoyed at the freedom of s%eech in which
.oenus indu$#ed, and the hesitation dis%$ayed by the other officers ,ut the ne<t day he ca$$ed
the same men to#ether a#ain in wrath, and to$d them that he intended to advance farther, but
wou$d not force any Macedonian to accom%any him a#ainst his wi$$4 that he wou$d have those
on$y who fo$$owed their kin# of their own accord4 and that those who wished to return home
were at $iberty to return and carry back word to their re$ations that they were come back,
havin# deserted their kin# in the midst of his enemies Havin# said this, he retired into his
tent, and did not admit any of the .om%anions on that day, or unti$ the third day from that,
waitin# to see if any chan#e wou$d occur in the minds of the Macedonians and 'recian a$$ies,
as is wont to ha%%en as a #enera$ ru$e amon# a crowd of so$diers, renderin# them more
dis%osed to obey ,ut on the contrary, when there was a %rofound si$ence throu#hout the
cam%, and the so$diers were evident$y annoyed at his wrath, without bein# at a$$ chan#ed by it,
5to$emy, son of Ca#us, says that he none the $ess offered sacrifice there for the %assa#e of the
river, but the victims were unfavourab$e to him when he sacrificed Then indeed he co$$ected
the o$dest of the .om%anions and es%ecia$$y those who were friend$y to him, and as a$$ thin#s
indicated the advisabi$ity of his returnin#, he made known to the army that he had reso$ved to
march back a#ain
.H&5TER IIII &CEI&!DER RE.R9**E* THE H7DR&9TE* &!D &.E*I!E*
THE! they shouted as a mi<ed mu$titude wou$d shout when rejoicin#4 and most of them shed
tears of joy *ome of them even a%%roached the roya$ tent, and %rayed for many b$essin#s
u%on &$e<ander4 because by them a$one he suffered himse$f to be con3uered Then he divided
the army into bri#ades, and ordered twe$ve a$tars to be %re%ared, e3ua$ in hei#ht to very $ar#e
towers, and in breadth much $ar#er than towers, to serve as thank-offerin#s to the #ods who
had $ed him so far as a con3ueror, and a$so to serve as monuments of his own $abours When
the a$tars were com%$eted, he offered sacrifice u%on them accordin# to his custom, and
ce$ebrated a #ymnastic and e3uestrian contest &fter addin# the country as far as the river
Hy%hasis to the dominion of 5orus, he marched back to the Hydraotes Havin# crossed this
river, he continued his return march to the &cesines, where he found the city which
He%haestion had been ordered to fortify, 3uite bui$t
In this city he sett$ed as many of the nei#hbourin# %eo%$e as vo$unteered to $ive in it, as we$$
as those of the 'recian mercenaries who were now unfit for mi$itary service4 and then be#an
to make the necessary %re%arations for a voya#e down the river into the 'reat *ea &t this
time &rsaces, the ru$er of the $and borderin# on that of &bisares, and the brother of the $atter,
with his other re$ations, came to &$e<ander, brin#in# the #ifts which are reckoned most
va$uab$e amon# the Indians, incCudin# some e$e%hants from &bisares, thirty in number They
dec$ared that &bisares himse$f was unab$e to come on account of i$$ness4 and with these men
the ambassadors sent by &$e<ander to &bisares a#reed Readi$y be$ievin# that such was the
case, he #ranted that %rince the %rivi$e#e of ru$in# his own country as his viceroy, and %$aced
&rsaces a$so under his %ower &fter arran#in# what tribute they were to %ay, he a#ain offered
sacrifice near the river &cesines He then crossed that river a#ain, and came to the Hydas%es,
where he em%$oyed the army in re%airin# the dama#e caused to the cities of !icaea and
,uce%ha$a by the rain, and %ut the other affairs of the country in order