The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
least that he might be able to say that he had learned it. According
to Aristobulus, he advanced along the seashore to Paraetonium through
a country which was a desert, but not destitute of water, a distance
of about 1,600 stades.[365] Thence he turned into the interior, where
the oracle of Ammon was located. The route is desert, and most of it is
sand and destitute of water. But there was a copious supply of rain for
Alexander, a thing which was attributed to the influence of the deity;
as was also the following occurrence. Whenever a south wind blows
in that district, it heaps up the sand upon the route far and wide,
rendering the tracks of the road invisible, so that it is impossible
to discover where one ought to direct one’s course in the sand, just
as if one were at sea; for there are no landmarks along the road,
neither mountain anywhere, nor tree, nor permanent hill standing erect,
by which travellers might be able to form a conjecture of the right
course, as sailors do by the stars.[366] Consequently, Alexander’s
army lost the way, and even the guides were in doubt about the course
to take. Ptolemy, son of Lagus, says that two serpents went in front
of the army, uttering a voice, and Alexander ordered the guides to
follow them, trusting in the divine portent. He says too that they
showed the way to the oracle and back again. But Aristobulus, whose
account is generally admitted as correct, says that two ravens flew in
front of the army, and that these acted as Alexander’s guides. I am
able to assert with confidence that some divine assistance was afforded
him, for probability also coincides with the supposition; but the
discrepancies in the details of the various narratives have deprived
the story of certainty.[367]
CHAPTER IV.
THE OASIS OF AMMON.
The place where the temple of Ammon is located is entirely surrounded
by a desert of far-stretching sand, which is destitute of water. The
fertile spot in the midst of this desert, is not extensive; for where
it stretches into its greater expanse, it is only about forty stades
broad.[368] It is full of cultivated trees, olives and palms; and it
is the only place in those parts which is refreshed with dew. A spring
also rises from it, quite unlike all the other springs which issue from
the earth.[369] For at midday the water is cold to the taste, and
still more so to the touch, as cold as cold can be. But when the sun
has sunk into the west, it gets warmer, and from the evening it keeps
on growing warmer until midnight, when it reaches the warmest point.
After midnight it goes on getting gradually colder; at daybreak it is
already cold; but at midday it reaches the coldest point. Every day it
undergoes these alternate changes in regular succession. In this place
also natural salt is procured by digging, and certain of the priests
of Ammon convey quantities of it into Egypt. For whenever they set out
for Egypt they put it into little boxes plaited out of palm, and carry
it as a present to the king, or some other great man. The grains of
this salt are large, some of them being even longer than three fingers’
breadth; and it is clear like crystal.[370] The Egyptians and others
who are respectful to the deity, use this salt in their sacrifices, as
it is clearer than that which is procured from the sea. Alexander then
was struck with wonder at the place, and consulted the oracle of the
god. Having heard what was agreeable to his wishes, as he himself said,
he set out on the journey back to Egypt by the same route, according to
the statement of Aristobulus; but according to that of Ptolemy, son of
Lagus, he took another road, leading straight to Memphis.[371]
CHAPTER V.
SETTLEMENT OF THE AFFAIRS OF EGYPT.
At Memphis, many embassies from Greece reached him; and he sent away
no one disappointed by the rejection of his suit. From Antipater
also arrived an army of 400 Grecian mercenaries under the command of
Menidas, son of Hegesander: likewise from Thrace 500 cavalry, under
the direction of Asclepiodorus, son of Eunicus. Here he offered
sacrifice to Zeus the King, led his soldiers fully armed in solemn
procession, and celebrated a gymnastic and musical contest. He then
settled the affairs of Egypt, by appointing two Egyptians, Doloaspis
and Petisis, governors of the country, dividing between them the
whole land; but as Petisis declined his province, Doloaspis received
the whole. He appointed two of the Companions to be commandants of
garrisons: Pantaleon the Pydnaean in Memphis, and Polemo, son of
Megacles, a Pellaean, in Pelusium. He also gave the command of the
Grecian auxiliaries to Lycidas, an Aetolian, and appointed Eugnostus,
son of Xenophantes, one of the Companions, to be secretary over the
same troops. As their overseers he placed Aeschўlus and Ephippus the
Chalcidean. The government of the neighbouring country of Libya he
granted to Apollonius, son of Charinus; and the part of Arabia near
Heroöpolis[372] he put under Cleomenes, a man of Naucratis.[373] This
last was ordered to allow the governors to rule their respective
districts according to the ancient custom; but to collect from them the
tribute due to him. The native governors were also ordered to pay it to
Cleomenes. He appointed Peucestas, son of Macartatus, and Balacrus, son
of Amyntas, generals of the army which he left behind in Egypt; and he
placed Polemo, son of Theramenes, over the fleet as admiral. He made
Leonnatus, son of Anteas, one of his body-guards instead of Arrhybas,
who had died of disease. Antiochus, the commander of the archers, also
died; and in his stead Ombrion the Cretan was appointed. When Balacrus
was left behind in Egypt, the allied Grecian infantry, which had been
under his command, was put under that of Calanus. Alexander was said
to have divided the government of Egypt among so many men, because he
was surprised at the natural strength of the country, and he thought it
unsafe to entrust the rule of the whole to a single person. The Romans
also seem to me to have learned a lesson from him, and therefore keep
Egypt under strong guard; for they do not send any of the senators
thither as proconsul for the same reason, but only men who have the
rank among them of Equites (Knights).[374]
CHAPTER VI.
MARCH INTO SYRIA.—ALEXANDER’S KINDNESS TO HARPALUS AND HIS OTHER EARLY
ADHERENTS.
As soon as spring began to appear, he went from Memphis to Phoenicia,
bridging the stream of the Nile near Memphis, as well as the canals
issuing from it. When he arrived at Tyre, he found his fleet already
there.[375] In this city he again offered sacrifice to Heracles, and
celebrated both a gymnastic and musical contest. While there, the
state vessel called the _Paralus_ came to him from Athens, bringing
Diophantus and Achilleus as envoys to him; and all the crew of the
_Paralus_ were joined with them in the embassy.[376] These men obtained
all the requests which they were despatched to make, and the king gave
up to the Athenians all their fellow-citizens who had been captured at
the Granicus.[377] Being informed that revolutionary plans had been
carried out in the Peloponnese, he sent Amphoterus thither to assist
those of the Peloponnesians who were firm in their support of his war
against Persia, and were not under the control of the Lacedaemonians.
He also commanded the Phoenicians and Cyprians to despatch to the
Peloponnese 100 other ships in addition to those which he was sending
with Amphoterus. He now started up into the interior towards Thapsacus
and the river Euphrates, after placing Coeranus, a Beroean[378] over
the levy of tribute in Phoenicia, and Philoxenus to collect it in
Asia as far as the Taurus. In the place of these men he entrusted
the custody of the money which he had with him to Harpalus, son of
Machatas, who had just returned from exile. For this man at first had
been banished, while Philip was still king, because he was an adherent
of Alexander; as also was Ptolemy, son of Lagus, for the same reason;
likewise Nearchus, son of Androtimus, Erigyius, son of Larichus, and
his brother Laomedon. For Alexander fell under Philip’s suspicion
when the latter married Eurydice[379] and treated Alexander’s mother
Olympias with dishonour. But after Philip’s death those who had been
banished on Alexander’s account returned from exile and were received
into favour. He made Ptolemy one of his confidential body-guards; he
placed Harpalus over the money, because his bodily strength was unequal
to the fatigues of war. Erigyius was made commander of the allied
Grecian cavalry; and his brother Laomedon, because he could speak both
the Greek and Persian languages and could read Persian writings, was
put in charge of the foreign prisoners. Nearchus also was appointed
viceroy of Lycia and of the land adjacent to it as far as mount Taurus.
But shortly before the battle which was fought at Issus, Harpalus fell
under the influence of Tauriscus, an evil man, and fled in his company.
The latter started off to Alexander the Epirote[380] in Italy, where
he soon after died. But Harpalus found a refuge in Megaris, whence
however Alexander persuaded him to return, giving him a pledge that
he should be none the worse on account of his desertion. When he came
back, he not only received no punishment, but was even reinstated in
the office of treasurer. Menander, one of the Companions, was sent away
into Lydia as viceroy; and Clearchus was put in command of the Grecian
auxiliaries who had been under Menander. Asclepiodorus, son of Eunicus,
was also appointed viceroy of Syria instead of Arimmas, because the
latter seemed to have been remiss in collecting the supplies which he
had been ordered to collect for the army which the king was about to
lead into the interior.
CHAPTER VII.
PASSAGE OF THE EUPHRATES AND TIGRIS.
Alexander arrived at Thapsacus in the month Hecatombaion,[381] in the
archonship of Aristophanes at Athens; and he found that two bridges
of boats had been constructed over the stream. But Mazaeus, to whom
Darius had committed the duty of guarding the river, with about 3,000
cavalry, 2,000 of which were Grecian mercenaries, was up to that time
keeping guard there at the river. For this reason the Macedonians had
not constructed the complete bridge as far as the opposite bank, being
afraid that Mazaeus might make an assault upon the bridge where it
ended. But when he heard that Alexander was approaching, he went off
in flight with all his army. As soon as he had fled, the bridges were
completed as far as the further bank, and Alexander crossed upon them
with his army.[382] Thence he marched up into the interior through the
land called Mesopotamia, having the river Euphrates and the mountains
of Armenia on his left. When he started from the Euphrates he did not
march to Babylon by the direct road; because by going the other route
he found all things easier for the march of his army, and it was also
easier to obtain fodder for the horses and provisions for the men
from the country. Besides this, the heat was not so scorching on the
indirect route. Some of the men from Darius’s army, who were dispersed
for the purpose of scouting, were taken prisoners; and they reported
that Darius was encamped near the river Tigris, having resolved to
prevent Alexander from crossing that stream. They also said that he
had a much larger army than that with which he had fought in Cilicia.
Hearing this, Alexander went with all speed towards the Tigris; but
when he reached it he found neither Darius himself nor any guard which
he had left. However he experienced great difficulty in crossing the
stream, on account of the swiftness of the current,[383] though no one
tried to stop him. There he made his army rest, and while so doing, an