The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
disputed his advance, he could do nothing further on account of the
difficult nature of the ground. When the barbarians perceived that
Alexander could not make an assault, they turned round and attacked
Ptolemy, and a sharp battle ensued between them and the Macedonians,
the Indians making great efforts to demolish the stockade, and Ptolemy
to preserve his position. But the barbarians, getting the worst of it
in the skirmish, withdrew as the night came on. Alexander now selected
from the Indian deserters a man who was not only devoted to him but
acquainted with the locality,[617] and sent him by night to Ptolemy,
carrying a letter, in which it was written that as soon as the king
attacked the rock, Ptolemy was to come down the mountain upon the
barbarians, and not be contented with holding his position in guard;
so that the Indians, being assailed from both sides at once, might be
in perplexity what course to pursue. Accordingly, starting from his
camp at daybreak, he led his army up the path by which Ptolemy had
ascended by stealth, entertaining the opinion that if he could force
his way in this direction and join his forces with those of Ptolemy,
the work would no longer be difficult for him; and so it turned out.
For until midday a smart battle was kept up between the Indians and
the Macedonians, the latter striving to force a way of approach, and
the former hurling missiles at them as they ascended. But as the
Macedonians did not relax their efforts, advancing one after another,
and those who were in advance rested till their comrades came up,
after great exertions they gained possession of the pass early in the
afternoon, and formed a junction with Ptolemy’s forces. As the whole
army was now united, Alexander led it thence against the rock itself.
But the approach to it was still impracticable. Such then was the
result of this day’s labours. At the approach of the dawn he issued
an order that each soldier individually should cut 100 stakes; and
when this had been done he heaped up a great mound against the rock,
beginning from the top of the hill where they had encamped. From this
mound he thought the arrows as well as the missiles launched from the
military engines would be able to reach the defenders of the rock.
Every one in the army assisted him in this work of raising the mound;
while he himself superintended it, as an observer, not only commending
the man who completed his task with zeal and alacrity, but also
chastising him who was dilatory in the pressing emergency.
CHAPTER XXX.
CAPTURE OF AORNUS.—ARRIVAL AT THE INDUS.
On the first day his army constructed the mound the length of a stade;
and on the following day the slingers shooting at the Indians from the
part already finished, assisted by the missiles which were hurled from
the military engines, repulsed the sallies which they made against
the men who were constructing the mound. He went on with the work for
three days without intermission, and on the fourth day a few of the
Macedonians forcing their way occupied a small eminence which was on
a level with the rock. Without taking any rest, Alexander went on
with the mound, being desirous of connecting his artificial rampart
with the eminence which the few men were now occupying for him. But
then the Indians, being alarmed at the indescribable audacity of the
Macedonians, who had forced their way to the eminence, and seeing that
the mound was already united with it, desisted from attempting any
longer to resist. They sent their herald to Alexander, saying that
they were willing to surrender the rock, if he would grant them a
truce. But they had formed the design of wasting the day by continually
delaying the ratification of the truce, and of scattering themselves
in the night with the view of escaping one by one to their own abodes.
When Alexander discovered this plan of theirs, he allowed them time
to commence their retreat, and to remove the guard which was placed
all round the place. He remained quiet until they began their retreat;
then taking 700 of the body-guards and shield-bearing infantry, he
was the first to scale the rock at the part of it abandoned by the
enemy; and the Macedonians ascended after him, one in one place
another in another, drawing each other up. These men at the concerted
signal turned themselves upon the retreating barbarians, and killed
many of them in their flight. Others retreating with panic terror
perished by leaping down the precipices; and thus the rock which had
been inexpugnable to Heracles was occupied by Alexander. He offered
sacrifice upon it, and arranged a fort, committing the superintendence
of the garrison to Sisicottus, who long before had deserted from
the Indians to Bessus in Bactra, and after Alexander had acquired
possession of the country of Bactra, entered his army and appeared to
be eminently trustworthy.
He now set out from the rock and invaded the land of the Assacenians;
for he was informed that the brother of Assacenus, with his elephants
and many of the neighbouring barbarians had fled into the mountains
in this district. When he arrived at the city of Dyrta,[618] he found
none of the inhabitants either in it or in the land adjacent. On the
following day he sent out Nearchus and Antiochus, the colonels of the
shield-bearing guards, giving the former the command of the Agrianians
and the light-armed troops,[619] and the latter the command of his
own regiments and two others besides. They were despatched both to
reconnoitre the locality and to try if they could capture some of the
barbarians anywhere in order to get information about the general
affairs of the country; and he was especially anxious to learn news of
the elephants. He now directed his march towards the river Indus,[620]
the army going in advance to make a road for him, as otherwise this
district would have been impassable. Here he captured a few of the
barbarians, from whom he learnt that the Indians of that land had fled
for safety to Abisares, but that they had left their elephants there to
pasture near the river Indus. He ordered these men to show him the way
to the elephants. Many of the Indians are elephant-hunters, and these
Alexander kept in attendance upon him in high honour, going out to hunt
the elephants in company with them. Two of these animals perished in
the chase, by leaping down a precipice, but the rest were caught and
being ridden by drivers were marshalled with the army. He also as he
was marching along the river lighted upon a wood the timber of which
was suitable for building ships; this was cut down by the army, and
ships were built for him, which were brought down the river Indus to
the bridge, which had long since been constructed by Hephaestion and
Perdiccas at his command.
BOOK V.
CHAPTER I.
ALEXANDER AT NYSA.
In this country, lying between the rivers Cophen and Indus, which was
traversed by Alexander, the city of Nysa[621] is said to be situated.
The report is, that its foundation was the work of Dionysus, who built
it after he had subjugated the Indians.[622] But it is impossible
to determine who this Dionysus[623] was, and at what time, or from
what quarter he led an army against the Indians. For I am unable to
decide whether the Theban Dionysus, starting from Thebes or from the
Lydian Tmolus[624] came into India at the head of an army, and after
traversing the territories of so many warlike nations, unknown to the
Greeks of that time, forcibly subjugated none of them except that of
the Indians. But I do not think we ought to make a minute examination
of the legends which were promulgated in ancient times about the
divinity; for things which are not credible to the man who examines
them according to the rule of probability, do not appear to be wholly
incredible, if one adds the divine agency to the story. When Alexander
came to Nysa the citizens sent out to him their president, whose name
was Acuphis, accompanied by thirty of their most distinguished men as
envoys, to entreat Alexander to leave their city free for the sake of
the god. The envoys entered Alexander’s tent and found him seated in
his armour still covered with dust from the journey, with his helmet
on his head, and holding his spear in his hand. When they beheld the
sight they were struck with astonishment, and falling to the earth
remained silent a long time. But when Alexander caused them to rise,
and bade them be of good courage, then at length Acuphis began thus to
speak: “The Nysaeans beseech thee, O king, out of respect for Dionysus,
to allow them to remain free and independent; for when Dionysus had
subjugated the nation of the Indians, and was returning to the Grecian
sea, he founded this city from the soldiers who had become unfit for
military service, and were under his inspiration as Bacchanals, so
that it might be a monument both of his wandering and of his victory,
to men of after times; just as thou also hast founded Alexandria near
mount Caucasus, and another Alexandria in the country of the Egyptians.
Many other cities thou hast already founded, and others thou wilt found
hereafter, in the course of time, inasmuch as thou hast achieved more
exploits than Dionysus. The god indeed called the city Nysa, and the
land Nysaea after his nurse Nysa. The mountain also which is near the
city he named Meros (_i.e._ thigh), because, according to the legend,
he grew in the thigh of Zeus. From that time we inhabit Nysa, a free
city, and we ourselves are independent, conducting our government with
constitutional order. And let this be to thee a proof that our city
owes its foundation to Dionysus; for ivy, which does not grow in the
rest of the country of India, grows among us.”
CHAPTER II.
ALEXANDER AT NYSA.
All this was very pleasant to Alexander to hear; for he wished that
the legend about the wandering of Dionysus should be believed, as well
as that Nysa owed its foundation to that deity, since he had himself
reached the place where Dionysus came, and had even advanced beyond
the limits of the latter’s march. He also thought that the Macedonians
would not decline still to share his labours if he advanced further,
from a desire to surpass the achievements of Dionysus. He therefore
granted the inhabitants of Nysa the privilege of remaining free and
independent; and when he inquired about their laws, he commended them
because the government was in the hands of the aristocracy. He required
them to send 300 of their horsemen to accompany him, and to select
and send 100 of the aristocrats who presided over the government of
the State, who also were 300 in number. He ordered Acuphis to make
the selection, and appointed him governor of the land of Nysaea. When
Acuphis heard this, he is said to have smiled at the speech; whereupon
Alexander asked him why he laughed. Acuphis replied:—“How, O king,
could a single city deprived of 100 of its good men be still well
governed? But if thou carest for the welfare of the Nysaeans, lead
with thee the 300 horsemen, and still more than that number if thou
wishest: but instead of the hundred of the best men whom thou orderest
me to select lead with thee double the number of the others who are
bad, so that when thou comest here again the city may appear[625] in
the same good order in which it now is.” By these remarks he persuaded
Alexander; for he thought he was speaking with prudence. So he ordered
them to send the horsemen to accompany him, but no longer demanded the
hundred select men, nor indeed others in their stead. But he commanded
Acuphis to send his own son and his daughter’s son to accompany him.
He was now seized with a strong desire of seeing the place where the
Nysaeans boasted to have certain memorials of Dionysus. So he went to