The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
Asia which discharge their waters into the midland sea were all put
together, they would not be worthy of comparison for volume of water
with one of the Indian rivers. Not only do I mean the Ganges, which is
the largest, and with which neither the water of the Egyptian Nile nor
the Ister flowing through Europe is worthy to compare; but if all those
rivers were mingled together they would not even then become equal to
the river Indus, which is a large river as soon as it issues from its
springs, and after receiving fifteen rivers,[662] all larger than those
in the province of Asia, discharges its water into the sea, retaining
its own name and absorbing those of its tributaries. Let these remarks
which I have made about India suffice for the present, and let the rest
be reserved for my “Description of India.”
CHAPTER VII.
METHOD OF BRIDGING RIVERS.
How Alexander constructed his bridge over the river Indus, is explained
neither by Aristobulus nor Ptolemy, authors whom I usually follow; nor
am I able to form a decided opinion whether the passage was bridged
with boats, as the Hellespont was by Xerxes and the Bosporus and the
Ister were by Darius,[663] or whether he made a continuous bridge
over the river. To me it seems probable that the bridge was made of
boats; for the depth of the water would not have admitted of the
construction of a regular bridge, nor could so enormous a work have
been completed in so short a time.[664] If the passage was bridged with
boats, I cannot decide whether the vessels being fastened together
with ropes and moored in a row were sufficient to form the bridge,
as Herodotus the Halicarnassian says the Hellespont was bridged, or
whether the work was effected in the way in which the bridge upon the
Ister and that upon the Celtic Rhine[665] are made by the Romans, and
in the way in which they bridged the Euphrates and Tigres, as often
as necessity compelled them. However, as I know myself, the Romans
find the quickest way of making a bridge to be with vessels; and this
method I shall on the present occasion explain, because it is worth
describing. At a pre-concerted signal they let the vessels loose down
the stream, not with their prows forward, but as if backing water.[666]
As might naturally be expected, the stream carries them down, but a
skiff furnished with oars holds them back, until it settles them in the
place assigned to them. Then pyramidal wicker-baskets made of willow,
full of unhewn stones, are let down into the water from the prow of
each vessel, in order to hold it up against the force of the stream.
As soon as any one of these vessels has been held fast, another is in
the same way moored with its prow against the stream, distant from
the first as far as is consistent with their supporting what is put
upon them. On both of them are placed pieces of timber with sharp ends
projecting out, on which cross-planks are placed to bind them together;
and so proceeds the work through all the vessels which are required to
bridge the river. At each end of this bridge firmly fixed gangways are
thrown forward,[667] so that the approach may be safer for the horses
and beasts of burden, and at the same time to serve as a bond to the
bridge. In a short time the whole is finished with a great noise and
bustle; but yet discipline is not relaxed while the work is going on.
In each vessel the exhortations of the overseers to the men, or their
censures of sluggishness, neither prevent the orders being heard nor
impede the rapidity of the work.[668]
CHAPTER VIII.
MARCH FROM THE INDUS TO THE HYDASPES.
This has been the method of constructing bridges, practised by the
Romans from olden times; but how Alexander laid a bridge over the
river Indus I cannot say, because those who served in his army have
said nothing about it. But I should think that the bridge was made
as near as possible as I have described, or if it were effected by
some other contrivance so let it be. When Alexander had crossed to
the other side of the river Indus, he again offered sacrifice there,
according to his custom.[669] Then starting from the Indus, he arrived
at Taxila, a large and prosperous city, in fact the largest of those
situated between the rivers Indus and Hydaspes. He was received in
a friendly manner by Taxiles, the governor of the city, and by the
Indians of that place; and he added to their territory as much of the
adjacent country as they asked for. Thither also came to him envoys
from Abisares, king of the mountaineer Indians, the embassy including
the brother of Abisares as well as the other most notable men. Other
envoys also came from Doxareus, the chief of the province, bringing
gifts with them. Here again at Taxila Alexander offered the sacrifices
which were customary for him to offer, and celebrated a gymnastic and
equestrian contest. Having appointed Philip, son of Machatas, viceroy
of the Indians of that district, he left a garrison in Taxila, as
well as the soldiers who were invalided by sickness, and then marched
towards the river Hydaspes. For he was informed that Porus,[670] with
the whole of his army was on the other side of that river, having
determined either to prevent him from making the passage, or to attack
him while crossing. When Alexander ascertained this, he sent Coenus,
son of Polemocrates, back to the river Indus, with instructions to cut
in pieces all the vessels which he had prepared for the passage of
that river, and to bring them to the river Hydaspes. Coenus cut the
vessels in pieces and conveyed them thither, the smaller ones being cut
into two parts, and the thirty-oared galleys into three. The sections
were conveyed upon waggons, as far as the bank of the Hydaspes; and
there the vessels were fixed together again, and seen as a fleet upon
that river. Alexander took the forces which he had when he arrived at
Taxila, and the 5,000 Indians under the command of Taxiles and the
chiefs of that district, and marched towards the same river.
CHAPTER IX.
PORUS OBSTRUCTS ALEXANDER’S PASSAGE.
Alexander encamped on the bank of the Hydaspes, and Porus was seen
with all his army and his large troop of elephants lining the opposite
bank.[671] He remained to guard the passage at the place where he
saw Alexander had encamped; and sent guards to all the other parts
of the river which were easily fordable, placing officers over each
detachment, being resolved to obstruct the passage of the Macedonians.
When Alexander saw this, he thought it advisable to move his army in
various directions, to distract the attention of Porus, and render
him uncertain what to do. Dividing his army into many parts, he led
some of his troops now in one direction and now in another, at one
time ravaging the enemy’s country, at another looking out for a place
where the river might appear easier for him to ford it. The rest of
his troops he entrusted[672] to his different generals, and sent them
about in many directions. He also conveyed corn from all quarters into
his camp from the land on this side the Hydaspes, so that it might be
evident to Porus that he had resolved to remain quiet near the bank
until the water of the river subsided in the winter, and afforded him
a passage in many places. As his vessels were sailing up and down
the river, and skins were being filled with hay, and the whole bank
appeared to be covered in one place with cavalry and in another with
infantry, Porus was not allowed to keep at rest, or to bring his
preparations together from all sides to any one point if he selected
this as suitable for the defence of the passage. Besides at this season
all the Indian rivers were flowing with swollen and turbid waters and
with rapid currents; for it was the time of year when the sun is wont
to turn towards the summer solstice.[673] At this season incessant and
heavy rain falls in India; and the snows on the Caucasus, whence most
of the rivers have their sources, melt and swell their streams to a
great degree. But in the winter they again subside, become small and
clear, and are fordable in certain places, with the exception of the
Indus, Ganges, and perhaps one or two others. At any rate the Hydaspes
becomes fordable.
CHAPTER X.
ALEXANDER AND PORUS AT THE HYDASPES.
Alexander therefore spread a report that he would wait for that season
of the year, if his passage was obstructed at the present time; but
yet all the time he was waiting in ambush to see whether by rapidity
of movement he could steal a passage anywhere without being observed.
But he perceived that it was impossible for him to cross at the place
where Porus himself had encamped near the bank of the Hydaspes, not
only on account of the multitude of his elephants, but also because
his large army, arranged in order of battle and splendidly accoutred,
was ready to attack his men as they emerged from the water. Moreover
he thought that his horses would not be willing to mount the opposite
bank, because the elephants would at once fall upon them and frighten
them both by their aspect and trumpeting; nor even before that would
they remain upon the inflated hides during the passage of the river;
but when they looked across and saw the elephants they would become
frantic and leap into the water. He therefore resolved to steal a
crossing by the following manœuvre:—In the night he led most of his
cavalry along the bank in various directions, making a clamour and
raising the battle-cry in honour of Enyalius.[674] Every kind of noise
was raised, as if they were making all the preparations necessary for
crossing the river. Porus also marched along the river at the head of
his elephants opposite the places where the clamour was heard, and
Alexander thus gradually got him into the habit of leading his men
along opposite the noise. But when this occurred frequently, and there
was merely a clamour and a raising of the battle-cry, Porus no longer
continued to move about to meet the expected advance of the cavalry;
but perceiving that his fear had been groundless,[675] he kept his
position in the camp. However he posted his scouts at many places along
the bank. When Alexander had brought it about that the mind of Porus no
longer entertained any fear of his nocturnal attempts, he devised the
following stratagem.
CHAPTER XI.
ALEXANDER’S STRATAGEM TO GET ACROSS.
There was in the bank of the Hydaspes, a projecting headland, where the
river makes a remarkable bend. It was densely covered by a grove,[676]
containing all sorts of trees; and over against it in the river was an
island full of trees and without a foot-track, on account of its being
uninhabited. Perceiving that this island was right in front of the
headland, and that both the spots were woody and adapted to conceal his
attempt to cross the river, he resolved to convey his army over at this
place. The headland and island were 150 stades distant from his great
camp.[677] Along the whole of the bank, he posted sentries, separated
as far as was consistent with keeping each other in sight, and easily
hearing when any order should be sent along from any quarter. From
all sides also during many nights clamours were raised and fires were
burnt. But when he had made up his mind to undertake the passage of
the river, he openly prepared his measures for crossing opposite the
camp. Craterus had been left behind at the camp with his own division
of cavalry, and the horsemen from the Arachotians and Parapamisadians,
as well as the brigades of Alcetas and Polysperchon from the phalanx
of the Macedonian infantry, together with the chiefs of the Indians
dwelling this side of the Hyphasis, who had with them 5,000 men. He
gave Craterus orders not to cross the river before Porus moved off