The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
to force him to come with him, considering that the man was free to
do as he pleased. But Megasthenes has recorded that Calanus, one of
the philosophers of this region, who had very little power over his
desires, was induced to do so; and that the philosophers themselves
reproached him, for having deserted the happiness existing among them,
and serving another lord instead of the God.[836]
CHAPTER III.
SELF-SACRIFICE OF THE INDIAN CALANUS.
This I have recorded, because in a history of Alexander it is necessary
also to speak of Calanus; for when he was in the country of Persis
his health became delicate, though he had never before been subject
to illness.[837] Accordingly, not being willing to lead the life of a
man in infirm health, he told Alexander that in such circumstances
he thought it best for him to put an end to his existence, before he
came into experience of any disease which might compel him to change
his former mode of living. For a long time the king tried to dissuade
him; however, when he saw that he was not to be overcome, but would
find some other way of release, if this were not yielded to him, he
ordered a funeral pyre to be heaped up for him, in the place where the
man himself directed, and gave instructions that Ptolemy, son of Lagus,
the confidential body-guard, should have the charge of it. They say
that a solemn procession, consisting both of horses and men, advanced
before him, some of the latter being armed and others carrying all
kinds of incense for the pyre. They also say that they were carrying
gold and silver goblets and royal apparel; and because he was unable to
walk through illness, a horse was prepared for him. However, not being
able to mount the horse, he was conveyed stretched out upon a litter,
crowned with a garland after the custom of the Indians, and singing in
the Indian language. The Indians say that he sang hymns to the gods and
eulogiums on his countrymen.[838] Before he ascended the funeral-pyre
he presented the horse which he should himself have mounted, being a
royal steed of the Nisaean breed,[839] to Lysimachus, one of those who
attended him to learn his philosophy. He distributed among his other
disciples the goblets and rugs which Alexander had ordered to be cast
into the pyre as an honour to him. Then mounting the pyre he lay down
upon it in a becoming manner, and was visible to the whole army. To
Alexander the spectacle appeared unseemly, as it was being exhibited at
the cost of a friend; but to the rest it was a cause of wonder that he
did not move any part of his body in the fire.[840] As soon as the men
to whom the duty had been assigned set fire to the pyre, Nearchus says
the trumpets sounded, in accordance with Alexander’s order, and the
whole army raised the war-cry as it was in the habit of shouting when
advancing to battle. The elephants also chimed in with their shrill and
warlike cry, in honour of Calanus. Authors upon whom reliance may be
placed, have recorded these and such-like things, facts of great import
to those who are desirous of learning how steadfast and immovable a
thing the human mind is in regard to what it wishes to accomplish.
CHAPTER IV.
MARRIAGES BETWEEN MACEDONIANS AND PERSIANS.
At this time Alexander sent Atropates away to his own viceroyalty,[841]
after advancing to Susa; where he arrested Abulites and his son
Oxathres, and put them to death on the ground that they were governing
the Susians badly.[842] Many outrages upon temples, tombs, and the
subjects themselves had been committed by those who were ruling the
countries conquered by Alexander in war; because the king’s expedition
into India had taken a long time, and it was not thought credible that
he would ever return in safety from so many nations possessing so
many elephants, going to his destruction beyond the Indus, Hydaspes,
Acesines, and Hyphasis.[843] The calamities that befell him among the
Gadrosians were still greater inducements to those acting as viceroys
in this region to be free from apprehension of his return to his
dominions. Not only so, but Alexander himself is said to have become
more inclined at that time to believe accusations which were plausible
in every way, as well as to inflict very severe punishment upon those
who were convicted even of small offences, because with the same
disposition he thought they would be likely to perform great ones.[844]
In Susa also he celebrated both his own wedding and those of his
companions. He himself married Barsine, the eldest daughter of
Darius,[845] and according to Aristobulus, besides her another,
Parysatis, the youngest daughter of Ochus.[846] He had already married
Roxana, daughter of Oxyartes the Bactrian.[847] To Hephaestion he
gave Drypetis, another daughter of Darius, and his own wife’s sister;
for he wished Hephaestion’s children to be first cousins to his own.
To Craterus he gave Amastrine, daughter of Oxyartes the brother of
Darius; to Perdiccas, the daughter of Atropates, viceroy of Media; to
Ptolemy the confidential body-guard, and Eumenes the royal secretary,
the daughters of Artabazus, to the former Artacama, and to the latter
Artonis. To Nearchus he gave the daughter of Barsine and Mentor; to
Seleucus the daughter of Spitamenes the Bactrian. Likewise to the rest
of his Companions he gave the choicest daughters of the Persians and
Medes, to the number of eighty. The weddings were celebrated after
the Persian manner, seats being placed in a row for the bridegrooms;
and after the banquet the brides came in and seated themselves, each
one near her own husband. The bridegrooms took them by the right hand
and kissed them; the king being the first to begin, for the weddings
of all were conducted in the same way. This appeared the most popular
thing which Alexander ever did; and it proved his affection for his
Companions. Each man took his own bride and led her away; and on all
without exception Alexander bestowed dowries.[848] He also ordered
that the names of all the other Macedonians who had married any of the
Asiatic women should be registered. They were over 10,000 in number;
and to these Alexander made presents on account of their weddings.
CHAPTER V.
THE SOLDIERS REWARDED.
He now thought it a favourable opportunity to liquidate the debts of
all the soldiers who had incurred them[849]; and for this purpose he
ordered that a register should be made of how much each man owed,
in order that they might receive the money. At first only a few
registered their names, fearing that this was being instituted as a
test by Alexander, to discover which of the soldiers found their pay
insufficient for their expenses, and which of them were extravagant
in their mode of living. When he was informed that most of them were
not registering their names, but that those who had borrowed money on
bonds were concealing the fact, he reproached them for their distrust
of him. For he said that it was not right either that the king should
deal otherwise than sincerely with his subjects, or that any of those
ruled by him should think that he would deal otherwise than sincerely
with them. Accordingly, he had tables placed in the camp with money
upon them; and he appointed men to manage the distribution of it. He
ordered the debts of all who showed a money-bond to be liquidated
without the debtors’ names being any longer registered. Consequently,
the men believed that Alexander was dealing sincerely with them; and
the fact that they were not known was a greater pleasure to them than
the fact that they ceased to be in debt. This presentation to the army
is said to have amounted to 20,000 talents.[850] He also gave presents
to particular individuals, according as each man was held in honour
for his merit or valour, if he had become conspicuous in crises of
danger. Those who were distinguished for their personal gallantry he
crowned with golden chaplets:—first, Peucestas, the man who had held
the shield over him; second, Leonnatus, who also had held his shield
over him, and moreover had incurred dangers in India and won a victory
in Ora.[851] For he had posted himself with the forces left with him
against the Oritians and the tribes living near them, who were trying
to effect a revolution, and had conquered them in battle. He also
seemed to have managed other affairs in Ora with great success. In
addition to these, he crowned Nearchus for his successful voyage round
the coast from the land of the Indians through the Great Sea; for
this officer had now arrived at Susa. Besides these three, he crowned
Onesicritus, the pilot of the royal ship; as well as Hephaestion and
the rest of the confidential body-guards.
CHAPTER VI.
AN ARMY OF ASIATICS TRAINED UNDER THE MACEDONIAN DISCIPLINE.
The viceroys from the newly-built cities and the rest of the territory
subdued in war came to him, bringing with them youths just growing into
manhood to the number of 30,000, all of the same age, whom Alexander
called Epigoni (successors).[852] They were accoutred with Macedonian
arms, and exercised in military discipline after the Macedonian system.
The arrival of these is said to have vexed the Macedonians, who thought
that Alexander was contriving every means in his power to free himself
from his previous need of their services. For the same reason also
the sight of his Median dress was no small cause of dissatisfaction
to them; and the weddings celebrated in the Persian fashion were
displeasing to most of them, even including some of those who married,
although they had been greatly honoured by the king putting himself on
the same level with them in the marriage ceremony. They were offended
at Peucestas, the viceroy of Persis, on account of his Persianizing
both in dress and in speech, because the king was delighted by his
adopting the Asiatic customs. They were disgusted that the Bactrian,
Sogdianian, Arachotian, Zarangian, Arian, and Parthian horsemen, as
well as the Persian horsemen called the Evacae, were distributed
among the squadrons of the Companion cavalry; as many of them at
least as were seen to excel in reputation, fineness of stature, or
any other good quality; and that a fifth cavalry division was added
to these troops, not composed entirely of foreigners; but the whole
body of cavalry was increased in number, and men were picked from
the foreigners and put into it. Cophen, son of Artabazus, Hydarnes
and Artiboles, sons of Mazaeus, Sisines and Phradasmenes, sons of
Phrataphernes, viceroy of Parthia and Hyrcania, Histanes, son of
Oxyartes and brother of Alexander’s wife, Roxane, as well as Autobares
and his brother Mithrobaeus were picked out and enrolled among the
foot-guard in addition to the Macedonian officers. Over these Hystaspes
the Bactrian was placed as commander; and Macedonian spears were given
to them instead of the barbarian javelins which had thongs attached
to them.[853] All this offended the Macedonians, who thought that
Alexander was becoming altogether Asiatic in his ideas, and was holding
the Macedonians themselves as well as their customs in a position of
contempt.[854]
CHAPTER VII.
NAVIGATION OF THE TIGRES.
Alexander now ordered Hephaestion to lead the main body of the infantry
as far as the Persian Sea, while he himself, his fleet having sailed up
into the land of Susiana, embarked with the shield-bearing guards and
the body-guard of infantry; and having also put on board a few of the
cavalry Companions, he sailed down the river Eulaeus to the sea.[855]
When he was near the place where the river discharges itself into the
deep, he left there most of his ships, including those which were in
need of repair, and with those especially adapted for fast sailing he
coasted along out of the river Eulaeus through the sea to the mouth of