The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
[365] About 183 miles. This city lay at the extreme west of Egypt, in
Marmarica.
[366] “For some distance onward the engineers had erected a line of
telegraph poles to guide us, but after they ceased the desert was
absolutely trackless. Our guides were the stars—had the night been
overcast the enterprise would have been impossible—and we were steered
by a naval officer, Lieutenant Rawson, who had doubtless studied on
previous nights the relation of these celestial beacons to the course
of our march. The centre of the line was the point of direction;
therefore he rode between the centre battalions (75th and 79th) of the
Highland Brigade. Frequently in the course of the night, after duly
ascertaining what dark figure I was addressing, I represented to him
that his particular star was clouded over; but he always replied that
he had another in view, a second string to his bow, which he showed
me, and that he was convinced he had not deviated in the least from
the proper direction. And he was right, his guidance was marvellously
correct; for his reward, poor fellow, he was shot down in the assault,
mortally wounded. Here we were adrift, but for the stars, in a region
where no token existed on the surface by which to mark the course—any
more than on the ocean without a compass—and the distance to be
traversed was many miles.”—Sir Edward Hamley: “The Second Division at
Tel-el-Kebir,” _Nineteenth Century_, December, 1882.
[367] _Strabo_ (xvii. 1) quotes from Callisthenes, whose work on
Alexander is lost. He agrees with Aristobulus about the two ravens.
Callisthenes is also quoted by Plutarch (_Alex._, 27) in regard to this
prodigy. _Curtius_ (iv. 30) says that there were _several ravens_; and
_Diodorus_ (xvii. 49) speaks of _ravens_.
[368] Nearly five miles. Cf. _Lucan_, ix. 511-543.
[369] This _Fountain of the Sun_, as it is called, is 30 paces long
and 20 broad; 6 fathoms deep, with bubbles constantly rising from the
surface. Cf. _Herodotus_, iv. 181; _Lucretius_, vi. 849-878; _Ptolemy_,
iv. 5, 37.
[370] This is what we call sal ammoniac, known to chemists as
hydrochlorate of ammonia. The _dactylos_ was the smallest Greek measure
of length, about 7/10 of an inch.
[371] We learn from _Strabo_ (xvii. 1), on the authority of
Callisthenes, that the declaration of the oracle of Ammon was confirmed
by those of Apollo at Branchidae near Miletus, and of Athena at
Erythrae in Ionia. Plutarch (_Alex._, 28) and _Arrian_ (vii. 29) assert
that Alexander set afloat the declaration that he was the son of Zeus
to overawe the foreigners over whom he was extending his rule.
[372] Ewald and others think that Heroöpolis was identical with the
Raamses of the Bible. Raamses, or Rameses, is a Coptic word meaning
“the son of the sun.”
[373] A city founded by the Milesians on the Canopic branch of the
Nile. It remained a purely Greek city, being the only place where
Greeks were allowed to settle and trade in Egypt. Cf. _Herodotus_, ii.
97, 135, 178, 179.
[374] Cf. Tacitus (_Historiae_, i. 11).
[375] We learn, from _Curtius_ (iv. 34), that Alexander went to Samaria
to chastise the inhabitants, who had burnt his deputy, Andromachus, to
death.
[376] From early times the Athenians kept two sacred vessels for state
purposes, the one called the _Paralus_ and the other _Salaminia_. In
the earliest times the former was used for coasting purposes, and the
latter for the journey to Salamis. Hence their respective names. See
Dr. Smith’s _Dict. of Antiquities_. Aeschines, in his oration against
Ctesiphon (p. 550), asserts that he was informed by the seamen of the
_Paralus_ that Demosthenes on this occasion sent a letter to Alexander
soliciting pardon and favour.
[377] Cf. Aelian, _Varia Historia_, i. 25; _Curtius_, iv. 34.
[378] Beroea was a city of Macedonia, on the Astraeus, a tributary of
the Haliacmon, about 20 miles from the sea.
[379] Other historians call this queen Cleopatra. She was the daughter
of a Macedonian named Attalus. Plutarch (_Alex._, 9 and 10) says that
she was cruelly put to death by Olympias during Alexander’s absence.
_Justin_ (ix. 7; xi. 2) states that Olympias first slew her daughter on
her mother’s bosom and then had Cleopatra hanged; while Alexander put
to death Caranus, the infant son of Philip and Cleopatra. _Pausanias_
(viii. 7) says that Olympias caused Cleopatra and her infant son to be
roasted on a brazen vessel. Cf. Aelian (_Varia Historia_, xiii. 35).
[380] This king was brother of Alexander’s mother Olympias, and husband
of Cleopatra the daughter of Philip and Olympias. He crossed over into
Italy to aid the Tarentines against the Lucanians and Bruttians, but
was eventually defeated and slain near Pandosia, B.C. 326.
[381] June-July, B.C. 331.
[382] We learn, from _Curtius_ (iv. 37), that Alexander took eleven
days to march from Phoenicia to the Euphrates.
[383] _Curtius_ (iv. 37) says that Tigris is the Persian word for
_arrow_; and that the river was so named on account of the swiftness
of its current. The Hebrew name is Chiddekel, which means _arrow_.
See Gen. ii. 14; and Dan. x. 4, where it is called _the great river_.
The name Tigris is derived from the Zend _Tighra_, which comes from
the Sanscrit _Tig_, to sharpen. It is now called Dijleh. It joins
the Euphrates 90 miles from the sea, and the united stream is called
Shat-el-Arab. Its entire length is 1,146 miles. In ancient times the
two rivers had distinct mouths. So the Rhon formerly had several
mouths. See _Livy_, xxi. 26. _Strabo_ (iv. 1, 8) says that Timaeus gave
it five mouths; Polybius gives it two; others give seven.
[384] This eclipse occurred September 20th, B.C. 331.
[385] The part of Assyria lying between the Upper Tigris and the Lycus
was called Aturia.
[386] Called Carduchi by Xenophon. These mountains separate Assyria and
Mesopotamia from Media and Armenia.
[387] Cf. Aelian (_Varia Historia_, xii. 38).
[388] Arachosia comprised what is now the south-east part of
Afghanistan and the north-east part of Beloochistan.
[389] Aria comprised the west and north-west part of Afghanistan and
the east part of Khorasan.
[390] Parthia is the modern Khorasan. Hyrcania was the country south
and south-east of the Caspian Sea. The Tapurians dwelt in the north
of Media, on the borders of Parthia between the Caspian passes. Cf.
_Ammianus_, xxiii. 6.
[391] The Cadusians lived south-west of the Caspian, the Albanians on
the west of the same sea, in the south-east part of Georgia, and the
Sacesinians in the north-east of Armenia, on the river Kur.
[392] The Red Sea was the name originally given to the whole expanse of
sea to the west of India as far as Africa. The name was subsequently
given to the Arabian Gulf exclusively. In Hebrew it is called
_Yam-Suph_ (Sea of Sedge, or a seaweed resembling wool). The Egyptians
called it the Sea of Weeds.
[393] The Uxians occupied the north-west of Persis, and Susiana was the
country to the north and west of Persis.
[394] The Sitacenians lived in the south of Assyria. ἐτετάχατο
is the Ionic form for τεταγμένοι ἦσαν.
[395] The Greeks called this country Mesopotamia because it lies
between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. In the Bible it is called
Paddan-Aram (the plain of _Aram_, which is the Hebrew name of Syria).
In Gen. xlviii. 7 it is called merely _Paddan_, the plain. In Hos.
xii. 12, it is called the _field of Aram_, or, as our Bible has
it, the _country of Syria_. Elsewhere in the Bible it is called
_Aram-naharaim_, Aram of the two rivers, which the Greeks translated
Mesopotamia. It is called “_the Island_,” by Arabian geographers.
[396] _Curtius_ (iv. 35 and 45) states that Darius had 200,000
infantry, 45,000 cavalry, and 200 scythed chariots; _Diodorus_ (xvii.
53) says, 800,000 infantry, 200,000 cavalry, and 200 scythed chariots;
_Justin_ (xi. 12) gives 400,000 foot and 100,000 horse; and Plutarch
(_Alex._, 31) speaks of a million of men. For the chariots cf. Xenophon
(_Anab._, i. 8, 10); _Livy_, xxxvii. 41.
[397] This is the first instance on record of the employment of
elephants in battle.
[398] This river is now called Ghasir, a tributary of the Great Zab.
The village Gaugamela was in the district of Assyria called Aturia,
about 69 miles from the city of Arbela, now called Erbil.
[399] About 7 miles.
[400] Xenophon (_Anab._, iii. 4, 35) explains why this was so.
[401] σφεῖς here stands for αὐτοί.
[402] See note 252 to ii. 10 supra.
[403] These people were a Scythian tribe leading a nomadic life east
of the Caspian. They are called Daoi by _Herodotus_, i. 125; Dahae
by _Ammianus_, xxii. 8, 21; _Livy_, xxxv. 48; xxxvii. 38; Vergil
(_Aeneid_, viii. 728); _Pliny_, vi. 19; _Strabo_, xi. 7. They are
mentioned in Ezra iv. 9 as subjects of Persia. The district is now
called Daikh. See Fürst’s _Hebrew Lexicon_, sub voce דֶּֽה.
[404] A title of honour. Curtius says that they numbered 15,000.
[405] Cf. _Herodotus_, vii. 41.
[406] This people lived to the south of the Caspian.
[407] “Several names of various contingents stated to have been present
in the field are not placed in the official return—thus the Sogdiani,
the Arians, and the Indian mountaineers are mentioned by _Arrian_ as
having joined Darius (iii. 8); the Kossaeans by _Diodorus_ (xvii. 59);
the Sogdiani, Massagatae, Belitae, Kossaeans, Gortyae, Phrygians, and
Kataonians, by _Curtius_ (iv. 12).”—_Grote_.
[408] This distinguished general succeeded Antipater as regent of
Macedonia, but was overcome by Cassander, the son of the former, and
became subordinate to him.
[409] There were thus six taxeis, or brigades of foot Companions, as
they were called, in the phalanx of infantry at the battle of Arbela.
Arrian’s description of the battle at the Granicus (i. 14) seems to
be erroneous in some of the words of the text; yet it may be gathered
from it that there were also six taxeis in Alexander’s phalanx on that
occasion also.
[410] See Arrian’s _Tactics_, 29.
[411] Cf. _Diodorus_ (xvii. 57).
[412] See Donaldson’s _New Cratylus_, sect. 178.
[413] Cf. _Curtius_, iv. 35. “Equitibus equisque tegumenta erant ex
ferreis laminis serie inter se connexis.”
[414] Compare the uselessness of the Persian scythed chariots at the
battle of Cunaxa. See Xenophon (_Anabasis_, i. 8). So also at the
battle of Magnesia between Scipio and Antiochus. See _Livy_, xxxvii. 41.
[415] πεφρικυῖα, imitated from Homer (_Iliad_, iv.
282). Cf. Vergil (_Aeneid_, x. 178, _horrentibus hastis_); _Livy_,
xliv. 41 (_horrendis hastis_).
[416] _Curtius_ (iv. 58, 59) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 60) describe quite
an Homeric battle, Darius hurling a spear at Alexander, and Alexander
hurling his at Darius and killing his charioteer. They say that the
Persians mistook the fall of the Charioteer for that of the king, and
fled, carrying Darius with them.
[417] _Curtius_ (iv. 59) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 60) say that so thick a
cloud of dust was raised by the mighty mass of fugitives, that nothing
could be clearly distinguished, and that thus the Macedonians lost the
track of Darius. The noise of the shouting and the cracking of whips
served as guides to the pursuers.
[418] Sisygambis, the mother of Darius, whom these Persians were
especially anxious to liberate from the custody of the Macedonians,
refused to go with them. See _Diodorus_ and _Curtius_.
[419] Arrian does not say much about this vigorous charge of Mazaeus,
the commander of the Persian right wing. See _Curtius_ (iv. 60);
_Diodorus_ (xvii. 60).
[420] We learn from _Diodorus_ and _Curtius_ that Parmenio had driven
Mazaeus back before Alexander’s arrival.
[421] The Lycus, now called the Great Zab, is a tributary of the
Tigris. Xenophon calls it Zabatus (_Anab._, ii. 5). The Greek _Lycus_