The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
is from πᾶν and φυλή, because of the mixed origin of the inhabitants.
[712] Cf. Arrian (_Anabasis_, vii. 1; _Indica_, 43). _Herodotus_ (iv.
42) says that Pharaoh Neco sent a Phoenician expedition from the
Red Sea, which circumnavigated Africa and returned by the Straits
of Gibraltar, or the Pillars of Hercules. The Carthaginian Hanno is
said to have sailed from Cadiz to the extremity of Arabia. See Pliny
(_Historia Naturalis_, ii. 67; v. 1). _Herodotus_ (iv. 43) says that
the Carthaginians asserted they had sailed round Africa. There is a
Greek translation of Hanno’s _Periplus_ still extant. As to the Pillars
of Hercules, see Aelian (_Varia Historia_, v. 3). They are first
mentioned by Pindar (_Olym._ iii. 79; _Nem._ iii. 36).
[713] The interior of Africa, from the Straits of Gibraltar to Egypt,
and from the Mediterranean to the then unexplored South.
[714] Arrian, like many other ancient writers, includes Africa, or
Libya, as a part of Asia. The boundaries were the Eastern Sea and the
Atlas Mountains. Cf. _Arrian_, iii. 30; vii. 1 and 30. The name Asia
first occurs in Homer (_Iliad_, ii. 461), in reference to the marsh
about the Caÿster, and was thence gradually extended over the whole
continent.
[715] Heracles, from whom the Macedonian kings claimed to be descended.
[716] Hence Hercules is called Tirynthius. (Virgil, _Aeneid_, vii. 662;
viii. 228).
[717] See chap. 1 of this book.
[718] Cf. Xenophon (_Anab._, i. 7, 4).
[719] Cf. _Curtius_, ix. 12.
[720] _Arrian_ (iii. 19) says that the Thessalians were sent back from
Ecbatana.
[721] _Pontus Euxinus_ antea ab inhospitali feritate _Axenos_
appellatus (_Pliny_, vi. 1).
[722] The Latin name Carthago and the Greek Carchedon were corruptions
of the Phoenician Carth-Hadeshoth, the “new city.”
[723] _Pliny_ (vi. 21), says that Alexander erected the altars on the
farther bank of the Hyphasis, whereas Arrian, Diodorus, and Plutarch
say they were on this side of the river. _Curtius_ (ix. 13) does not
specify the side of the river.
[724] _Herodotus_ (iv. 44) says that the Indus is the only river
besides the Nile which produces crocodiles. He does not seem to have
known the Ganges.
[725] This was the _Nelumbium speciosum_, the Egyptian bean of
Pythagoras, the Lotus of the Hindus, held sacred by them. It is
cultivated and highly valued in China, where it is eaten. The seeds are
the shape and size of acorns.
[726] _I.e._ the Mediterranean.
[727] See _Arrian_, v. 6 supra. The native name of Egypt was _Chem_
(black). Compare Vergil (_Georgic._ iv. 291):—Viridem Aegyptum _nigrâ_
fecundat arenâ. Usque coloratis amnis devexus ab Indis.
[728] This use of ἀμφί with the dative is instead of the
Attic περί with the genitive or accusative.
[729] Plutarch (_Alex._ 66) informs us that Alexander’s army numbered
120,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry. Cf. Arrian (_Indica_, 19).
[730] Arrian, in the _Indica_ (chap. 19), says that Alexander embarked
with 8,000 men.
[731] _Strabo_ (xv. 1) says that the realm of Sopeithes was called
Cathaia.
[732] As Alexander was at this time east of the Indus, the expression,
“beyond the Indus,” means west of it.
[733] Cf. _Arrian_, v. 2 supra.
[734] Only fragments of this narrative are preserved. _Strabo_ (xv. 1)
says that the statements of Onesicritus are not to be relied upon.
[735] _Curtius_ (ix. 13) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 95) say that there were
1,000 vessels. Arrian (_Indica_, 19) says there were 800. Krüger reads
χιλίων in this passage instead of the common reading
δισχιλίων.
[736] From Arrian (_Indica_, 18) we learn that he sacrificed to his
country gods, and to Poseidon, Amphitrite, the Nereids, the Ocean, as
well as to the three rivers. Cf. i. 11, supra.
[737] Cf. iii. 3 supra.
[738] Cf. Arrian (_Indica_, 7).
[739] Cf. _Curtius_ (ix. 15); _Diodorus_ (xvii. 97). The latter says
that Alexander offered sacrifice to the gods for having escaped the
greatest danger, and having contested with a river like Achilles.
[740] According to _Diodorus_ (xvii. 96) and _Curtius_ (ix. 14)
Alexander here made an expedition against the Sibi; defeated an army of
40,000 Indians, and captured the city of Agallassa.
[741] The chief city of the Mallians is the modern Mooltan.
[742] Μήπω. In later writers μή is often used where the Attic writers
would use οὔ.
[743] Strabo and Curtius call this river Hyarotis.
[744] The Brachmans, or Brahmins, were a religious caste of Indians.
The name was sometimes used for the people whose religion was
Brahminism. Cf. Arrian (_Indica_, 11); _Strabo_, xv. 1; p. 713 ed.
_Casaubon_.
[745] Cf. _Arrian_ i. 11 supra.
[746] The Romans called these men _duplicarii_. See _Livy_, ii. 59;
vii. 37.
[747] τοῖς ἔπειτα πυθέσθαι. Cf. Homer (_Iliad_, xxii. 305; ii. 119).
[748] _Curtius_ (ix. 22) calls the physician Critobulus. Near the city
of Cos stood the Asclepiēum, or temple of Asclepius, to whom the island
was sacred, and from whom the chief family, the Asclepiadae, claimed
descent. Curtius says:—Igitur patefacto latius vulnere, et spiculo
evolso, ingens vis sanguinis manare coepit, linquique animo rex, et
caligine oculis offusa, veluti moribundus extendi.
[749] Cf. Plutarch (_Alex._ 63); _Diodorus_ (xvii. 98, 99); _Curtius_
(ix. 18-23); _Justin_ (xii. 9).
[750] As to Fame, or Rumour, see Homer (_Iliad_, ii. 93; _Odyss._
xxiv. 412); Hesiod (_Works and Days_, 758-762); Vergil (_Aeneid_, iv.
173-190); Ovid (_Met._ xii. 39-63); Statius (_Theb._ ii. 426).
[751] _Curtius_ (ix. 18) says it was the town of the Oxydracians.
[752] Nearly 70 miles.
[753] _Isthmus_ is from the same root as ἰέναι, _to go_, and thus means
a _passage_. Pindar (_Isthmia_, iv. 34) calls it the “bridge of the
sea.”
[754] We learn from _Curtius_ (ix. 21) that the authors who stated that
Ptolemy was present in this battle were Clitarchus and Timagenes. From
the history of the former, who was a contemporary of Alexander, Curtius
mainly drew the materials for his history of Alexander.
[755] Ptolemy received this appellation from the Rhodians whom he
relieved from the assaults of Demetrius. The grateful Rhodians paid him
divine honours as their preserver, and he was henceforward known as
Ptolemy Soter. B.C. 304. See _Pausanias_, i. 8, 6.
[756] The word ἀταλαίπωρος is used in a similar
way by _Thucydides_, i. 20, 4.
[757] _Curtius_ (ix. 24) says that Craterus was deputed by the officers
to make this representation to the king, and that he was backed up by
Ptolemy and the rest.
[758] This line is a fragment from one of the lost tragedies of
Aeschўlus: δράσαντι γάρ τι καὶ παθεῖν ὀφείλεται.
[759] _Curtius_ (ix. 23) says that he was cured of his wound in seven
days. _Diodorus_ (xvii. 99) says that it took many days.
[760] Arrian does not mention the Sutledj, which is the fifth of the
rivers of the Punjab. _Pliny_ (vi. 21) calls it Hesidrus; _Ptolemy_
(vii. 1) calls it Zaradrus.
[761] About 12 miles. Ita se findente Nilo ut triquetram terrae
figuram efficiat. Ideo multi Graecae literae vocabulo Delta appellavere
Aegyptum (_Pliny_, v. 9).
[762] This tribe dwelt between the Acesines and the Indus. _Diodorus_
(xvii. 102) calls them Sambastians; while _Curtius_ (ix. 30) calls them
Sabarcians. The Xathrians and Ossadians dwelt on the left bank of the
Indus.
[763] We find from _Curtius_ (ix. 31) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 102) that
the name of this was Alexandria. It is probably the present Mittun.
[764] _Curtius_ (ix. 31) calls this satrap Terioltes, and says he was
put to death. His appointment as viceroy is mentioned by _Arrian_ (iv.
22 supra).
[765] This king is called Porticanus by _Curtius_ (ix. 31), _Diodorus_
(xvii. 102), and _Strabo_ (xv. 1).
[766] An expression imitated from _Thucydides_ (iv. 34). Cf. _Arrian_,
ii. 10; v. 19; where the same words are used of Darius and Porus.
[767] _Diodorus_ (xvii. 102) says that Sambus escaped beyond the Indus
with thirty elephants.
[768] See note, page 327 supra.
[769] The _Indica_, a valuable work still existing. See chapters x. and
xi. of that book.
[770] These people inhabited the Delta of the Indus, which is now
called Lower Scinde. Their capital, Patala, is the modern Tatta.
[771] Cf. Arrian (_Indica_, ii.).
[772] _Curtius_ (ix. 34) calls this king Moeris.
[773] Aristobulus, as quoted by _Strabo_ (xv. 1), said that the voyage
down the Indus occupied ten months, the fleet arriving at Patala about
the time of the rising of Sirius, or July, 325 B.C.
[774] The right arm of the Indus is now called the Buggaur, and the
left Sata.
[775] _I.e._ caused a heavy swell of waters. Cf. _Apollonius Rhodius_,
ii. 595; _Polybius_, i. 60, 6. This wind was the south-west monsoon.
[776] Cf. _Curtius_ (ix. 35, 36); Cæsar (_Bell. Gall._ iv. 29). τὰ
σκάφη ἐμετεωρίζοντο. Arrian does not
comply with the Attic rule, that the plural neuter should take a verb
in the singular. Compare ii. 20, 8; v. 17, 6 and 7; etc.
[777] Plutarch (_Alex._ 66) says that Alexander called the island
Scillustis; but others called it Psiltucis. He also says that the
voyage down the rivers to the sea took seven months.
[778] In regard to this expedition, see _Arrian_, vii. 20 infra.
[779] About 200 miles. Arrian here follows the statement of Nearchus.
Aristobulus said that the distance was 1,000 stades. See _Strabo_, xv.
1.
[780] See _Curtius_, ix. 38. This lake has disappeared.
[781] These periodical winds are the southerly monsoon of the Indian
Ocean. Cf. Arrian (_Indica_, 21).
[782] This occurs at the beginning of November. The Romans called the
Pleiades _Vergiliae_. Cf. _Pliny_ (ii. 47, 125): Vergiliarum occasus
hiemem inchoat, quod tempus in III. Idus Novembres incidere consuevit.
Also _Livy_ (xxi. 35, 6): Nivis etiam casus, occidente jam sidere
Vergiliarum, ingentem terrorem adjecit.
[783] This river, which is now called the Purally, is about 120
miles west of the mouth of the Indus. It is called Arabis by Arrian
(_Indica_, 21); and Arbis by _Strabo_ (xv. 2).
[784] These were a people of Gadrosia, inhabiting a coast district
nearly 200 miles long in the present Beloochistan. Cf. Arrian
(_Indica_, 22 and 25); _Pliny_, vi. 23.
[785] The Arabitians dwelt between the Indus and the Arabius; the
Oritians were west of the latter river.
[786] Rhambacia was probably at or near Haur.
[787] According to _Diodorus_ (xvii. 104) the city was called
Alexandria.
[788] Ora was the name of the district inhabited by the Oritians.
[789] Cf. Pliny (_Nat. Hist._ xii. 33-35).
[790] Cf. _Strabo_ (xv. 2); Pliny (_Nat. Hist._ xii. 26).
[791] Probably the snow-flake.
[792] This is the well-known catechu, obtained chiefly from the Acacia
Catechu. The liquid gum is called kuth or cutch in India.
[793] These people were called Ichthyophagi, or Fish-eaters. They are
described by Arrian (_Indica_, 29); _Curtius_, ix. 40; _Diodorus_,
xvii. 105; Pliny (_Nat. Hist._ vi. 25, 26); Plutarch (_Alex._
66); _Strabo_, xv. 2. They occupied the sea-coast of Gadrosia, or
Beloochistan. Cf. Alciphron (_Epistolae_, i. 1, 2).
[794] A man of Callatis, a town on the Black Sea in Thrace, originally
colonized by the Milesians.
[795] Cf. _Herodotus_, i. 193.
[796] Pura was near the borders of Carmania, probably at Bampur. The
name means _town_.
[797] Cf. _Strabo_, xv. 2; _Diodorus_, ii. 19, 20. According to
Megasthenes, Semiramis died before she could carry out her intended
invasion of India. See Arrian (_Indica_, 5). Neither Herodotus nor
Ctesias mentions an invasion of India by Cyrus; and according to Arrian
(_Indica_, 9), the Indians expressly denied that Cyrus attacked them.
[798] Strabo says that some of these marches extended 200, 400, and
even 600 stades; most of the marching being done in the night. Krüger