The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
the middle of the channel of the Hellespont he sacrificed a bull to
Poseidon and the Nereids, and poured forth a libation to them into the
sea from a golden goblet. They say also that he was the first man to
step out of the ship in full armour on the land of Asia,[112] and that
he erected altars to Zeus, the protector of people landing, to Athena,
and to Heracles, at the place in Europe whence he started, and at the
place in Asia where he disembarked. It is also said that he went up to
Ilium and offered sacrifice to the Trojan Athena; that he set up his
own panoply in the temple as a votive offering, and in exchange for it
took away some of the consecrated arms which had been preserved from
the time of the Trojan war. These arms were said to have been carried
in front of him into the battles by the shield-bearing guards. A report
also prevails that he offered sacrifice to Priam upon the altar of Zeus
the household god, deprecating the wrath of Priam against the progeny
of Neoptolemus, from whom Alexander himself derived his origin.
CHAPTER XII.
ALEXANDER AT THE TOMB OF ACHILLES.—MEMNON’S ADVICE REJECTED BY THE
PERSIAN GENERALS.
When he went up to Ilium, Menoetius the pilot crowned him with a golden
crown; after him Chares the Athenian,[113] coming from Sigeum, as well
as certain others, both Greeks and natives, did the same. Alexander
then encircled the tomb of Achilles with a garland; and it is said
that Hephaestion[114] decorated that of Patroclus in the same way.
There is indeed a report that Alexander pronounced Achilles fortunate
in getting Homer as the herald of his fame to posterity.[115] And in
truth it was meet that Alexander should deem Achilles fortunate for
this reason especially; for to Alexander himself this privilege was
wanting, a thing which was not in accordance with the rest of his good
fortune. His achievements have, therefore, not been related to mankind
in a manner worthy of the hero. Neither in prose nor in verse has any
one suitably honoured him; nor has he ever been sung of in a lyric
poem, in which style of poetry Hiero, Gelo, Thero, and many others not
at all comparable with Alexander, have been praised.[116] Consequently
Alexander’s deeds are far less known than the meanest achievements of
antiquity. For instance, the march of the ten thousand with Cyrus up to
Persia against King Artaxerxes, the tragic fate of Clearchus and those
who were captured along with him,[117] and the march of the same men
down to the sea, in which they were led by Xenophon, are events much
better known to men through Xenophon’s narrative than are Alexander and
his achievements. And yet Alexander neither accompanied another man’s
expedition, nor did he in flight from the Great King overcome those who
obstructed his march down to the sea. And, indeed, there is no other
single individual among Greeks or barbarians who achieved exploits so
great or important either in regard to number or magnitude as he did.
This was the reason which induced me to undertake this history, not
thinking myself incompetent to make Alexander’s deeds known to men. For
whoever I may be, this I know about myself, that there is no need for
me to assert my name, for it is not unknown to men; nor is it needful
for me to say what my native land and family are, or if I have held
any public office in my own country. But this I do assert, that this
historical work is and has been from my youth up, in place of native
land, family, and public offices to me; and for this reason I do not
deem myself unworthy to rank among the first authors in the Greek
language, if Alexander indeed is among the first in arms.
From Ilium Alexander came to Arisbe, where his entire force had
encamped after crossing the Hellespont; and on the following day
he came to Percote. On the next, passing by Lampsacus, he encamped
near the river Practius, which flows from the Idaean mountains and
discharges itself into the sea between the Hellespont and the Euxine
Sea. Thence passing by the city of Colonae, he arrived at Hermotus. He
now sent scouts before the army under the command of Amyntas, son of
Arrhabaeus, who had the squadron of the Companion cavalry which came
from Apollonia,[118] under the captain Socrates, son of Sathon, and
four squadrons of what were called Prodromi (runners forward). In the
march he despatched Panegorus, son of Lycagoras, one of the Companions,
to take possession of the city of Priapus, which was surrendered by the
inhabitants.
The Persian generals were Arsames, Rheomithres, Petines, Niphates,
and with them Spithridates, viceroy of Lydia and Ionia, and Arsites,
governor of the Phrygia near the Hellespont. These had encamped
near the city of Zeleia with the Persian cavalry and the Grecian
mercenaries. When they were holding a council about the state of
affairs, it was reported to them that Alexander had crossed (the
Hellespont). Memnon, the Rhodian,[119] advised them not to risk a
conflict with the Macedonians, since they were far superior to them
in infantry, and Alexander was there in person; whereas Darius was
not with them. He advised them to advance and destroy the fodder,
by trampling it down under their horses’ hoofs, to burn the crops
of the country, and not even to spare the very cities. “For then
Alexander,” said he, “will not be able to stay in the land from lack
of provisions.”[120] It is said that in the Persian conference Arsites
asserted that he would not allow a single house belonging to the people
placed under his rule to be burned, and that the other Persians agreed
with Arsites, because they had a suspicion that Memnon was deliberately
contriving to protract the war for the purpose of obtaining honour from
the king.
CHAPTER XIII.
BATTLE OF THE GRANICUS (B.C. 334).
Meantime Alexander was advancing to the river Granicus,[121] with his
army arranged for battle, having drawn up his heavy-armed troops in a
double phalanx, leading the cavalry on the wings, and having ordered
that the baggage should follow in the rear. And Hegelochus at the head
of the cavalry, who were armed with the long pike,[122] and about
500 of the light-armed troops, was sent by him to reconnoitre the
proceedings of the enemy. When Alexander was not far from the river
Granicus, some of his scouts rode up to him at full speed and announced
that the Persians had taken up their position on the other side of
the Granicus, drawn up ready for battle. Thereupon Alexander arranged
all his army with the intention of fighting. Then Parmenio approached
him and spoke as follows: “I think, O king, that it is advisable for
the present to pitch our camp on the bank of the river as we are.
For I think that the enemy, being, as they are, much inferior to us
in infantry, will not dare to pass the night near us, and therefore
they will permit the army to cross the ford with ease at daybreak.
For we shall then pass over before they can put themselves in order
of battle;[123] whereas, I do not think that we can now attempt the
operation without evident risk, because it is not possible to lead the
army through the river with its front extended. Besides, it is clear
that many parts of the stream are deep, and you see that these banks
are steep and in some places abrupt. Therefore the enemy’s cavalry,
being formed into a dense square, will attack us as we emerge from
the water in broken ranks and in column, in the place where we are
weakest. At the present juncture the first repulse would be difficult
to retrieve, as well as perilous for the issue of the whole war.”
But to this Alexander replied: “I recognise the force of these
arguments, O Parmenio; but I should feel it a disgrace, if, after
crossing the Hellespont so easily, this brook (for with such an
appellation he made light of the Granicus) should bar our passage for
a moment. I consider that this would be in accordance neither with the
fame of the Macedonians nor with my own eagerness for encountering
danger. Moreover, I think that the Persians will regain courage, as
being a match in war for Macedonians, since up to the present time they
have suffered no defeat from me to warrant the fear they entertain.”
CHAPTER XIV.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE HOSTILE ARMIES.
Having spoken thus, he sent Parmenio to command upon the left wing,
while he led in person on the right. And at the head of the right wing
he placed the following officers:—Philotas, son of Parmenio, with the
cavalry Companions, the archers, and the Agrianian javelin-men; and
Amyntas, son of Arrhabaeus, with the cavalry carrying the long pike,
the Paeonians, and the squadron of Socrates, was posted near Philotas.
Close to these were posted the Companions who were shield-bearing
infantry under the command of Nicanor, son of Parmenio. Next to these
the brigade of Perdiccas, son of Orontes, then that of Coenus, son of
Polemocrates; then that of Craterus,[124] son of Alexander, and that of
Amyntas, son of Andromenes; finally, the men commanded by Philip, son
of Amyntas. The first on the left wing were the Thessalian cavalry,
commanded by Calas, son of Harpalus;[125] next to these, the cavalry of
the Grecian allies, commanded by Philip, son of Menelaüs;[126] next to
these the Thracians, commanded by Agatho.[127] Close to these were the
infantry, the brigades of Craterus, Meleager, and Philip, reaching as
far as the centre of the entire line.
The Persian cavalry were about 20,000 in number, and their infantry,
consisting of Grecian mercenaries, fell a little short of the same
number.[128] They had extended their horse along the bank of the river
in a long phalanx, and had posted the infantry behind the cavalry,
for the ground above the bank was steep and commanding. They also
marshalled dense squadrons of cavalry upon that part of the bank where
they observed Alexander himself advancing against their left wing;
for he was conspicuous both by the brightness of his arms and by the
respectful service of his attendants. Both armies stood a long time
at the margin of the river, keeping quiet from dread of the result;
and profound silence was observed on both sides. For the Persians were
waiting till the Macedonians should step into the water, with the
intention of attacking them as they emerged. Alexander leaped upon his
steed, ordering those about him to follow, and exhorting them to show
themselves valiant men. He then commanded Amyntas, son of Arrhabaeus,
to make the first rush into the river at the head of the skirmishing
cavalry, the Paeonians, and one regiment of infantry; and in front of
these he had placed Ptolemy, son of Philip, in command of the squadron
of Socrates, which body of men indeed on that day happened to have
the lead of all the cavalry force. He himself led the right wing with
sounding of trumpets, and the men raising the war-cry to Enyalius.[129]
He entered the ford, keeping his line always extended obliquely in the
direction in which the stream flowed, in order that the Persians might
not fall upon him on the flank as he was emerging from the water, but
that he might, as far as practicable,[130] encounter them with his
phalanx.
CHAPTER XV.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE OF THE GRANICUS.
The Persians began the contest by hurling missiles from above in the
direction where the men of Amyntas and Socrates were the first to
reach the bank; some of them casting javelins into the river from
their commanding position on the bank, and others stepping down along
the flatter parts of it to the very edge of the water. Then ensued a
violent struggle on the part of the cavalry, on the one side to emerge
from the river, and on the other to prevent the landing. From the
Persians there was a terrible discharge of darts; but the Macedonians
fought with spears. The Macedonians, being far inferior in number,