SUBJUGATION OF SOGDIANA.—REVOLT OF SPITAMENES.
He therefore crossed the river with a part of his army and entered
Sogdiana, leaving Polysperchon, Attalus, Gorgias, and Meleager there
among the Bactrians, with instructions to guard the land, to prevent
the barbarians of that region from making any revolutionary change,
and to reduce those who had already rebelled. He divided the army
which he had with him into five parts; the first of which he put under
the command of Hephaestion, the second under that of Ptolemy, son of
Lagus, the confidential body-guard; over the third he put Perdiccas;
Coenus and Artabazus commanded the fourth brigade for him, while he
himself took the fifth division and penetrated into the land towards
Maracanda.[573] The others also advanced as each found it practicable,
reducing by force some of those who had fled for refuge into the
strongholds, and capturing others who surrendered to them on terms of
capitulation. When all his forces reached Maracanda, after traversing
the greater part of the land of the Sogdianians, he sent Hephaestion
away to plant colonies in the cities of Sogdiana. He also sent Coenus
and Artabazus into Scythia, because he was informed that Spitamenes
had fled for refuge thither; but he himself with the rest of his army
traversed Sogdiana and easily reduced all the places still held by the
rebels.
While Alexander was thus engaged, Spitamenes, accompanied by some of
the Sogdianian exiles, fled into the land of the Scythians called
Massagetians,[574] and having collected 600 horsemen from this nation,
he came to one of the forts in Bactriana. Falling upon the commander
of this fort, who was not expecting any hostile demonstration, and
upon those who were keeping guard with him, he destroyed the soldiers,
and capturing the commander, kept him in custody. Being emboldened by
the capture of this fort, a few days after he approached Zariaspa; but
resolving not to attack the city, he marched away after collecting a
great quantity of booty. But at Zariaspa a few of the Companion cavalry
had been left behind on the score of illness, and with them Peithon,
son of Sosicles,[575] who had been placed over the royal household of
attendants at Zariaspa, and Aristonicus the harper. These men, hearing
of the incursion of the Scythians, and having now recovered from their
illness, took their arms and mounted their horses. Then collecting
eighty mercenary Grecian horsemen, who had been left behind to guard
Zariaspa, and some of the royal pages, they sallied forth against the
Massagetians. Falling upon the Scythians, who had no suspicion of
such an event, they deprived them of all the booty at the first onset,
and killed many of those who were driving it off. But as no one was in
command, they returned without any regard to order: and being drawn
into an ambush by Spitamenes and other Scythians, they lost seven of
the Companions and sixty of the mercenary cavalry. Aristonicus the
harper was also slain there, having proved himself a brave man, beyond
what might have been expected of a harper. Peithon, being wounded, was
taken prisoner by the Scythians.[576]