OXYARTES BESIEGED IN THE SOGDIAN ROCK.
Meantime Coenus returned to Alexander at Nautaca, as also did Craterus,
Phrataphernes the viceroy of the Parthians, and Stasanor the viceroy of
the Areians, after executing all the orders which Alexander had given
them. The king then caused his army to rest around Nautaca, because it
was now mid-winter; but he despatched Phrataphernes into the land of
the Mardians and Tapurians to fetch Autophradates the viceroy, because,
though he had often been sent for, he did not obey the summons. He
also sent Stasanor into the land of the Drangians, and Atropates into
Media,[579] with the appointment of viceroy over the Medes, because
Oxodates seemed disaffected to him. Stamenes also he despatched to
Babylon, because news came to him that Mazaeus the Babylonian governor
was dead. Sopolis, Epocillus, and Menidas he sent away to Macedonia,
to bring him the army up from that country. At the first appearance
of spring,[580] he advanced towards the rock in Sogdiana, to which he
was informed many of the Sogdianians had fled for refuge; among whom
were said to be the wife and daughters of Oxyartes the Bactrian, who
had deposited them for safety in that place, as if forsooth it were
impregnable. For he also had revolted from Alexander. If this rock
was captured, it seemed that nothing would be left to those of the
Sogdianians who wished to throw off their allegiance. When Alexander
approached it, he found it precipitous on all sides against assault,
and that the barbarians had collected provisions for a long siege. The
great quantity of snow which had fallen helped to make the approach
more difficult to the Macedonians, while at the same time it kept the
barbarians supplied with plenty of water. But notwithstanding all
this, he resolved to assault the place; for a certain overweening and
insolent boast uttered by the barbarians had thrown him into a wrathful
state of ambitious pertinacity. For when they were invited to come to
terms of capitulation, and it was held out to them as an inducement,
that if they surrendered the place, they would be allowed to withdraw
in safety to their own abodes, they burst out laughing, and in their
barbaric tongue bade Alexander seek winged soldiers, to capture the
mountain for him, since they had no apprehension of danger from other
men.[581] He then issued a proclamation that the first man who mounted
should have a reward of twelve talents,[582] the man who came next to
him the second prize, and the third so on in proportion, so that the
last reward should be three hundred darics[583] to the last prize-taker
who reached the top. This proclamation excited the valour of the
Macedonians still more, though they were even before very eager to
commence the assault.