Read the _History of the Reign of Alexander_ by Arrian[478] in seven
books. It relates how he made a treaty with the Athenians and the
rest of the Greeks with the exception of the Lacedaemonians; how he
crossed over into Asia and defeated the Persians in three battles.
At the Granicus[479] he routed the satraps of Darius, who had an
army of 20,000 horse and almost as many infantry; at Issus[480] he
put Darius himself and his army to flight and captured his wife and
children; at Arbela (or Gaugamela)[481] Darius was finally defeated,
and while trying to escape was seized and put to death by his own
soldiers. Bessus, who succeeded him, was mutilated and slain by
Alexander for his treason towards Darius. How Alexander was wounded
seven times in battle and how he carried off the royal treasure at
Pasargadae.[482] Being persuaded that Philotas was conspiring against
him, he put him to death with his father Parmenio. Alexander conquers
Sogdiana[483] and defeats the Asiatic Scythians. How Clitus was
murdered by him in a fit of drunkenness; his remorse when he became
sober. Conspiracy of the royal pages against Alexander and their
punishment. The capture of the Sogdian rock and the wife of Oxyartes,
the chief of the district, with his daughter Roxana, afterwards the
lawful wife of Alexander. How Alexander set out from Bactria against
the Indians, defeated them in several battles, and besieged and
captured several of their cities. Storming of the rock of Aornus[484]
and invasion of the country of the Ascanians. Having bridged the
Indus, Alexander crossed over, defeated Porus, king of India, in a
single engagement and took him prisoner. He was generously treated
by Alexander, who not only allowed him to keep his kingdom, but
actually enlarged it. How the rivers of India, like the Nile, are
swollen in summer, but subside in winter. There was also another
Porus, an Indian ruler, a man of bad character, in pursuit of whom
Alexander crossed the Hydaspes[485] and subdued the neighbouring
Indian tribes, took by siege their large and populous towns, and went
on to the Hyphasis.[486] While he was preparing to cross this river,
the soldiers began to show signs of discontent, complaining of their
toils and endless marches, in consequence of which Alexander left
India. Here the fifth book ends.
In the sixth book, the numerous battles and brilliant victories
of Alexander on his way home are related. In these engagements he
received two wounds besides those already mentioned, and although the
seventh wound seemed likely to prove fatal, he eventually recovered.
He returned from India by land, Nearchus,[487] with part of the army,
being sent back by sea. Both divisions met in Carmania,[488] whence
Alexander marched into Persia, Nearchus being ordered to sail to
Susiana[489] and the mouth of the Tigris. The voyage of Nearchus is
described by Arrian in his _Indica_, written in the Ionic dialect.
Alexander repairs the neglected tomb of Cyrus, and allows the
gymnosophist[490] Calanus, who was attacked by illness, to put
himself to death on the funeral pile. His splendid marriages and
those of his generals. His wives were Roxana, Arsinoë, the eldest
daughter of Darius, and Parysatis, the youngest daughter of Ochus.
Drypetis, another daughter of Darius, was given to Hephaestion;
Amastrinē to Craterus; Artacana and Artonē, daughters of Artabazus,
to Ptolemy and Eumenes; the daughter of Barsinē and Mentor to
Nearchus; the daughter of Spitamenes to Seleucus. The rest of his
friends received in marriage the daughters of the most distinguished
Medians and Persians, to the number of eighty. The discharged
Macedonian soldiers were sent home, Antipater being ordered to bring
back some of the new levies in their place. Harpalus[491] takes to
flight with a large sum of money from the treasury. The death of
Hephaestion and the great grief of Alexander; his splendid funeral
obsequies. At the same time ambassadors arrived from Libya and
Carthage, and even from Italy, to Alexander, who, when he saw the
Italians, predicted the future greatness of their country. When he
wished to advance to Babylon, the seers foretold his death, and when
an unknown person unexpectedly sat down on his throne, his end was
regarded as still more certain. Nevertheless, he equipped a fleet to
operate against the numerous Arabian tribes who believed in only two
gods, Uranus and Dionysus. While preparations were being made he was
seized with illness and died. Many contradictory stories are told of
his death. He lived thirty-two years and eight months, and reigned
twelve years and eight months. Arrian extols him as possessed of
almost every virtue. The seventh book ends here, being continued by
the _Indica_, in one book.