A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

ALEXANDER.

ALEXANDER. 121

Hindoo Coosh), and marched into Bactria against
Bessus. On the approach of Alexander, Bessus
fled across the Oxus into Sogdiana. Alexander
followed him, and transported his army across the
river on the skins of the tents stuffed with straw.
Shortly after the passage Bessus was betrayed into
his hands, and, after being cruelly mutilated by
order of Alexander, was put to death. From the
Oxus Alexander advanced as far as the Jaxartes
(the Sir), which he crossed, and defeated several
Scythian tribes -north of that river. After
founding a city Alexandria on the Jaxartes, he
retraced his steps, recrossed the Oxus, and returned
to Zariaspa or Bactra, where he spent the winter
of 329. It was here that Alexander killed his
friend Cleitus in a drunken revel. [CLEITUS.]
In the spring of B. c. 328, Alexander again
crossed the Oxus to complete the subjugation of
Sogdiana, but was not able to effect it in the year,
and accordingly went into winter quarters at Nautaca, a place in the middle of the province. At the
beginning of the following year, B. c. 327, he took
a mountain fortress, in which Oxyartes, aBactrian
prince, had deposited his wife and daughters.
The beauty of Roxana, one of the latter, captivated
the conqueror, and he accordingly made her his
wife; This marriage with one of his eastern subjects was in accordance with the whole of his
policy. Having completed the conquest of Sogdiana, Alexander marched southward into Bactria,
and made preparations for the invasion of India.
While in Bactria, another conspiracy was discovered for the murder of the king. The plot was
formed by Hermolaus with a number of the royal
pages, and Callisthenes, a pupil of Aristotle, was
*involved in it. All the conspirators were put to
death.
Alexander did not leave Bactria till late in the
spring of B. c. 327, and crossed the Indus, probably near the modern Attock. He now entered
the country of the Penjab, or the Five Rivers.
Taxilas, the king of the people immediately east
of the Indus, submitted to him, and thus he met
with no resistance till he reached the Hydaspes,
upon the opposite bank of which Porus, an Indian
king, was posted with a large army and a considerable number of elephants. Alexander managed to
cross the river unperceived by the Indian king,
and then an obstinate battle followed, in which
Porus was defeated after a gallant resistance, and
taken prisoner. Alexander restored to him his
kingdoni, and treated him with distinguished
ionour.
Alexander remained thirty days on the Hydaspes,
luring which time he founded two towns, one on;ach bank of the river: one was called Bucephala,
in honour of his horse Bucephalus, who died here,
ifter carrying him through so many victories; and
lie other Nicaea, to commnemorate his victory.
'rom thence he marched to the Acesines (the
liinab), which he crossed, and subsequently to the
Iydraotes (the Ravee), which he also crossed,
o attack another Porus, who had prepared
o resist him. But as he approached nearer,
his Porus fled, and his dominions were given
3 the one whom he had conquered on the
lydaspes. The Cathaei, however, who also
welt east of the Hydraotes, offered a vigorous
ýsistance, but were defeated. Alexander still
ressed forward till he reached the Hyphasis
3arra), which he was preparing to cross, when

the Macedonians, worn out by long service, and
tired of the war, refused to proceed; and Alexander, notwithstanding his entreaties and prayers,
was obliged to lead them back. Hie returned
to the Hydaspes, where he had previously given
orders for the building of a fleet, and then sailed
down the river with about 8000 men, while the
remainder marched along the banks in two divisions. This was late in the autumn of 327. The
people on each side of the river submitted without resistance, except the Malli, in the conquest
of one of whose places Alexander was severely
wounded. At the confluence of the Acesines
and the Indus, Alexander founded a city, and
left Philip as satrap, with a considerable lbody
of Greeks. Here he built some fresh ships, and
shortly afterwards sent about a third of the
army, under Craterus, through the country of
the Arachoti and Drangae into Carmania. He
himself continued his voyage down the Indis,
founded a city at Pattala, the apex of the delta
of the Indus, and sailed into the Indian ocean.
He seems to have reached the mouth of the
Indus about the middle of 326. Nearchus was
sent with the fleet to sail along the coast to
the Persian gulf [NEARCHUS], and Alexander
set out from Pattala, about September, to return
to Persia. In his march through Gedrosia, his
army suffered greatly from want of water and
provisions, till they arrived at Pura, where they
obtained supplies. From Pura he advanced to
Carman (Kirman), the capital of Carmania, where
he was joined by Craterus, with his detachment
of the army, and also by Nearchus, who had
accomplished the voyage in safety. Alexander
sent the great body of the army, under Hephaestion, along the Persian gulf, while he himself, with a small force, marched to Pasarg adae,
and from thence to Persepolis, where he appointed Peucestas, a Macedonian, governor, in
place of the former one, a Persian, whom he
put to death, for oppressing the province.
From Persepolis Alexander advanced to Susa,
which he reached in the beginning of 325. Here
he allowed himself and his troops some rest from
their labours; and faithful to his plan of forming
his European and Asiatic subjects into one people,
he assigned to about eighty of his generals Asiatic
wives, and gave with them rich dowries. Hle himself took a second wife, Barsine, the eldest danghter of Darius, and according to some accounts, a
third, Parysatis, the daughter of Ochus. About
10,000 Macedonians also followed the example
of their king and generals, and married Asiatic
women; all these received presents from the king.
Alexander also enrolled large numbers of Asiatics
among his troops, and taught them the Macedonian
tactics. Hie moreover directed his attention to the
increase of commerce, and for this purpose had the
Euphrates and Tigris made navigable, by removing
the artificial obstructions which had been made in
the river for the purpose of irrigation.
The Macedonians, who were discontented with
several of the new arrangements of the king, and
especially at his placing the Persians on an equality
with themselves in many respects, rose in mutiny
against him, which he quelled with some little
difficulty, and he afterwards dismissed about 10,000
Macedonian veterains, vwho returned to Europe under the command of Craterus. Towards the close
of the same year (n. c. 325) he went to Echatana,