33 (return) [ Take here the original passages of the four old authors
that still remain, as to this transit of Alexander the Great over the
Pamphylian Sea: I mean, of Callisthenes, Strabu, Arrian, and Appian. As
to Callisthenes, who himself accompanied Alexander in this expedition,
Eustathius, in his Notes on the third Iliad of Homer, [as Dr. Bernard
here informs us,] says, That "this Callisthenes wrote how the Pamphylian
Sea did not only open a passage for Alexander, but, by rising and did
pay him homage as its king." Strabo's is this [Geog. B. XIV. p. 666]:
"Now about Phaselis is that narrow passage, by the sea-side, through
which his army. There is a mountain called Climax, adjoins to the Sea of
Pamphylia, leaving a narrow passage on the shore, which, in calm
weather, is bare, so as to be passable by travelers, but when the sea
overflows, it is covered to a great degree by the waves. Now then, the
ascent by the mountains being round about and steep, in still weather
they make use of the road along the coast. But Alexander fell into the
winter season, and committing himself chiefly to fortune, he marched on
before the waves retired; and so it happened that were a whole day in
journeying over it, and were under water up to the navel." Arrian's
account is this [B. I. p. 72, 73]: "Alexander removed from Phaselis, he
sent some part his army over the mountains to Perga; which road the
Thracians showed him. A difficult way it was, but short. He himself
conducted those that were with him by the sea-shore. This road is
impassable at any other time than when the north wind blows; but if the
south wind prevail, there is no passing by the shore. Now at this time,
after strong south winds, a north wind blew, and that not without the
Divine Providence, [as both he and they that were with him supposed,]
and afforded him an easy and quick passage." Appian, when he compares
Cæsar and Alexander together, [De Bel. Civil. B. II. p. 522,] says,
"That they both depended on their boldness and fortune, as much as on
their skill in war. As an instance of which, Alexander journeyed over a
country without water, in the heat of summer, to the oracle of [Jupiter]
Hammon, and quickly passed over the Bay of Pamphylia, when, by Divine
Providence, the sea was cut off—thus Providence restraining the sea on
his account, as it had sent him rain when he traveled [over the
desert]." N. B.—Since, in the days of Josephus, as he assures us, all
the more numerous original historians of Alexander gave the account he
has here set down, as to the providential going back of the waters of
the Pamphylian Sea, when he was going with his army to destroy the
Persian monarchy, which the fore-named authors now remaining fully
confirm, it is without all just foundation that Josephus is here blamed
by some late writers for quoting those ancient authors upon the present
occasion; nor can the reflections of Plutarch, or any other author later
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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