The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the GreatArrian
History
The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
Arrian
Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C.; India -- History -- To 324 B.C.; Iran -- History -- To 640
After crossing the river,[701] he left Coenus with his own brigade
there upon the bank, with instructions to superintend the passage of
the part of the army which had been left behind for the purpose of
collecting[702] corn and other supplies from the country of the Indians
which was already subject to him. He now sent Porus away to his own
abode, commanding him to select the most warlike of the Indians and
take all the elephants he had and come to him. He resolved to pursue
the other Porus, the bad one, with the lightest troops in his army,
because he was informed that he had left the land which he ruled and
had fled. For this Porus, while hostilities subsisted between Alexander
and the other Porus, sent envoys to Alexander offering to surrender
both himself and the land subject to him, rather out of enmity to Porus
than from friendship to Alexander. But when he ascertained that the
former had been released, and that he was ruling over another large
country in addition to his own, then, fearing not so much Alexander as
the other Porus, his namesake, he fled from his own land, taking with
him as many of his warriors as he could persuade to share his flight.
Against this man Alexander marched, and arrived at the Hydraotes,[703]
which is another Indian river, not less than the Acesines in breadth,
but less in swiftness of current. He traversed the whole country as far
as the Hydraotes, leaving garrisons in the most suitable places, in
order that Craterus and Coenus might advance with safety, scouring most
of the land for forage. Then he despatched Hephaestion into the land of
the Porus who had revolted, giving him a part of the army, comprising
two brigades of infantry, his own regiment of cavalry with that of
Demetrius and half of the archers, with instructions to hand the
country over to the other Porus, to subdue any independent tribes of
Indians which dwelt near the banks of the river Hydraotes, and to give
them also into the hands of Porus to rule. He himself then crossed the
river Hydraotes, not with difficulty, as he had crossed the Acesines.
As he was advancing into the country beyond the Hydraotes, it happened
that most of the people yielded themselves up on terms of capitulation;
but some came to meet him with arms, while others who tried to escape
he captured and forcibly reduced to obedience.
CHAPTER XXII.
INVASION OF THE LAND OF THE CATHAEANS.
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