Bessus is captured
and
treated with
ignominy.
Alexander
wounded and
carried in a
litter.
officers; and Ptolemy, son of Lagus, being despatched at the
head of the taxis of Philotas (100 men according to Xenophon),
and a select force, made a distance equal to ten ordinary
marches in four days, and returned with the captive. On
being brought into his presence, naked, and led by a halter,
Alexander subjected him to the further ignominy of being
scourged, and then conducted to Bactra,1 or Zariaspa, to await
his doom. Alexander halted at Maracanda, the capital of
Sogdiana, now Samarkand, to replace the horses lost in crossing
the Caucasus, as well as to receive supplies from the rich valley
of A1 Sogd, and the rest of the province; since designated the
Muhammedan paradise of Ma-wera-l-nahr.2
All this territory, the ancient Transoxiana, had acknowledged
the authority of the conqueror; but in marching onward, and
as he approached the northern frontier, hostilities were renewed.
In the vicinity of this river, mistaken for the Tanais, and
variously called the Araxes o f Cyrus, the Orxantes,3 Jaxartes,
and Silys,4 some of the Macedonian horse, when foraging at a
distance, were surprised and slain by some of the barbarians,
about 20,000 of whom returned to their mountainous country;
which in the absence of precise details, may be presumed to be
southward of the Jaxartes, and towards the border of the
Ferganah district. Alexander lost no time in pursuing them
thither, where he was bravely opposed by slings and arrows",
when, after several determined attacks and severe losses, besides
receiving a dangerous wound, he succeeded in dislodging and
dispersing the enemy.5
Having been shot through the leg, and the lesser bone broken
by an arrow, the necessary repose required for the limb, compelled
the active-minded prince to, endure the slow motion of.a
litter; and a warm contest was settled by deciding that the
infantry and cavalry should alternately have the honour of carrying
their general.
1 Arrian, lib. I I I . , cap. xxx.
8 Ib n Haukal; Ouseley’s translation, p. 233, ed. 1800.
3 P I in., lib. V I., cap. xvi.
4 Quint. Curt., lib. V I I ., cap. vi., places the capital, Maracanda, beyond
the Orxantes, or Jaxartes.
5 Compare Quint. Curt., lib. V I I ., cap. v., with A rrian, lib. I I I . , cap. xxx.
An embassy arrived at this period from the Scythians o f Embassy sent
Europe, and another from those of Asia, namely, the Abii, Scythians to
, . . • ,i i Alexander. who are distinguished as being the most just nation upon earth.
Both were favourably received, without however entering into
any kind of treaty; but with a view to the consolidation of his
conquests southward of the river Jaxartes, Alexander summoned
the Sogdian chiefs to meet and deliberate on this
matter.2
But instead of conciliating, this step only excited the jealousy
of his new subjects ; and Alexander’s intention of constructing
a city on the Jaxartes being viewed with suspicion, g^ve the
partisans of Bessus, the Sogdians,. together with many of 41,6
Bactrians, and all the Scythians within the river in question, an Scythians, &c.
opportunity of engaging in a fresh revolt. The Scythians took
the initiative by putting to death the Macedonian troops who
were stationed within their territory; and the whole withdrew
to certain strong places southward, probably in the district of
Ferganah. Six of these were built of that particular material
called tapia, a kind of conglomerate ;3 but the seventh, Cyro-
polis, now Khojend, had stone walls and a citadel, with a
garrison proportionate to its great importance.
Perceiving how the mistake of the enemy in abandoning a
desultory warfare might be turned to good account, Alexander
sent Craterus to establish a complete blockade by lines of con- Blockade of
. - r . . . 9G M 9E H H H Cyropolis. travallation at Cyropolis.4 Beginning with Graza, whose garrison
was put to the sword, four other towns were successively
taken, and the siege of Cyropolis was then carried on with
great vigour. During the tedious operation of preparing the
battering and other machines, Alexander, availing himself of
an unexpected opportunity, led a small party one by one into
the town, along the narrow bed of a mountain torrent which
had been neglected. The party- entering in this manner,
opened the nearest gate, yvhieh admitted a sufficient force to
1 Iliad, lib. X I I I ., v. 6 ; and Arrian, lib. IV ., cap. i.
8 Arrian, lib. IV ., cap. i.
8 See above, vol. I ., p. 667.
4 Arrian, lib. IV ., cap. i i . ; Diod. Sic., lib. X V I I ., cap. xxx.
5 Probably Ghaz, at the western extremity of Ferganah.