The Annals of the World

and other petty Kings, under his government, came forth and met him, and received his commands, telling him, that he was now the third son of Jove, that had come into those parts. That as for father Bacchus and Hercules, they had only heard of them, but that their happiness was to see him now personally present among them, they therefore brought him large presents, promising him withal, to send him 25 Elephants, and he entertained them very graciously, and bad them attend him, purposing to use their help in his passages thorough the country.

But when he saw that the rest came not, he divided his army, and sent Hephaestion and Perdiccas, into the country called Pencelaotis toward the river Indus; with the armies led by Gorgias, Clitus, and Meleager, and half the company of his fellow Cavaliers, and all the mercenary horse; commanding them, to take in by fair means or soul, all the towns which they found in their way: and that when they came to the bank of the river Indus, they should there fall to building of ships, whereby to pass over, into further countries, and with them was sent Taxiles, and other Commanders of those parts.

After, the Governor of the country of Peucelaitis offering to revolt, lost both himself and the city which he put himself into: for Hephaestion came and besieged it, and after a months time, took and sacked it, and killing him, made one Sangaeus Governor of it, who a little before, forsaking Astes, had fled over to Taxiles, which made Alexander the more confiding in him ever after.

Alexander, with his Troup of silver Targateers, and the horse of his fellow Cavaliers, Hephaestion, and the Troup of those who were called Assateri, and his Archers, and Agrians, and Lances, marched into the country of the Aspians and Thyraeans, and Arasocans; and going on his way to the river Choes (which way was, for the most part, all mountainous and rocky) and having at last passed that river, he commanded Craterus to come after him fair and softly with the Foot. And himself taking with him the whole body of his horse, and eight hundred Macedonians, Targateers on horseback, marched away a great pace, because he heard, that the people of that country were fled, some to the mountains, others to fenced cities, and all to make head against him.

Those which came fourth to oppose him, he easily routed, and beat back into the Town, upon the way wence they came out; and the townesmen, which stood all in array before their walls, he easily likewise vanquished, and made them take sanctuary within their walls again. And now was Craterus come up with the Foot: and therefore to strike the greater terror into the minds of a nation, which knew not yet, what manner of men the Macedonians were, he gave order, to spare no flesh, setting fire on the out-works which they had made; yet as he rode about the walls, an arrow came off, and shot him thorough his armor, into the shoulder, but made there no great wound; Ptolomei also, and Leonatas, were both wounded at the same time: then Alexander, spying a place where the wall was weakest, pitched his Camp just against it, and the next day early in the morning, took the vawmure, which was of no great strength, with no great ado; at the inner wall, the inhabitants made some resistance: But when the Macedonians had once scaled the walls and the townesmen felt the arrows showring down about their ears, the soldiers within, brake out of the gates, and ran every man his way to the mountains, which were not far off, and thither many of them escaped, and saved themselves there; but the Macedonians following after, overtook and slew the greater part of them: but the Townsmen that were left behind, were slain every man of them, and the city itself, laid level with the ground.

Then, having subdued another poor base nation, he went forward, and came to the city Nisa, situate at the foot of a hill called Meros, and built in old times, as was said by Bacchus; but at the entreaty of Acuphis, the chief man of the place, who was sent unto him, with 30 other prime men, he spared the inhabitants of Nisa, and they were only commanded to furnish him with 300 horse: which done, he restored them to their natural freedom, and suffered them to live after their own laws, and made Acuphis himself, taking along with him his son and grandchild for hostages, governor of the city itself, with all the whole province of Nisa; moreover he sacrificed there to Bacchus by the name of Dionysius, and made merry, and feasted his Nobles, and all his Macedonians, and wearing garlands of Ivy on their heads, sang praise to Dionysius, with all his titles and appellations, Bacchumque vocant, &c.

As Ovid speaks of him, upon the like, though a different, occasion, 4 Metamorph. see also Philostratus in Vita Apollonii, [ lib. 2. cap. 4.] to the same purpose.

From whence he went to a country called Dadala, but all the inhabitants were gone and fled to the woods and mountains, wherefore he passed over Acadera, a country deserted by the inhabitants as the other was.

The city Ardacena being taken in upon surrender, he left Craterus there, with other Commanders of the Foot, to force such places, as voluntarily would not submit, and to order matters there, as he saw fittest for the present.

Himself, with his silver Targateers, and his Squadron of Agrians, and Caenus and Attalus their Brigadaes, and the body of his own Horse, and at most four companies of his fellow Cavaliers, and the one half of his Archers on horseback, went to the river of Euaspla, where the Governor of the Aspians lay, and, upon a great journey taken, the second day he came with his army to a city called Arigaeum. But the inhabitants, so soon as they heard he was coming, set their city on fire, and fled to the mountains; but the Macedonians followed after, and slew a vast number of them; and Ptolomei slew the Captain of them, hand to hand, and brought of his armor with him.

And now Alexander was come up with his Foot, which rode on horse-back, and they allighting, set upon the natives, and with much ado, made them at last, flee for refuge to the mountains: and then came Craterus to him with the main body of the army; having done the errend which he was sent on, to the full: Him Alexander commanded to see Arigaeum, which the inhabitants themselves had burnt, repaired: and to repeople it, with the inhabitants, of places near adjoining, such as would, & with such Macedonians, as were grown unserviceable for his wars. But himself went on, to the place whither he heard the natives were fled, and coming to the foot of a mountain, he there pitched his Camp.

Mean while Ptolomei, who was sent a forraging, went further off, with a small Troup, to discover, and sent back word to Alexander, that there seemed to be more fires, in the enemies Camp, than there were in all his: whereupon Alexander leaving a part of his army in the Camp, went with the rest to take a view of those fires himself: and having considered well of them, he cast the company which he brought with him, into three parts; one he gave to Leonatus, one of the Squires of his body, giving him the brigade of Attalus and Balacrus to attend him, the second he commanded Ptolomei to take charge of; and to him assigned a third part, of his own Argyraspides, or silver Targateers; and the brigade of Philip and Philoras, with two thousand archers, and all the Agrians, and one half of the whole Cavalrie; The third part he took to himself, and led them to a place, where he saw the greatest throng of the enemy to be. And they on the other side, confiding in their multitude, & supposing the Macedonians to be but few in number, left the mountain, and came down into the plain, where after a bloody field fought, the Macedonians gat the victory: Ptolomei, who led one of the three Brigadaes of Macedonians, reporteth, that there were taken in that fight, upward of 40 thousand prisoners; and of cattle, above 230 thousand head, out of which, Alexander was purposed, to have culled out the principal of all kinds, because they were exceeding fair, and to have sent them into Macedon, to make a breed there, for the tillage of the ground.

From thence Alexander went into the country of the Assacenians, [Year of the World 3677] who were said to have mustered a thousand Horse, 3 thousand Foot, and 30 Elephants, to encounter him. It was said also, that Assacenus, (which as it seems, was the common name which all their Kings went by) being lately dead, his mother Cleophis, commanded all at that present.

Craterus, having finished the city, as he was commanded, brought all his corselets to Alexander, with engines of battery and other instruments for a siege if need should be. Then set Alexander forward with the Horse of his fellow Cavaliers, and his Darters on horseback, with Coenus and Polysperchons companies, with a thousand Agrians, and Archers toward the Assacenians: marching thorough the country of the Guraeans, and was much troubled in the passage of the river Guraeus there. The natives hearing of his coming, durst not abide him in a body, but brake up their army, and dispersed themselves, everyone as he could into several cities, purposing there to stand upon their guard.

Alexander went first with his army to Massaga the greatest City of the Assacenian country, and enclosed with a wall of 35 furlongs in compass: there were 30 thousand men within to defend the walls, of which number there were 7 thousand mercenaries, out of the inner parts of India: These coming to a fight at the foot of a hill distant from the river Guraeus some seven furlongs; were fain to flee back into their city, having lost about 2 hundred in their flight. Alexander presently drew up his main battle of Macedonians before the gates thereof, and took a Dart into his thigh from off the wall; and when it pained him, he cried out, that they told him, he was Joves son, but that when he was wounded, he felt the pain of it like another man: adding withal, (as Plutarch in his book of Alexanders fortune writeth) when he saw the blood running down his body: a saying out of Homer in his 5 book of his Iliads, that this was blood indeed, but not.

By nine days end the besieged, seeing his works, the incessant labor and travel of the besiegers, what vast valleys they filled up, what towers they built, and how they made them run upon wheels, they began to consider of it: but when their Captain was shot thorough with a Dart coming out of an engine of battery, from the Works without, their courage failed, and despairing of any longer holding out, retired into their Castle, and from thence sent Messengers to crave pardon, and submitted. Cleophis also the Queen with a great multitude of noble Ladies, all pouring wine into golden basins, came forth unto him: and the Queen laying her young son at his feet, obtained not only his pardon, but also to be restored to her fathers estate, and pristin fortune of his House; for which yet it was thought she was more beholding to her own beauty, than to his bounty: for men commonly said, that all that was but the see of a nights lodging; and that she got her kingdom again, by her allurements, which she could not do with all the strength she had: whence it was, that among the Indians, she went afterward by the name of the Kings whore. In all which siege yet Alexander lost not above 25 men.

The Indians which were there, hired out of the inner parts of Indie, and in the siege, had annoyed Alexander more than all the rest; being according to the articles suffered to depart with their arms, encamped themselves about 8 hundred furlongs off from thence, whereof Alexander being advertised, grew into an implacable rage against them; and set upon them, saying, that he indeed suffered them to depart with their arms, but not that they should ever after use them against the Macedonians: and they, nothing terrified with the greatness of their danger, locked themselves close together, and casting themselves into a ring, took their wives and children into the midst of them: And so when the enemy came on, they withstood them in very manful wife: and the women themselves, as any of the men were slain, took up their arms, and with them went and served among the men; yet at last overborne with the numbers of the enemy, they all died in the place; And Alexander bestowed the women and the rest of the rascality which were left, upon his Troup of Horse; which act of his, blemished his glory, and stuck as a spot upon all his former noble actions in his wars.

Alexander sent Coenus to a strong and rich City called Bazira, supposing that the inhabitants there, hearing what passed at Assacan, would have submitted, as the Aassacans had done; which yet they refused to do: but he sent Alcaetas, and Attalus, and Demetrius General of the Horse, to the City Ora, and willed them to draw a wall round about it, and do no more till he came. The inhabitants made a salley upon Alcaetas his quarter: but the Macedonians easily put them back, and quickly mured them upon that side. And when as Alexander heard, that Abissarus would privily put in there, more of the natives to defend it; he presently sent word to Caenus, to build a strong castle upon it, and leaving a good garrison in it, which might be able, to hinder the Tillage of their ground, to return to him with the residue of the army.

They of Bazira, seeing Caenus gone with the greatest part of his army, contemning those that were left in the Castle, drew out into the open field: where having lost 500 upon the place, and 70 more taken prisoners, the rest which returned into the city were closer shut up, and streightened than before, and not suffered to peep out of the Gates.

Alexander took the city Ora at the first assault, and took such Elephants as he found therein: which when the inhabitant of Bazira heard, fearing to be taken, they all in the dead of the night, fled out of the gates, and got up into a Rock, called Aornus and the rest of the cities thereabout, did the like, every man with his arms: and Alexander having put Garrisons in Ora and Massaga; built up the walls of Bazira, and seised on the towns, which the Inhabitants had left.

Taxiles being dead, his son Omphis or Mophis, who had persuaded his father to submit to Alexander, sent unto him to know his pleasure, whether he should take the kingdom presently upon him, or live a private man till his coming: and though word was returned him that he should reign, yet he forbare for the present: mean while, when Hephaestion and Perdiccas being sent to make a bridge over the river Indus, came that way, he received them with all honor, and furnished them with provisions gratis; but went not out to meet them upon the way, least he should seem to depend on any man for favor, but Alexander himself.

Alexander coming to Embolyma, a city not far distant from the Rock Aornus, left Craterus with a part of the army there, and gave him order to make provision of corn and other necessaries, for a long time, if occasion should be to stay at the siege of Aornus, and in case he should not be able to take it at the first. Himself, taking with him his Agrians and Archers, and Caenus his brigade, and out of the Macedonian Squadron, such as were of the nimblest sort, and with all best armed, and 200 of his Cavaliers, and archers on horseback 100, marched to the Rock.

The fame went that Hercules heretofore, when he was in those parts, tried to take that place, but could not, and that he was put off thence by an earthquake, which set Alexander the more on fire to take it, that therein he might be seen to out-do Hercules. The compass of the Rock, was an hundred furlongs, and the height thereof sixteen, if we believe Diodorus. for Arrianus says, that the compass of it was 2 hundred furlongs; and the heighth thereof, where it was lowest, eleven; at the foot of it toward the South, ran the River Indus, not far from the head where it riseth, as [ Strabo, lib. 15.] telleth us, the rest is taken up with vast bogs, and inaccessible crags: in one of which there dwelt a poor old man, with his two sons, in a cave wherein there were three beds, cut out of the Rock. Alexander promised him 80 talents, if he would show him a way up into the Rock: whereupon he told him there was but one way; and shown him where it was. Alexander finding there was no way but that, manned that place so strongly, that they could not possibly receive any the least relief, from without. And then setting his army to work, he cast up a mount of earth, and rubbage so high, that now he could come at least to fight with them at a small distance, and to assault them, which assault lasted nine whole days and nights together, without cessation. Alexander having lost many of his men, what in fighting, what in climbing the rocks (among which were Chares, and one Alexander) though he had no hope to take it, yet he made show, as if he would not off from the siege, leaving yet the passage which led into the Rock open, for them to flee out there that would: which they perceiving, and being adawed at his constancy and resolution, took the advantage of a dark night, and fled every man of them, by that way out of the rock.

The King, seeing no stirring there the next day, sent Balacrus to see what the matter was; and he brought word, that the enemy was all gone. Then he taking with him certain Squires of the body, and 700 of his silver Targateers, went himself first up into the rock, and then the rest of the Macedonians, lending one another a hand, to climb up, as well as they could; and then giving the word, to pursue the enemy, they did, and slew many of them in the chase: many of them also, flying over the Rocks fell and burst themselves in pieces. Alexander having conquered the places rather than the men that dwelt therein: offered yet many sacrifices, and built Altars to Minerva and Victoria, in that Rock: and leaving a Garrison there, made one Sisicoptus, all. Sisocostus, Governor of that place, and country thereabouts: which Sisocostus, came formerly out of India to Bessus in Bactria, and when Alexander had subdued it, he came in with his men unto him, and ever after served him faithfully.

Alexander removed from Aornus, and went into the country of the Assaceni; for he was told that the brother of Assaecanus, the last King, with a number of Elephants, and no small company of the Inhabitants, and bordering Nations, were fled to the mountains in those parts: and when he came to the city Dirta, he found no creature there, nor in the country thereabouts.

The next day he sent out Nearchus and Antiochus, each of them commanding a thousand silver Targateers: and to Nearchus he assigned certain light armed Agrians; to the other, besides the thousand silver Targateers which he commanded, he added 2 thousand more of the same sort. These he sent out to scout about, and to see if they could light upon any of the natives, of whom they might inquire among other things, especially concerning the Elephants.

Himself marched forward to the bank of the River Indus, sending an army before him to mend the ways, without which it had been impossible for him to have got thorough them. But when he found, that the straits and narrow passages thereof were taken up by one Erix, he left Coenus to bring after the main body of the army, by easy journeys; but himself going forward with his slingers and archers, cleared the Forest, and made a safe way for the army that came after. Diodorus calls this Indian Aphrices, and says, he had with him 20 thousand men, and 15 Elephants; But the Indians, whether out of a hatred to this Erix or Aphrices, or whether to ingratiate themselves with Alexander, slew him, and brought both his head and arms to Alexander: He pardoned them, but thanked them not, for example sake.

From hence, in sixteen days march, he cameto the River Indus side; and took in the city Penceliotes, not far from thence, upon surrender: and leaving there a Garrison of Macedonians, he left Philippus to command them. He subdued also a multitude of lesser towns standing upon that River, Cophaeus, and Assagetes, the Governors of that country attending on him from place to place. He understood also by some of the natives, which he had taken prisoners, that the men of that country were all gone, to Barisades, (perhaps Abisarus) and that the Elephants were left a graseing, upon the bank of Indus: whereupon he commanded them to show him the way to the place where the Elephants were. In catching of them, two fell over the Rocks and perished; the rest were taken, and being handled, and made fit for service, were taken into his army: And having found there a wood of timber-trees, he caused it to be felled, and ships to be built thereof: which being launched, he went in them to the bridge of Boates, which Hephaestion and Perdiccas had built for him. And they, foreseeing that they should have more Rivers than one to pass, made their ships, or boats so as they might take them asunder at their pleasure, and carry them in carts, as occasion was, and then put them together again, besides which they built two others, of 30 oars a piece, and many more of a lesser sort.

Alexander stayed there 30 days to rest his army, and in that time offered magnificent sacrifices to his gods, and made pastimes and shows, both with Horse and Foot, by the river side; and then made one of his Nobles, Nicanor, Governor of all that region on this side Indus. Afterward he passed the river, by the bridge that was made at Pencolaites (as Strabo saith, lib. 15.) with his army, end there sacrificed again to his gods, after his own country manner. Now that Alexander came into the Region which lies between the Indus, and the river Hydaspes, in the beginning of the spring, is testified by Aristobulus, who was then with him, vouched by Strabo [lib. 15. pag. 691.]

And now, [Year of the World c.] was Alexander 30 furlongs off, when Omphis the son of Taxiles, with an army all in arms, and Elephants disposed by equal distances among the companies, met him, and at first Alexander, not well knowing whether he came as a friend or a foe, prepared for a fight; but Omphis, finding Alexanders error, caused his army to make a stand, set spurs to his horse, and went all alone to Alexanders presence, and rendered both himself and kingdom, (which yet was not much bigger than Egypt) into his hands. And when Alexander asked him, whether he had most laborers or soldiers in his kingdom, he answered, that having a war to maintain against two Kings, he must of necessity keep more soldiers, than laborers in his kingdom. Those enemies of his, were Abisarus and Porus, who reigned on the other side of the river Hydaspes; Omphis, upon Alexanders permission, took upon him the title and habit of a King, and withal, after the manner of his country, the name of Taxiles, for that name goes with the kingdom, whoever gets it.

The city Taxila, from whence the King takes his name, is the greatest of all other, lying between the rivers of Indus and Hydaspes: all the inhabitants whereof, as well as himself, entertained Alexander very joyfully. Upon the fourth day after his arrival there, Omphis let him know what corn he furnished Hephaestion with all for his army, and presented both him and all his Nobles, with Crowns of pure gold, and moreover upon Alexander himself, he bestowed 30, as Arrianus, or 56 Elephants, as Curtius saith, and with a multitude of goodly cattle, three thousand Oxen, and upwards of ten thousand sheep. Arrianus addeth, that he sent him also seven hundred Indian Horse, and 200 talents of silver, whereas Curtius mentions only 80 talents of silver in sows.

Alexander was infinitely taken with this entertainment of his, and sent him back his 200 talents of silver again, with a thousand talents more of his own, and many a cup-bord of plate for his table besides, both of gold and silver, with a great deal of Persian attire, and 30 Horses which were for his own saddle, and furniture of his own, thereunto belonging: which liberality of his, as it much pleased and obliged Omphis, so it infinitely offended his nobles, among which, Meleager, sitting at supper, and being somewhat high flown with wine, told him, that he was very glad, to see that he found a man here in India, whom he thought worthy of a thousand talents. Alexander remembering what penance he had done for Clitus, forbare revenge, only he said, That envious men were naught else but their own tormentors.

The next day, Abisarus, King of the Indian mountainers, sent his own brother to him, with other Ambassadors, to present him with monies, and Elephants, and to submit both him and all that he had to his disposing and pleasure, and Alexander having made a firm league with him, sent them back again unto him. Ambassadors also came to him from Doxareus, a Governor in those parts, with presents from him.

In the country of Taxila, Alexander again offered his usual sacrifices, and made shows and games of exercises both by Horse and Foot. And, leaving Philippus the son of Machates, Governor in those parts, and a Garrison in the city and country of Taxila, left there also such others of his army, as through any infirmity were grown unserviceable, and then removed toward the river Hydaspes.

And now supposing that Porus upon the fame of his name might easily be drawn to submit unto him, sent a message to him by Cleochares, to require tribute of him, and to command him to meet him at the border of his kingdom. Porus answered, that the one of these two things he would not fail to do, which was, to meet him at the first entrance of his kingdom, but it should be, in warlike manner.

There was another Porus, King also of a neighboring nation of India, his nephew, who for the hatred which he bare to his Uncle, sent Ambassadors to Alexander, and offered himself and all his kingdom to do him service.

Alexander sent back Caenus to the river Indus, with charge, to take in pieces, the ships that were there made, and to bring them over land in Carts unto him, so the lesser sort of them, were divided into two parts, and the greater into three, and all to be brought to the river Hydaspes.

There putting them together again, and launching them, he with his army returned to Taxila, and there having gotten five thousand Indians, which Taxiles and others had brought him, he returned to the bank of Hydaspes. And upon the way, Barzaentes, sometimes Governor of the Drangians, and procurer of the revolt of the Arachosians, being taken prisoner, together with 30 Elephants of his, was delivered into his hands. This prize fell pat, for his war against the Indians, who trusted more in their beasts, for the most part, than in their men. Gamaxus also, a petty King in those parts, and a confederate of Barzaentes, was taken, and brought bound unto him. Both were committed, and the Elephants taken into his service, and delivered to Taxiles, all. Omphis, and then he went forward, and came to Hydaspes, where he caused Barzaentes, for his old treason against his master Darius, to be put to death, as we find by Arrianus [lib. 3. pag. 72.]

Ports lay encamped on the other side of the river Hydaspes, to stop Alexanders passage, a man of a huge statue, and a mind answerable thereunto, for it is said, that he was five cubids high, and vantage: though Plutarch say, that he was but four cubits high: and a hand breadth: but so thick in the bulk, that his coat of armor was twice as big as any other man's. He rode upon an Elephant, higher than all the rest, on which he sat, like an ordinary man on Horse-back. Curtius says, that in the forefront of his battle, he placed 80 huge Elephants: whereas Diodore says, he had 13. And Arrianus, that he had upwards of 200. Chariots he had 300, and 30000 Foot, in his army. Diodorus reports, that he had above 1000 Chariots, and 50000 thousand Foot: though Plutarch gives him but 20000, but then he allows him 2000 Horse, Diodore, 3000, and Arrianus 4000, by him brought into the field. The river Hydaspes ran between the two armies, and Porus with his Elephants, appearing always in the head of his army, lay ready to hinder the passage of Alexander, and Alexander caused noises daily to be made in his army, to make the like noises, from the Barbarians more usual, and therefore less terrible to his men, and after a while, in a tempestuous dark night, he put over certain of his Foot; and choicest Horse, a great way up the river, into a small Island, whence in the midst of a tempest of rain, and thunder, and lightning, and whirl-winds; though, he saw sundry of his men struck dead in the place, and others sore hurt there with, yet over he would, and land he hid on the other side. The river, swollen with the rain, foundered, and brake down the banks in many places, with the swiftness of his course, and the water withal brake in between. Alexander got on land, where he could hardly stand, for the slabb • nesse of the ground, and gulfs, occasioned by the breaking in of the river, between which the Macedonians perceiving, they also forced themselves to land, being up to the very arm pits in water.

Having passed the water, he with the Horse, gat some 20 furlongs before the Foot, and there put to flight a thousand of the enemies Horse, and 60 Chariots, which he lighted on: The Chariots he took everyone, with 400 of their Horse. Now Porus finding that Alexander was gotten over, fell upon him with all his army, save only such as he left to attend the body of the Macedonian army, where they stood ready to pass. Alexander fearing the multitude of the enemy, and their Elephants, fell himself upon the one wing of them, and commanded the rest to do the like upon the other. And when the natives being hard laid to anywhere, retired always in a body to the Elephants, as to a place of refuge, the fight grew confused everywhere, and scantly could he rout and make them turn their backs and fly, till two a clock in the after noon: and this is the relation of this fight made by Alexander in his own letters.

The former of these two fights, wherein he slew 400 horse, and took 60 Chariots, Aristobulus says, was with Porus his son, adding, that he was slain in that encounter. But Ptolomei makes the forces which were sent out with Porus his son, to have been twice as many, as Alexander in his letter mentions; for he says, that he came out at that time, with two thousand Horse, and 120 Chariots, as for the latter, which was fought with Porus himself, and which Alexander doth but touch. Arrianus describeth it more at large: and concerning the number slain in both the battles, he thus writeth. There were slain (saith he) of the Indian Foot, little less than twenty thousand, and of their Horse three thousand, all their Chariots were scattered, two of Porus his sons slain. Spitarches also, who commanded all that region of India, and all the Captains, both of the Elephants and Chariots, and of his Horse and Foot, died in the battle: and the Elephants, which were not killed in the fight, were all taken of Alexanders foot, which were to the number of 6000. in the first encounter, there were lost but 80 at the most, of the archers on horse-back, which gave the first onset, there were slain 10, of his fellow Cavaliers 20, and of the rest of the horse 200 with which we may compare the accompt which Diodorus makes: there died, saith he, of the Indians, upward of 12000, and among them, Porus his two sons, and all the chief Commanders of his army, and bravest Captains that he had: But prisoners there were taken 9000, and 80 Elephants. Of the Macedon Horse were slain 280, and somewhat more than 700 Foot.

When Porus was taken, Alexander asked him how he looked to be used, and he answered, Like a King, Alexander asked him again, whether he would ought else, and his answer was, that word, Like a King, comprehends all, whereupon Alexander, seeing his noble and royal disposition, used him accordingly, and took him into the number of those whom he called his friends, and restored him to his kingdom again, which, reaching from Hydaspes to the bank of the river Acesives, contained in it 300 cities; witness [ Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 698.]

Arrianus showeth, that these things fell out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : (i. e. in that season of the year, when the sun declined from the summer solstice: at which season, the greatest rains usually fall in India, and swell the river Hydaspes, which in the midst of winter a man may wade over, [ lib. 5. pag. 107.] with which Jacobus Cappel compares another place of his, [ lib. 7. pag. 163,] where he writes the like of the River Euphrates: saying, that it is foordable in the winter; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : (i. e.) when the spring approaches, and much more, when the sun returns from his summer tropick, it grows deep, and runs all over his banks. For whereas the Grecians call the four Seasons of the years by the common name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or conversions, or Tropics; well may they which divide the year but into two parts, to wit, Summer and Winter, reckon their Summer conversion from the vernal, and their Winter one, from the autumnal equinoctial: Whereupon it is, that Arrianus, speaking after the Eastern manner, saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : (i. e.) the Spring approaching; and much more after the aequinoctium, which is the entrance with them, into the summer season, the rain there began to fall, and the waters to rise. Now concerning those Indian Regions, Aristobulus, was an eye-witness of them, (as being at that present with Alexander at the River Hydaspes) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : (i. e.) that at the beginning of the Spring, the rains begin to fall, and so grow stronger from day today: as we read in [ Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 114.]

And that this battle was fought between the vernal equinoctial, and the summer solstice, Arrianus plainly shows, where he says, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e.) This was the end of the battle, fought by Alexander against Porus and his Indians, on the other side of the river Hydaspes, in the year when Hegemon was L. Chancelor of Athens, in the month Munichion: which in that year answered almost entirely to out month of May, according to the Julian Calendar: for that the summer solstice, was not till Alexander came to the river Acesines, I shall hereafter show out of Nearchus.

Alexander was glad of this victory, which opened him the way to the utmost borders of the East, and thereupon, caused all his men that fell in the battle to be honourably interred; sacrificed to the Sun, as the giver of this victory, and made games and interludes, both on foot and horseback at the river Hydaspes, near the place where he first put over: and because there was in that place, exceeding store of all manner of provisions, therefore he stayed there 30 days, to rest his wearied companies: And moreover to hearten up his soldiers for the remainder of this war, he called them together, and in an harangue unto them, commended their prowess and vallour, and told them, that all the force of India was quasht by that one days work of theirs, that all the rest, was but a rich spoil for them to take; he gave the chief commanders of his army crowns to wear; and to everyone of them 1000 pieces of gold, honoring and rewarding everyone of the rest according to his place, desert, and quality in the army. And as concerning the Trophie which he there erected, you may see, [ Philost. l. 2. and Apollon. c. ult. ]

Now because Alexander had a purpose, so soon as he should set foot upon Indian ground, to go see the Ocean Sea, he therefore went in hand here, to set his shipwrights on work, the rather, for that in the Emodian hills adjoining, there was abundance of tall Fit trees, with some store of Cedar and Pine trees among, and other timber, all fit for shipping: but when they went ot felling, they found there Serpents, great store, of an exorbitant bigness, and some of them 16 cubits long: There were also found in those woody mountains, Rhinocerotes, a rare beast to be found in other countries: with sundry kinds of Apes, infinite in number, and of an unusual bigness of body; whereof the Macedonians upon a time espying a multitude, ranged on the side of a hill, in a kind of array like soldiers, thought at first that they had been an enemy, and thereupon cried out, arm, arm; and set themselves in a posture to fall upon them: until Taxiles, who was then with Alexander, told them what they were, and so that fray ended, [ Strabo, l. 15. p. 698, 699.]

Alexander built here two Cities, on each side the Hydaspes: the one on this side the river, at the place where he passed; the second on the other side, where he fought the battle; This from the victory there gotten against the Indians, he called by a Greek name, Nicaea. The other he called Bucephalis, or Bucephalia, from his horse Bucephalus, for he died there, not of any wound received in the fight (as some, and among the rest, A. Gellius [lib. 5. cap. 2.] would have it) but spent with travel and very age, for he was then 30 years old; as besides Arrianus, one Sicritus himself, cited by Plutarch, testifieth: And the King made him a solemn funeral, and a Monument, and there built a City round about it; saith Pliny, [ lib. 8. cap. 42.] Near to which Cities it was, as Strabo noteth, that he built his Navy for the Ocean, [ lib. 15. pag. 698,] upon the Hydaspes, which ran between the two kingdoms of Porus and Taxiles, both whose help and great industry, he used in building this fleet, as Curtins, [l. 9. c. 7.] observeth.

Alexander leaving Craterus there, with a part of his army, to finish the buildings of these two Cities, and to wall them, went further into India, against those, who bordered upon Porus his kingdom, which by Aristobulus are called Glauconicae, but by Ptolomeus, Glausae; taking one half of his fellow Cavaliers along with him, and the choicest men out of every Squadron, with all his Archers on Horseback, and his Squadron of Agrians, and other Archers. In this voyage, 37 Cities gave themselves up into his hands; the least of which, had 5 thousand inhabitants in it, and many 10; besides a multitude of towns and villages, which were no less populous than the Cities themselves: all which he laid to Porus his kingdom; and having made Taxiles and him good friends, sent Taxiles back into his own kingdom again.

At the same time came Ambassadors from Abisarus to Alexander; promising to be wholly at his command, provided that he would not command him to yield up his person to him: for that he would neither live without a kingdom, nor reign if he were enslaved to another man: whereupon Alexander sent him back word, that seeing he would not come to Alexander, Alexander with his army would take the pains to go to him, to his great cost. There came also Ambassadors to him from those Indians which lived as free States, and from another Porus, King of Indians likewise.

Phrataphernes, Governor of Parthia and Hircania, came at this time to Alexander, with such Thracians, as he had left with him: there came also menssengers to him from Sicicus Governor of the Assacenians, to tell him, that they having murdered his L. President, had revolted from him. Against these he dispatched away Philippus and Tyriespes with an army, willing them to suppress the rebellion of the Assacenians, and keep that Province in order. About which time also, Cleophis the Queen of the Assacenians bare Alexander a son, which bare his name, and was afterward King of that country, [ Justin. lib. 12. cap. 7. with Curtius, lib. 8. cap. 20.]

That other Porus, nephew to him whom Alexander had overcome; for very fear, not so much of Alexander, as of his Uncle Porus, left his kingdom, and fled into the country of the Gangaridae; taking with him as many as he could get to follow him, that were fit to bear arms.

Alexander with his army put over Acesives, [Year of the World d.] a violent River, and which was 15 furlongs broad. they who had bladders made of skins, to use, did well enough: but they which put over in boates, dashing many times upon the rocks in the way, brake them, and lost themselves, as Arrianus out of Ptolomei reports, [ lib. 5. pag. 115.] But Alexander left Coenus with his Brigade, on the hither side, to provide for the passage of such as were making provisions of corn and other things for the army, against they should come thither.

Nearchus, who was then himself in the army, says, (cited by Strabr, lib. 15. pag. 692.] that whereas Alexander had first encamped by the River side, he was fain to remove his Camp afterward to a higher ground, for the overflowing of the water; and that this happened about the Summer solstice: and Arrianus confirms as much, in his [ Indica, pag. 172.] where he saith, that Alexanders army ran away from the River Acesives, when the water thereof, at Midsummer came and overflowed all the country.

Here were Woods of a vast extent, and shady trees, of a wondrous bulk, and strange higth: some 70 cubits high; and so thick, that 4 men could hardly fathom them, and cast a shadow, 3 acres, or 300 foot off; their limbs, for the most part, like huge beams bowing downward to the ground, grew from thence up again, not as from the same bough, but as if it were out of a new root: of which kind we may read more in [ Pliny, lib. 12. cap. 5. and Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 694.] where he saith out of Aristobulus, that under one of these trees, 50 men might sit at dinner.

Here also was great store of Serpents, which were but small of body, but of divers and curious colors, and so deadly biting, that it caused sudden death to any that was bitten by them. The Macedonians therefore, to prevent this danger, hung their beds from the limbs of the trees, and so slept above ground, what they could sleep, which was but little, till at length they learnt a remedy of it, from the country people, which was a root, which they shown them to take, if any man happened to be bitten.

From hence Alexander dismissed Porus, to return into his own kingdom, with charge to return, with an army of the choicest and ablest Indians, that he could make, and with such Elephants, as he had; and then passed the deserts, and came with his army, to the river Hyarotis, all. Hydraotes, another river of India, as broad as the Acesines, but not so violent altogether, as that is, leaving garrisons every were, as he went, in couvenient places, that so Craterus and Caenus might safely come unto him, with corn which they were to take up, in all places where they came: and then committing part of his army to Hephaestion, to wit, two squadrons of Foot, and both his own, and Demetrius his Cornets of Horse, and half his Archers, sent them into the country of that Porus, which was fled away, and bad him assign it over to his friend King Porus; and if he found any other Indian nation, bordering upon the river Hyarotis, which lived as free states, he should lay them all to Porus his kingdom, himself passed the Hyarotis, but with less trouble, than he had done the Acesines.

To this river there was adjoining a grove of shady trees, not usually seen in other parts, and wild Peacocks, flying up and down therein. But the King going still forward, took in sundry other nations, some upon surrender, and some by force; others he was fain to run after, and overtake, and make them yield unto him.

Mean while, Alexander was told, that there were other Indian states, and a people called the Cathaeans, who intended to bid him battle, if he came into their coasts; and they dealt with other free states of India likewise, to confederate with them in this action: as also another nation of those parts called Oxidracans, and the Mallians, against whom, a little before, Abisarus and Porus with their joint armies, and many other confederate Indians, went, but could do no good upon them, and so returned: but the place where they purposed to abide his coming, was said to be Sangalae, a city of the Cathaeans, and a great one too, as in those parts; and compassed about, not only with a wall, but also with a bog. These Cathaeans are by Polyaenus [lib. 4. stratag. ] called Calthaei, and by Diodorus, Cathari, who says that it was made a law, by the common consent of all these nations, that if the husband died, the wife should be buried with his Corps; which very thing is observed by Strabo, of the Cathaeans, [ lib. 15. pag. 699.]

Alexander, going into these parts, came the second night to a city called Pimprama. That nation of the Indians are called Adraistae, and by Diodorus Andrastae, who presently came in and yielded upon conditions.

Alexander, resting his soldiers there the next day, on the third day, marched to Sagala, where the Cathaeans, and their fellows, expecting his coming, stood all ranged in battle array upon the rising of a hill before the city, having instead of a trench, placed before them, three rows of Chariots locked close together. But their Chariots being quickly dispersed by Alexander, they all presently fled back into the city, where Alexander forthwith fell to besiege them, and cast up a double trench round about the city, save where the bog hindered them. And there he set Ptolomei, with three thousand of the silver Targateers, all the squadron of Agrians, and one company of Archers, to guard that quarter: moreover he set all the Chariots which he had taken athwart that passage, to hinder them from flying. The inhabitants endeavoring, in the fourth watch of the night, to flee away, fell upon those Chariots, and were beaten back by Ptolomei, who slew 500 of them, and made them retreat within their gates again. Mean while Porus came to him, with the rest of his Elephants, and five thousand Indians; and now his Engines of battery were fitted, and approached to the wall. The Macedonians therefore not having quite battered the inner wall, but only undermined a vaumure made of brick, and reared their ladders round about, took the city by assault, wherein were slain 17 thousand souls, and taken 70 thousand more, three hundred Chariots, five hundred Horses. Alexander lost in all this siege, not passing 100 men, but there were hurt, some 1500 more, among which was Lysimachus, one of the squires of the body.

Alexander, burying his dead after the Macedonian manner, sent Perdiccas with a sufficient company to ravage and plunder all the country thereabout, but sent Eumenes the secretary, (to wit, that Eumenes, secretary sometime to King Philip, and whose life, Plutarch and Probus have both written) with 300 Horse, to two cities, which had confederated with those of Sangala; that, offering them pardon, he should receive them to mercy; but the townesmen, hearing what was done at Sangala, were fled all out of the town, before he came: whereupon as many as were not able, thorough infirmity, to follow the rest, were by him taken and slain, to the number of five hundred, but Alexander despairing to overtake the rest, returned to Sangala, and utterly destroyed it.

Then went he to besiege another strong town, into which a multitude of people, out of other weaker places were gathered: but when they within, craved his mercy, and opened him their gates, he pardoned them; and taking hostages of them, he marched away to the next town, which was a very great one, and full of people. There he caused the hostages which he received to be presented before the walls; which when they within knew, (as being neighbors children, they could not but know them) they desired to speak with them; and the hostages telling them what a merciful man Alexander was, and how dreadful withal to his enemies, easily persuaded them to yield unto him: and now the report that was cast abroad of Alexander, that he went about, more like a robber, than a Conqueror, was altered; and the rest of the cities, gave up themselves, without holding up either sword or buckler against him, [ Curt. lib. 9. cap. 2. Polyae. Stratag. lib. 4. in Alexan. sect. 30.]

From hence he went into the kingdom of Sopithes, who was of a goodly stature, above all the men of those parts; for he was more than 4 cubits high: and coming out of his chief City, with his two sons, both of full age, he delivered up into Alexanders hand, his golden rod, all set with B • rills: and resigned to him, himself, his children, and all his kingdom. And having received his kingdom again from his hand, a few days after he feasted Alexander and all his army in a sumptuous manner, And having presented Alexander himself with many great and costly gifts; he gave him also 150 Indian dogs, which were, as was said, of a mixed kind, between dogs and tigers, and of a wonderful strength and courage: for proof whereof, there were four of them presently set upon an exceeding great Lion, [ Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 700. Esia. Histor. Animal. lib. 8. cap. 1.]

Mean while Hephaestion, returned to him, with such companies as he carried out; having subdued countries of the Indians far and near where ever he came: and Alexander thereupon spared not to honor him with all deserved praises, before the army.

Leaving Sopithes in his kingdom as he found him, Alexander went forward still to the next nation, where Phegeus was King, and when all the inhabitants there welcomed the Macedonians, and Phegeus himself, went out to meet Alexander with gifts and presents; submitting himself wholly to his pleasure: Alexander re-established him in his kingdom, and being roially entertained with all his army, stayed there two whole days.

Upon the third day he departed from thence, and came to the River Hyphasis, all. Hypanis, which is 7 furlongs over, and 6 fathom deep: and being besides very rocky under water, was very difficult to pass; and being informed by Phegeus of such things as he desired, he found that on the other side the river, there was a vast Desert of 11 or 12 days journey: and at the end thereof, the River Ganges, the greatest of all India: that beyond that there dwelt sundry nations; The Gaugaridae, all. Gongaridae, and Prasians, all. Praesidians, all. Praesiaeans, all. Pharrasians, all. Tabraesians, for by all these different names they go. That the King was called Agrammes, (Diodorus. calls him Xagrames,) that his army was 20000 Horse, and 200000 Foot, and 2000 Chariots, and 3 or (as Diodorus saith) 4000 Elephants, all trained up and fitted for the war.

When these things seemed incredible to Alexander, he had further speech with Porus about it: Porus told him, that the force and power of that King and kingdom was indeed very great, and no less than was spoken of: But that the King that now there was, was a base-born thing, and no better than a poor barbers son, hated and scorned by his subjects. And one Androcottus, who was then but a youth, and had not only seen Alexander, but also for a certain saucy prank played with him, was commanded to be put to death, and had died for it, had he not took himself to his heels, as Justin, [ lib. 15. cap. 4.] tells us, was wont afterward to say, That Alexander missed but a little of getting all that country into his hands, for that the King there at that time, was so wicked, so base, so hated, and so much scorned of his people.

Here Alexander began to consider with himself, that his soldiers were all tired out and spent with the length of the war; and that now every man began to look for an end of these dangers, with a reward and fruit of all their labors: for they had now been eight whole years (for so long it was since he came first to be King) in a continual perilous and laborious war. And it then fell out withal, that for 70 days together, there poured down from heaven, nothing but fearful storms of rain, with lightnings and thunders upon them; as we read in Diodorus: whereupon, as the same Diodorus saith, to pacify the soldiers minds, he gave them leave to plunder a most rich and plentiful country of the enemies, and to take all to themselves. And whiles they were busy at this work, he called together their wives and children, and made there an ordinance, that the wives should receive their monthly allowance in corn, and their children the same wages, that their fathers did.

When the soldiers were returned home loden with wealth and riches, the King called them all together, unto whom he made almost a set speech, to request them to accompany him cheerfully to the conquest of the Gangaridae, unto whom Caenus the son of Polemocrates, made an answer in the name of the whole army, and concluded, that they all desired an end of the war. And when the Macedonians would in no wise listen to his desires, yet as Ptolomei reports, he went on, and offered sacrifice for a passage over: and when the entrails portended all direful things, if he proceeded, he then called together his friends, and such as were the ancientest, and of greatest familiarity with him, and told them first, and afterwarward declared to all, the army that since all things seemed to be adverse to his proceeding any farther, he was now content and resolved to return.

Yet Pliny, very improbably, will needs have it, that notwithstanding all this, he passed the river Hypanis, and erected altars on the other side thereof, [ lib. 6. c. 17.] for that which follows in the same place; to wit, That the Kings own letters do confirm as much, I conceive that those words refer not to his passing over the river Hypanis or Hypasis, but to that which went before, concerning the order and distance of his removals and journeys from place to place, described and set down by Diognetus and Baeton, his two principal Harbengers, and Camp-masters: For who can believe that Alexander alone, without his army, and without any purpose of going any further, would offer to pass such a dangerous river as that was, or if he would that the enemy which attended him on the other side, would not have set upon him, and hindered him in his work, especially, seeing that Strabo, [ lib. 15. pag. 700.] noteth, that he went no further Eastward, to wit, because he was forbidden to pass the river Hypanis or Hypsasis, and Plutarch also tells us, that in his time, the Kings of the Praesiaeans or Prasians, passing the river westward, worshiped those Altars, which Alexander then set up, and did Sacrifice upon them, after the Grecian manner.

Wherefore manifest it is, that Alexander, dividing his army into several companies, caused 12 altars to be built all of square stone on the hither side of the river Hypanis, and not on the further; each of which alters was 50 cubits high, and like to so many great towers, and of a greater bulk than towers use to be of, upon which, having offered sacrifices after the Grecian mode to his gods, he presented them also with games of all sorts, wrestling, and dancing, and sports on horseback: Then made he his Camp three times greater in every respect than it was ever wont to be: his trenches 50 foot broad and 10 foot deep, and of the earth cast up out of the ditch, drew a reasonable wall also, round about the trench: He commanded his foot also, that in their several tents they should set up two bedsteads, each of them 5 cubits high: and the horsemen, that they, besides such beds, should also in their tents make mangers for their horses, as big again as at other times; with arms, and horse bitts, and other furniture belonging to them, after the same proportion, and to hang them up, and leave them behind them, to abuse posterity, with an imaginary belief of his greatness: concerning the inscriptions and titles of his altars, we may see more in [ Philostratus, his life of Apollonius. ]

These things thus done, he returned by the same way he came to the river Hydraotes: which having passed, he came back to Acesines.

There found he this City ready built, by Hephaestion, whom he left to do it, and thither he drew such of the neighbouring places as would, and of his mercenary soldiers, as many as were grown unfit for the war, to store it with inhabitants.

Arsaces, who ruled all in the province, bordering upon the kingdom of Abisarus, and the brother of Abisarus, and his associates came to Alexander; and brought him presents, such as were of greatest esteem in those parts, and 30 Elephants sent from Abisarus; telling him Abisarus would have come to him, had it not been for a sickness which then held him: and when such messengers as Alexander sent to him, at their return affirmed as much, and that he was sick indeed, he was easily persuaded of the truth of his excuses; and thereupon made Abisarus Governor under himself of that province, and made Arsaces subject unto him: and appointing what tributes they should pay, offered sacrifice again at the river Acesines.

Having passed the Acesines, he came to Hydaspes, where he repaired, by the help of his soldiers, what ever the overflowing of that unruly river had demolished in his two Cities lately there built, Nicaea, and Bucephalis: for because that from the time that he went from thence, till his now return thither again, it had done nothing else but rain, especially the Etesian or yearly winds at that season blowing, as Aristobulus saith, cited by Strabo. [ lib. 15. pag. 691.] And so it fell out, that together with that rain, which continued for 70 days space, there fell also horrible tempests of thunders and lightnings, as I shown before out of Diodorus.

Alexander, when he had caused a multitude of ships, what of two, what of three stages high, to be built, and rigged, upon the Hydaspes, besides others, for the passage of his Horse and Foot over the river, he resolved to fall down from thence, into the southern Ocean; and for that purpose gathered all the Phoenicians, Cypriots, Carians, and Egyptians which followed his Camp together, and put them aboard his ships.

At the same time died Coenus, one of his best, and bosom friends, whose death he much lamented, and caused him to be enterred with all honor and sumptuousness, which that time and place afforded, yet not forgetting the speech which he made in the armies behalf, for a return, gave him this biting taunt. That had he known how short a time he had to live, he would never have made so long an oration to that purpose.

Then came to him new supplies out of Greece, as well auxiliaries, as mercenary soldiers, under their several Commanders, to wit, 30 thousand Foot, and six thousand Horse: bringing with them besides, rich arms, for 25 thousand Foot, and 100 talents in Apothecary stuff for medicines, as Diodorus noteth: and Curtius [lib. 9. cap. 5.] Memnon also brought him out of Thracia, six thousand horse, besides those which came from Harpalus, and seven thousand Foot, and 25 thousand arms, in laid with silver and gold, which he caused to be distributed in the army, and the old ones to be burnt.

Now that Harpalus, which Curtius tells us, sent a supply unto him, was none other, but he, whom Alexander had trusted with the keeping of his tributes, and treasure in the city and province of Babylon, and whom he had left, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e. ) his overseer, and Procurator, or L. Steward of all that country, as Plutarch in Alexand. writeth, yet left he the rule and government of it to Mazeus, who had delivered it up into his hand; and when he died, Ditamenes succeeded him in that charge. Though Diodorus calls this Harpalus, the President of that province, in his History of [ year 2. 113 Olympiad ] upon which now we are: where he further tells us, that he, hoping that Alexander would never return alive out of India, gave himself over to all kind of intemperance and luxury, sparing for no cost. And first, saith he, he fell to committing of all manner of whoredom and luxury with the women kind of that country, and then laying it on, upon all other sorts of unseemly and unseasonable delights and pleasures: he made havoc of the Kings monies, committed to his charge; and took order for sundry sort of fish to be brought unto him, from as far off as the red sea, and was so lavish in his feasting, and usual diet, that every man cried shame of him, for it, and sent for a noted strumper, Pythonice by name, from as far as Athens, and when she died, for another from the same place, called Glycera: whereof Theopompus complained in a letter of his to Alexander, telling him, he spent above 200 talents, in making two tombs for Polynice, when she died, one at Athens, and another at Babylon itself, and that he dedicated a Grove, and an Alter, and a Temple to Pythonice, by the name and title of Venus Pythonica, and that he set up Glyceraes statue in brass, at Tarsus in Syria, and gave her leave to have her habitation in the Kings own palace, commanded the people to call her by the title of, and reverence her as, a Queen, [ Athenaeus lib. 13. cap. 23.]

The like did Cleander, Sitacles, and Heracon, in Media, all hoping that Alexander would never return alive out of India, and in assurance thereof, fell to plundering of private men's estates, and pulling down of Temples, ravishing the young virgins, of the noblest families, with many other kinds of vilanies upon the goods and persons of the subject; insomuch, that the very name of a Macedon grew odious to all nations, for their avarice and luxury in all kinds. But above all, Cleander, who having first ravished a noble Virgin himself, gave her afterward to his slave for his whore, [ Curt. lib. 10. cap. 1. Arria. lib. 6. pag. 142.]

Alexander, preparing for his voyage into the Ocean, and seeing old grudges kindling afresh between Porus and Taxiles, made them friends again, and linked them together by bonds of affinity, which he procured to be made between them before he went, and then sent them away each to his own kingdom. And for Porus, he not only made him king of all the countries lying between Hydaspes and Acesines, as before, but also, of all the free states, which he had subdued between the rivers of Acesines, and Hypanis, which were several nations, and in them, cities above two thousand, as in Arria. [lib. 6. pag. 124.] others reckon in that space 15 several nations, and in them, great cities, to the number of 5000, besides towns and villages 〈◊〉 them belonging, as [ Plutarch in Alexand. ] And the truth is, that the region lying between Hydaspes and Hypanis, containeth now more than nine nations, but there were therein 5000 cities, everyone of them as big as Coos, in Meropis, as Strabo, out of Apollodorus, who wrote of the affairs of Parthia, reports, [ lib. 15. pag. 686.] who yet in his own opinion thinks, that in this reckoning, he did overlash; saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e.) it seemeth, that this number is put a little Hyperbolically, and therefore Pliny draws this number to the cities, which he subdued in all India, [ lib. 6. cap. 17.] in these words. These who were with Alexander in his voyage report, that in that tract of India which he subdued, there were 5 thousand towns and cities, everyone of them as big as Coos, in the compass of 9 nations. Philippus, one of his company of Nobles attending him, and who was by him made Lord and Governor of a Country beyond the River Indus.

The Horse of the City Nisaea, were sent back: Craterus and Hephaestion, were commanded to march before him into the capital City of Sopithes his kingdom, and there to attend the coming of the Fleet; Craterus held on, upon the right hand of the Hydaspes with a part of the Horse and Foot, and Hephaestion on the left, with the remainder and far greater part of the whole army, and 2 hundred Elephants. The whole army at this time consisted of one hundred and twenty thousand men, with those which he brought from the sea coast. And now they returned to him also, whom he sent to levy fresh companies, bringing with them men of divers nations, and diversely armed, [ Arria. lib. 6. and in his Indica. pag. 181.] and Plutarch says, that at this time he had • 20 thousand Foot, and 15 thousand Horse.

Curtius says, that this Navy was one thousand ships, of which Diodorus says, 200 were open, the rest were of the nature of Row-barges, as Diodorus saith. Arrianus, in his Indica, saith he had but 8 hundred in all, some for carriage of horses, the rest of loading for corn and other provisions, but of all sorts, amounting to little less than two thousand.

Ammiral of this fleet, was Nearchus, born in Crete, and Euagoras of Corinth Purser to it; but of Alexanders own ship wherein he went, was Master or Steeresman, one Onesicritus, an Asty pulaean born, and Arrianus in his Indica, sets down the Master of every particular Ship.

This done, Alexander sacrificed to his country gods, and such other as the Priests advised him to: and among the rest, to Neptune, and to Amphitrite, and to the Nereides or sea Nymphs; and above all, to the Ocean itself, and to the River Hydaspes from whence he set forth; as also to the River Acesines, into which the Hydaspes falls, and to the river Indus, which receives them both. Also he proclaimed several sorts of Games, of Music, and Wrestling, and the like, with Prizes, for such as would put in for them; distributing beasts, for every company to sacrifice by themselves.

In the morning, the army went aboard, to wit, the silver Targateers, and Archers, and such of the Horsemen as were called his nobles or friends, amounting to the number of 8 thousand, not many days before the setting of the Pleiades, as [ Strabo, lib. 15.] out of Aristobulus, showeth; which falleth much about the end of our Octob. Alexander himself coming aboard, poured out a golden vio • of wine from the prowe of the ship into the River, calling upon Acesines, Hydaspes, and Indus, all at once. Afterward when he offered to his Progenitor Hercules, and to Ammon, and the rest of the gods, acco • ding to his accustomed manner, the trumpet sounded, at his command, to draw down the ships into the water, and to be going, whereupon every man did accordingly; • or order was given, how far every barge, how far every horse-lighter, how far every ship of war should steer off from each other, for fear least any should perchance fall foul of any other in the • course, and that one should not strive to out sail, or out row another; but keep everyone in his rank and order wherein he set forth.

Alexander, going on in this order, came on the third day to the place where he appointed Craterus and Hephaestion to attend him: there he stayed two days, that Philip might there overtake him, with the rest of the army; for he had sent him to the River Acesines, commanding him to march down by the bank thereof: and sent away Crate • us and Hephaestion again with directions, what course to hold in their march by land.

He, holding on his course upon the River Hydaspes, which was everywhere 20 furlongs over at the least, landed his soldiers and went to Sibarus, or country of the Sobians. These, they say, were of the posterity of them, who with Hercules heretofore besieged the Rock of Aornus; and when they could not take it, were left here by him when they were not able to march with him any further: their cloths were nothing but skins of wild beasts, and their weapons nothing but clubs: and although the Grecian manners and fashions were worn out, yet might a man easily perceive some traces and marks of their original among them; But when Alexander pitched his Camp near unto the chiefest City of their country, the principal men of them came forth unto him, and being admitted to his presence, they put him in mind of their first origin, and what re erence they had to the nation of the Greeks, and offered him their service, in what ever his pleasure was, as became men of the same blood with him and his Grecians, testifying as much, by the no ordinary presents which they gave unto him. Alexander received them very graciously, and made them a free State, to live according to their own laws.

From hence he made a rode further into the country some 250 furlongs, and having wasted all the field, came and besieged the chief City of that country.

The Agalassians opposed him, with 4000 Foot, and 3000 Horse, upon the bank of a River: but he passing the River, quickly distressed and routed them, and having slain the most part, made the rest run into the towns, which having taken, he slew them that were of age, and sold the rest for slaves.

Other inhabitants there were which would needs take up arms too, and were gathered together into one city, to the number of 20 thousand: Into this city also, he brake by pure force; but when they barricadoed their streets, and fought upon them from the battlements of their houses, he was forced to get out again, and left many of his Macedonians dead behind him, wherefore in a rage he set fire on the houses, and burnt both it, and most of the people therein, with fire. Three thousand there were which got into the castle; they sued for pardon and had it.

And then returning a shipboard with his nobles, he went with all speed into the countries of the Mallians and Oxydracans: because he was informed of them, that they were two very populous and warlike Nations, and that having carried their wives and children into fenced places, they purposed to abide him in the field, and he made the more haste, to the end he might fall upon them, whiles they were but in their preparatives, and not fully yet provided for him.

Upon the 5 day, falling still down the river, he came to the confluence of the two rivers, Acesines and Hydaspes: where they both meet and make one river, but in a very narrow Channel: and by that means, runs with a most violent and rapid current, and maketh strange whirlepooles with all: whereupon many of their ships were bilged, and two of the greatest of them falling fowl each of other, split in sunder, and perished with those who were therein. Alexanders own ship, falling into one of these whirlepooles, was in extreme danger to have been lost, and he in her. But having gotten a little lower, where the Channel openeth somewhat wider, the stream grew calmer; and the ships coming to the bank on the right hand, found a safe harbor to ride in, under a bank which running out into the river, brake the violence of it, and so had they leisure to draw their ships on land.

The King set up altars upon the banks side, and sacrificed to his gods for escaping so grand a danger: and then marched 30 furlongs further, into the country, and falling upon the natives, that would not submit unto him, he charged them only, not to help the Mallians, and so returned to his ships again; and there found Craterus, Hephaestion and Philippus came with their several Armies, and ready to attend him.

The countries of the Oxydracans and Mallians lie between the place where the Hydaspes falls into the Acesines, and that where they both together fall into the river Indus, as Arrianus in his Indica teacheth us; [pag. 171.] These were wont to be always in war, each against other; but now Alexander, a common enemy to both, coming on, made them friends: for a further confirmation whereof, they gave ten thousand virgins each to other to be cross-married; their foot were in all 80 thousand; their horse, 10 thousand; besides 7 hundred chariots; Curtius saith 9 hundred, [ Justin, lib. 12. cap. 9.] and Orosius [ lib. 3. cap. 19.] give unto these Mandri or Ambri, and Sabracans, and Subagrans, and Sugambrians, for by all these names, the Malli and Oxydracans (who in Diodorus are also corruptly written Syracusians) in divers editions go, 60 thousand horse.

The Macedonians, who thought they had been past all danger, and looked for no more fighting business, when they now saw themselves engaged in a new war, with more fierce and warlike Nations, than any they had hitherto met withal in any part of India struck (as they were) with a sudden fear, began a fresh to murmur and mutiny against Alexander; but he by a fair Oration which he made unto them, pacified them, and made all well again.

Commander in chief of all this army of the Natives, was a man of approved valor, chosen out of the Oxydracans: and he pitched his camp at the foot of a hill, making store of fires that he might make his army thereby seem the greater, and making always great shouts and noises, after their country manner to terrify the Macedonians, if it might have been. But the next morning Alexander, full of hope, and all assurance of victory, encouraged his soldiers, and took the field against them: when upon the sudden, the enemies, whether for fear, or whether upon some falling out among themselves, ran all away, left the field, and betook themselves to the mountains and woods, which because the Macedonians could not overtake, they therefore fell to the rifling of their Camp.

Alexander having rigged his Navy, sent Nearchus with it, down the river into the country of the Mallians, charging him to be there 3 days before the army, and passing the Hydaspes, commanded Craterus, who was on the right hand of the Hydaspes, to take charge of the Elephants, and of Polysperchons Brigade, and his Archers on horseback, and of Philip's Regiment. He willed also Hephaestion to go 5 days march before him; and Ptolomei, to come 3 days journey behind him: that whosovever escaped Hephaestion, might be sure to fall into the hands of one of them two. But commanded them that went foremost, when they came to the confluence of Acesines and Hydraotes, which was the utmost bound of the Mallians, as the confluence of Acesines and Hydaspes was of the Oxydracans, there to stay and attend his coming, and till Craterus and Ptolomies armies were come in and joined to him.

Himself taking with him his Regiment of silver Targateers, and his squadron of Agrians, and Pythons brigade, and all his Archers on Horseback, and one half of his fellow Cavaliers, went through a sandy thirsty country into the Region of the Mallians, to set upon them, before either the Oxydracans could come to help them, or they the Oxydracans.

Now the first day he encamped near a little river, distant from the Acesines, some 100 furlongs, where, having rested himself a while, and his army, he commanded every man to fill what bottles he had, with water, and then put on again; and in the remainder of that day, and the night following, marched 400 furlongs, and in the mornig, lighted upon a great many of the Mallians, who, because they conceived, that surely he would never come over that dry and thirsty wilderness, were walking abroad idly without the city. The most of them he slew, the rest ran into the gates, and there locked them up; then caused he his Horse to surround the walls, instead of a trench, till his Foot came up.

But so soon as they were come, he presently dispatched away Perdiccas, with his own, and Clitus his Horse, and with the Agrians, to besige another town of the Mallians, where he understood, that many of the Indians were gathered together, willing them to keep them in, but not to make any assault, till he came only to take care that none gat out, to carry news into other parts, that he was come into the country, and then began he to make his approaches, and to assault the city, which he say before.

Having slain many of them in the assault, the rest left the walls, and fled to the Castle, and that being also taken, he slew therein two thousand men.

Perdiccas, coming to the city, which he was commanded to besiege, found all the birds flown; and because he found that they were but newly gone, he followed after them, with all the speed he could make: all he overtook he slew: the rest escaped into the bogs, and fennie places, and there saved themselves.

Alexander, having rested and refreshed both himself and his army, a while, removed in the first watch of the night: and having made a long march that night, at break of day came to the river Hydraotes, where he found that many of the Mallians, were already passed over; the rest he set upon, as they were passing, and slew them every man: then himself passed the river with his army, and overtook such as were gone before; and of them he slew many, and took other prisoners: Nevertheless, most of them got away into a city, very strongly situate, and well fenced with works.

But when his foot came up, Alexander sent Python against them, with his own, and two other Regiments of Horse, who at first onset, screwed them into the Town, and took it; and made all that had fled thither, and were not slain in the taking of it, slaves: which done, Python returned to the Camp.

Then led Alexander his army against a City of the Brachmanni, whither he understood other of the Mallians were fled: and as soon as he came, besieged it round with his Squadrons very thick. The soldiers forthwith left the walls, and fled to the Castles, which taken, the inhabitants, some set their own houses on fire, and threw themselves into it: others would sell their skins, as dear as they could, and died fighting: there died in all five thousand of them, few came alive into the enemies hand.

Alexander stayed there one day, to give his soldiers breath, and the next day he marched against other Towns of the Mallians: all which he found, to have left their cities, and fled to the woods and mountains: there also he spent one day.

The next day he sent Pithon, and Demetrius, Captain of a Regiment of Horse, back to the river side, to whom he joined also, certain other Troups, and Companies, requisite for the service he employed them in, willing them, if by the way, they chanced to light upon any of those, who were fled to the woods, if they submitted not, to kill them; whereupon they slew a very great many, as they passed.

Himself marched against the Capitall City of the Mallians, to which, as he understood, many others had retired themselves. But even this great city also, hearing of his coming, abandoned the place, and fled, & flying over the river Hydraotes, there put themselves in battle array, upon the high clifts of that river, as if they would there stop his passage. Alexander followed them instantly with his Horse, commanding his Foot to come after; but when he was in the midst of the river, the Indians forsook the place, and though in good array, yet ran away: whereas yet they were not fewer in number than 50 thousand, and Alexander seeing them in a strong compacted body, yet having no Foot come up to him, offered here and there, and everywhere to charge upon them; but thought it no discretion to engage in a fight against them.

But so soon as the Agrians, and other well-ordered Squadrons, and the Archers came, and the main battle of the Foot, were now in sight, the Indians took them to their heels, and ran away all to the next fenced City. Them Alexander pursued, and slew a many of them; and when they were there, Alexander presently surrounded the City with his Horse before the Foot came up.

Demophoon a Soothsayer, having speech with Alexander, told him, by certain signs and prodigies by him observed, that there was some great danger towards him, and withal desired him to forbear, at least to defer the siege thereof. The King reviling him with shrewed words, for disheartening the soldiers whiles they were in action; and dividing his army in two parts, took one to himself, and gave the other to Perdiccas, and both together went to scale the wall: which brunt the Indians not enduring, left their stations on the wall, and fled all to the Castle. Alexander with those about him, brake open the first gate himself, and got into the City, and began to set ladders against the Castle wall: And when he saw his Macedonians not come on so roundly, as he wished, he took a ladder himself and set against the wall, and gat upon the top of it. Pencestes, bearing the target, which he borrowed out of the Temple of Minerva in Troy, and which in all encounters he ever caused to be born before him, followed, and after him Leonatus, one of the Squires of his body, upon the same ladder, and Abreas (one of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Duplarians: ( i. e. ) of that order of Knights or Esquiers, who had double pay or allowance) upon another. And then the silver Targateers, hearing of the danger the King was in, strove to set up the ladders so thick, that they brake, and so all came tumbling to the ground, and thereby both lost themselves, and hindered others from getting up that would, [ See Appianus toward the end, lib. 2. Bell. Civil. ]

Alexander, who was shot at on every hand, from the towers, adjoining, (for no man durst come to handy-blows with him upon the wall) leapt off the wall down into the Castle yard, and setting his back to a wall there, slew sundry that came to assault him, with his own hand; and among the rest, the Captain himself of the Indians, which came boldly on upon him: so that afterward none other durst come near him; but all set themselves to shoot him a far off.

Mean while Pencestes, Leonatus, and Abreas, leapt down the wall into the yard after him, and came to his rescue; of which Abreas, shot thorough the face into the head, died upon the place. And Alexander himself (as Ptolomei reporteth) received so great a wound in the breast, that his very breath came forth at it together with his blood. Pencestes, who interposed, with Minerva's buckler in his hand, and Leonatus, who took in his own body the blows which were meant to him, were likewise sore wounded: and little wanted it, but that Alexander himself, had there poured forth his soul, together with his blood. And all agree, that Pencestes defended him with his Palladian buckler: whence Pliny calls him, [lib. 34. cap. 8.] the preserver of Alexander the Great. Concerning Leonatus, and Abreas, the Duplarian; all do not agree: but that Ptolomei the son of Lagus, was at the rescue of him, Clitarchus and Timogenes, and Pausanias in his Attica, do affirm: which yet himself denies, and says, he was not; and that all that while he was in fight with the enemy alsewhere: So great saith Curtius, was the carelessness of those old Historians in writing, or which is as bad, easiness in believing.

The Macedonians at last breaking into the Castle, put every man therein to the sword, not sparing man or woman, old or young, and brought the King out upon their targets, living or dead, they knew not well whether. The cure of his wounds was more grievous, than the wounds themselves: but enduring the pain, he came at last to have hope of life again: which yet the army could hardly be brought to believe, it having been once bruited abroad that he was dead of his wounds. Wherefore so soon as possibly he could, he caused himself to be carried to the River side, from thence to fall down in a Barge to the place where his army lay, which was at the confluence of the Hydraotis with the Acefines, where Hephaestion was, commanding the army, and Nearchus the Navy; so soon as he came on land, he admitted the soldiery to kiss his hand, and refusing his lictier, gat upon his Horse, to be seen of all, and then alighted▪ and went a foot to his pavilion.

The King having his wounds cured in seven days space, though not yet healed, hearing that the Indians were persuaded of his death, caused two Barges to be joined together, and upon them his Tent Royal to be spread; open on every side, to be seen of all thereby, to stay the report, that went among his enemies, that he was dead; and from thence went down the river, giving order, that none should come near the barge he was in, for fear of shogging his weak body, with the beating of the Oares: and so on the fourth day, came to a country, deserted indeed, by the inhabitants, but plentifully stored, with all manner of provisions, both corn and catle, wherefore that place pleased him well, to stay at, and refesh both himself and his army in.

Nearchus the Ammiral, reporteth, that his Nobles blamed him, for doing the office of a soldier, rather than a King or Captain in the army, and when he grew angry thereat, and shown his dislike by his looks; a certain old Baeotian pleased him again, by reciting an old Iambick verse, to this purpose, That he who would do any great thing reason was, he should suffer something too. And indeed, Curtius [lib. 9. cap. 12.] mentions an oration uttered to him by Craterus, in the name of his Nobles, to the same purpose, with his answer thereunto: wherein, showing that a man can never want matter to win glory by: After the ninth year, (saith he) of my reign, and twentieth of my age, do ye think it possible for me to be wanting, to myself in advancing my glory, which I have ever addicted and devoted myself unto? for so Curtius brings him in speaking, whereas yet in true point of Chronology, this was the tenth year of his reign (which agreeth well enough with this saying) though the 30 of his age.

Whiles the King stayed here many days; all which he spent in the full curing of his wounds, and in increasing the number of his ships; the Grecian soldiers which he had planted in certain Cities of Bactria, and Sogdiana, which himself had there built, to the number of about 3000 men, partly because they grew weary of living among those Barbarous people, and partly, because they took courage, upon the news of Alexanders death, fell off from the Macedon government; and having killed some of the chief of their own countrymen, began to take arms: and seizing on the Castle of the City Bactra, which was not so carefully kept, as it should have been, drew the inhabitants to join with them in this revolt; chief in this conspiracy, was one Athenodorus, who also assumed to himself the Title of a King, not so much out of a desire of any soverainty, as out of a purpose he had, to draw men thereby to follow him in his return to Greece. But there was one Biton or Bicon, a Grecian likewise, who out of a grudge and envy, which he bare him hereupon, invited him to a banquet, and there, by the hand of one Boxus, slew him. The next day this Biton called a company together, and there persuaded some, that Athenodorus would have killed him: others there were, who thought it was naught else but a mere roguery of Bitons, and they quickly drew others to their belief: whereupon they all took up arms, ready to have slain him, if they could; but the chief among them persuaded the rest, and so all grew quiet again.

Biton, having got out of these briars, fell to practice the destruction of those who had saved his life; which they perceiving, laid hold on him, and Boxus both. But Boxus they put instantly to death: Biton they purposed to have first to the Rack; and now they were ready to fall to work with him: when upon the sudden, the Grecians, like men out of their wits, rose all in arms, no man knew why; whereupon they forbare Biton, for fear of a rescue by the multitude; and he all naked as he was, fled to the Grecians: and they seeing what case he was in, and ready to be racked, changed their minds, and rescued him from the danger he was in.

Mean while, the Mallians, that were left, sent their messengers to Alexander, to yield up all the nation to his mercy; and in like manner from the Oxydracans, came the Captains themselves, and chief men of every City; and with them, one hundred and fifty of the principal of the whole nation, giving up the whole Country into his hands. Alexander willed them to send him one thousand of their principal men. Curtius saith, 2500 horse, which he might keep by him, either as hostages, or as soldiers to serve him, till he had ended his war with the Indians.

Then invited he all the principal men, and petty Kings of these nations, to a feast, where he caused one hundred golden Beds to be set, at a reasonable distance each from other: every of those beds was enclosed with Curtains wrought of scarlet and gold: in which feast was set out to be seen, what ever the old luxury of the Persians, or new fanglenes of the Macedonians, both jumbled together, could afford.

Dioxippus the Athenian was at this feast; of whom Pliny, [lib. 35. cap. 11. Athena. lib. 6. cap. 6. Elian. lib. 10. cap. 22. and lib. 12. cap. 58. and Plut. in his book of Curiofities ] make mention: Dioxippus, I say, a famous Champion, and one whom the King, for his great strength of body, and courage of spirit, made very much of: and one Choragusa Macedon, a man of mighty strength likewise, and who had, in many a fight, given great testimony of his worth. This Choragus being in drink, would needs challenge Dioxippus to a single fight. And the next day Dioxippus stark naked, and all over anointed with oil, came into the list, having nothing but a trunchon, and a cloak for his arms, and there closed with the Macedon, who came in armed, with sword and buckler, and pike, and javelin, and laid him at his foot.

The Macedonians, and Alexander himself, took this for a fowl slur and disgrace, put upon the Macedonians nation, in the sight of these Barbarians, and repined at it: and shortly after, at another feast, there was a golden cup missing; and the suspicion of stealth thereof laid upon Dioxippus; the indignity whereof, wrought so far upon him, that returning to his lodging, he there wrate, and left a letter for Alexander, and then slew himself.

Alexander shipt his horses, and of his fellow Cavaliers some 1700, and of others, as many, and 20 thousand foot, and went not far upon the Hydraotes, before he came to the confluence of it, and the Acesines: and then falling down upon the Acesines, came at length to the confluence of the Acesines with the river Indus, and there he stayed with his Navy, till Perdiccas came to him with the body of the army: having by the way as he came, subdued the Abastenians, who were a free state among those Indians.

While he there stayed, there came to him, other ships of 30 Oares a piece, and certain ships of burden, which had been newly built in the country of the Xathri, another free state in those parts: and Ambassadors also, from the Ossadians, a free state likewise, all submitting to him.

Likewise the messengers of the Oxydracans and Mallians, returned to him with presents, among which, besides some small quantity of linen clothe, there were 1000 Indian targets, and 100 talents of steel, and Lions of a vast bigness, and Tigers, all brought to hand, and tame: As also the skins of huge Lizards, and Tortaise shells: There were also 300 Chariots, and 1030 horses to draw them: four for every Chariot, as we read in Curtius, [ l. 9. c. 15.] Arrianus saith also, that they sent him 3 thousand men for hostages; the bravest and goodliest men they could find among them; with 500 chariots, and men in them to fight, over and above what Alexander had required at their hands; adding, that Alexander accepted their Chariots, and returned their hostages home again.

Alexander commanded them to pay him such tribute as they formerly paid to the Arachosians, and set Philip to be their Satrapa or Governor, his government to extend to the confluence of the 2 rivers, Indus and Acesines, and no further: so that we can hardly believe Plutarch, where he saith that the extent of this Philip's government was thrice as bigg as Porus his kingdom, especially if it were so bigg, as he himself delivers it to have been. But Alexander left unto him, for a guard of that Province, all the Thracian horse, and such companies of foot as he thought fit and requisite for that purpose. Moreover he caused a City to be built at the confluence of those two rivers; supposing it would quickly grow very populous, and of great renown, and therefore caused Docks, for the building of Ships, to be there made, in great number.

At that time came to him Oxyartes, father unto Roxane, whom Alexander had married, and was by him acquitted from all suspicion of having any hand in the revolt of the Grecians that were in Bactria.

Afterward Polysperchon was sent to Babylon with an army, as in Justin. [ lib. 12. cap. 10.] and Craterus was commanded with a great part of the army that was left, and the Elephants, to march down on the left hand of the bank of the river Indus, because that seemed the easier way for the Corseleteers to go, and the bordering Nations were no surer to him, than need was; and then himself, with some choice companies, took ship, and set forward toward his so long intended journey to the Ocean: and it is said that he went never a day less than 600 furlongs: and yet was full five months in going with some odd days over and above, [ Plin. l. 6. c. 17.]

In this voyage of his down the river, he first came to the country of the Sabracans, or Sambestans: This was a Nation; inferior to none of all India, both for number, and warlikenesse of men: and was governed by a popular State, throughout all their Cities. These, hearing of the coming of the Macedonians, presently armed 60 thousand foot, and six, or (as Curtius saith) eight thousand horse, with five hundred Chariots; and set over them, to command, three most expert Captains. But the Navy coming upon them (of which more is to be seen, besides Curtius, [ lib. 9. cap. 15.] in Pliny, [ lib. 19. cap. 1,] ) they took a fright at the strangeness of the sight, and casting withal in their minds, the fame and invincible glory of the Macedonians, took advice of the old men among them, who for the avoiding of so imminent a danger, advised them to submit; whereupon they sent messengers; and gave themselves up wholly into his hands: whom he graciously received: and they again bestowed on him, besides other gifts, honors also befitting a demy God.

Four days after he came to a Nation, which lay on both sides the River, which were called, Sodrans (or Sogdans, as in Arrianus,) and Massanians: and received them likewise to grace and favor as he had done the former. And here, upon the bank of the River Indus, he built another Alexandria: and chose out a thousand men to people it, and made havens for Merchants, and docks for shipping; and there he cured such of his ships as had any ways been bruised: And made Oxyartes, his father in law, and Pithon, Governors of all the country from the confluence of the Acesines and Indus to the sea: adding thereto also, all the sea coast. But himself falling still down the River, came so speedily into the country of King Musicanus, that he was there, before Musicanus ever heard that he was coming: wherefore not knowing what else to do, he forthwith went out to meet him, presenting him with the choicest gifts that India did afford, and in special, with all his Elephants; and gave up himself and all his whole kingdom into his hands, craving pardon for that he had done it no sooner. Alexander pardoned him that offense; and wondering both at the country it self, and the city there: of which we may see more [ in Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 694. and pag. 701.] which he collected out of Aristobulus, and Onesicratus, restored him to his kingdom, as he was before.

Here he heard the complaints brought against Tiriolte, all. Tiryeste, whom he had made Governor over the Parapamisadae, with his accusers face to face: and finding him guilty of many acts of cruelty and avarice committed by him, he put him there to death, and gave that Government to his father in law, Oxyartes.

He commanded Craterus to build a Citadel or Fort, upon the City of Musicanus: which was dispatched before he went from thence, because he saw that plat fit to serve for a bridle in the mouths of the neighbouring nations, to keep them in order with.

From thence, with his Archers and Agrians, and all the Horse, which he had a ship-board, he came to another Nation of the Indians, called Praestans, and marched against their King Porticanus, all. Oxycanus, because he neither came himself, nor sent Ambassadors unto him: and took two of the greatest Cities that he had in his Dominions: Porticanus himself was in one of them, which Alexander took the third day of his siege thereof. But Porticanus flying into the Castle, sent Ambassadors to treat of conditions: but ere ever they came to his presence, two great panes of the wall fell flat down to the ground; by the breaches whereof the Macedonians flew into the Castle, and when Porticanus, with those few which were with him stood still upon their guard, they were all presently put to the sword: The Castle was pulled down; all in the town were sold away for slaves: the spoil thereof given to the soldier, only the Elephants Alexander took, and carried away for himself.

Diodorus says, that Alexander first gave those Cities to be spoiled by his soldiers, and then set fire on them, and after that went and took in all the rest of his Cities and Towns and destroyed them: and thereby struck a terror into all the neighbouring Nations; and that the rest of the countries hearing of his approach only, presently sent, and yielded themselves unto him, without the least resistance, as Arrianus writeth.

After this, he entered the country of the Brachmanes, where Sambus, all. Sabus, or Samus, as Curtius, all. Sabbas, as Plutarch, all. Ambigerus, as Justin, all. Ambiras, as Orosius calleth him, was King: of whom Alexander had been told that he was fled away: but when he came near his chief City, called Sindomana, all. Sindonalia, he found the gates set wide open to him, and Sambo his servants came forth to meet him with money and Elephants to present unto him, telling him withal, that Sambus was fled indeed; not out of hostility to him, but for fear of Musicanus, whom Alexander had let go and pardoned, and for that there was mortal enmity between them two.

Alexander having taken in, this and many other places, went and by force took another City which had fallen off and revolted from him; and put to death many of the Brachmanes who had been the occasion and authors of it. For by their instigation it was that Sambus, who had but lately submitted to him, and the Cities of his subjection, had revolted from him. Curtius says, that Alexander took the City, by undermining the wall; and that the natives stood amazed to see men rise out of the ground in the midst of their City.

Clitarchus, cited by Curtius, saith, that there were eight, or rather (as Diodorus with others have it) 80000 men slain in that country: and a multitude of others sold away for slaves. These plagues therefore the Brachmanes suffered: the rest, which simply submitted to him, and craved his pardon, had no harm: And King Sambus, getting away as far off as he could, with thirty Elephants, saved himself.

Alexander got into his hand, to the number of ten, of those which were called Gymnosophistae, who had principlly persuaded Sambus to flee away: and had caused much trouble to him and his Macedonians; to these he propounded certain hard and obscure questions, threatening to hang them every man, if they did not resolve him; those questions of his, with their answers upon them, Plutarch sets down in the life of Alexander, where he also tells us, that having heard them, he dismissed them, with many honors heaped upon them for their pains.

Musicanus in this interim revolted, and Pithon with an army, was sent against him: who setting upon the cities of his subjection, destroyed some, others he put Garrisons in, and built citadels or Castles, for a yoke upon them. And having taken Musicanus, and brought him alive to Alexander, he caused him forthwith to be crucified in his own kingdom, and as many of the Brachmanes as had put him on to that revolt.

Alexander, coming back to the river Indus, where he had commanded his Navy to attend him, fell down the river again, and came to a City called Harmatelia, belonging to Sambus and the Brachmanes: And when the inhabitants (trusting in their own strength, and situation of their city) shut gates against him, Alexander commanded 500 of his Agrians, to go close under the walls, with their arms; and if the townsmen sallied out upon them, to retreat: Three thousand fell out upon the 500, who according to direction, fled back, as if they had been afraid, and the enemies pursuing them, fell unawares upon other companies, which were laid of purpose for them; and where Alexander himself in person was: there were they forced to fall to a new fight, wherein there were 6 hundred of them slain upon the place, and 1000 taken, the rest fled, and kept them close within the walls: But of the Kings side there were many grievously wounded, and in danger of death therewith: for the Indians had poisoned the heads of their weapons, with a deadly poison; and whereas among other, Ptolomei the son of Lagus, was in like manner wounded, and was ready instantly to die thereof, it is said that Alexander in his sleep saw an herb, which was a present remedy for that kind of poison, and that herb squeezed into drink and taken, presently recured him: whereupon others also made use of that medicinal herb, and recovered. It is most likely that some or other, who knew the virtue of the herb, acquainted Alexander with it; and then flattery made up the rest of the fable, for his honors sake, saith Strabo, [ lib. 15. pag. 723.] who yet relates this as done among the Oritae, of whom we shall speak anon.

When as therefore, Alexander now set himself to besiege Harmotelia, being a strong and well fenced city, the inhabitants came all forth to him, and humbly begged his pardon, submitting themselves and their city, and all to his mercy, whereupon he pardoned them.

Moeris King of Pattalena, the next bordering country thereunto, coming to Alexander, put himself and kingdom wholly into his hands: whom when Alexander had freely restored to his state again, he gave order withal to have all things necessary provided for his army.

Alexander commanded Craterus to take with him the Regiments of Attalus, and Meleager, and Antigenes, and some of his Archers, and some also of his allies, and Macedonians, which were grown unserviceable, and to carry them into Macedon, by the way of Caramania, through the countries of the Aracotti, and Zarangi, or Drangi; the rest of the army, some were led by Hephaestion, on the one side of the river Indus and the darters on horseback, and the Agrians, by Pithon on the other: who had also in charge, to provide inhabitants, for the cities which he had built, and that if any new commotions were raised in those parts, he should settle matters there, and that done, should come and join with the rest of the army at Pattala.

And when Alexander had now sailed down the river three days journey, word was brought him, that Moeris, and a great company of the Patalenians with him, had left the city, and were fled to the mountains and woods: whereupon he made all the haste thither, that possibly he could.

Strabo, [ lib. 15. pag. 691.] tells us out of Aristobulus, that Alexander came into Pattalene, about the rising of the dog-star; having then spent full ten months, in his navigation, for that he set not forth but very few days before the rising of the seven stars: so that Alexander arrived in Pattala, about the end of our July, having been in this navigation, ever since the beginning of the tenth month before, hereby it appears, that going still down the water, along the Hydaspes, Acesines and Indus, he had spent full nine months, as appeareth by the known rising and setting of these stars: whereby we find that Plutarch’s account in this point was not very exact, where he tells us, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (i. e.) His passing down the Rivers to the sea took him up seven months time.

Alexander coming to Patala, found the city and country thereabout void of all inhabitants, though he there found great store of flocks and herds of cattle, and corn in great abundance left. But he presently dispatched away the nimblest soldiers which he had to overtake those, who were fled away; and ever as they took any, they sent them away to overtake the rest, and to persuade them to return; promising them all security, and fruition of their estates in manner as before, both in City and Country.

Then commanded he Hephaestion to build a fort or citadel upon Patala: others he sent into a Region of theirs which was altogether destitute of water, to dig wells, thereby to make it more habitable: but some of the natives fell upon them, and slew many of them; yet having lost many of their own also in the fight, the rest fled all away to the Woods and Mountains: and Alexander, hearing of what had befallen his men, sent more to join with the former, and so to go thorough with the work begun.

Alexander dealt with Nearchus, his Ammiral, to choose some fit season of the year, to set out from the mouth of the River Indus, and to coast along till he came to the Persian gulf, and to the mouth of the river Euphrates and Tigris: as Arrianus in his Indica, reports out of Nearchus his own writings, [pag. 182.] Making, saith Plutarch, Nearchus Ammiral of the Fleet, and Onesicritus chief Pilot of it. Whence it is that Onesicritus himself in his story says of himself, that he was Navarchus: ( i. e. ) Pilot, as Arrianus [lib. 6. pag. 124.] relates him, and Pliny [lib. 6. cap. 22.] renders him, Praefectum classis: (i. e. ) Commander of the Fleet. But Strabo. [ lib. 15. pag. 721.] more rightly terms him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : ( i. e. ) chief Pilot: See [ Arria. lib. 7. pag. 162. and in his Indica. pag. 191.]

At Patala the River Indus parts itself into two great arms; both which keep the name of Indus till they fall into the Sea: making between them an Island of a threesquare figure, or a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which from the city is called Patalene, bigger than Delta in Egypt is. Onesicritus tells us, that every side of this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or triangular Island, is 2 thousand furlongs in length. But Aristobulus says, that the basis of it: ( i. e. ) the side next the sea, and where both the Rivers fall into it, and make a marshland on either side of this Island, is not above 1000 furlongs: But Nearchus, and after him Arrianus, saith, 1800. and Pliny saith, that it is 220 miles in length, [ Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 701. Plin. lib. 6. cap. 21. Arria. lib. 5. pag. 103. and lib. 6. pag. 135, 137.]

Alexander, purposing to fall down to the sea, by the right hand channel, made choice of the swiftest ships he had, all of two decks high; and all his gallies of 30 oars a piece, and some nimble barques, and such guides as best knew the River, and so set forward; willing Leonatus, with a thousand Horse, and some 8 thousand Foot, to keep along with him, by the bank of the River.

The morrow after that he set forth, there arose a mighty tempest, and the wind and tide coming cross each to other, raised a huge billow upon the River, so that his ships fell foul each of other; whereby most of them were bilged, and many of the 30 oars a piece were quite split therewith, before ever they could get to an Island, which lieth in the midst of the channel.

There was Alexander forced to stay a long while, both to build him new vessels instead of them that were lost, as also for that those which were taken in, as guides upon the River, were all run away: And when he sent to get others, he could find none; and so they were fain to go and do as well as they could without them. And now they had gone 4 hundred furlongs, when the Pilots all agreed, and told Alexander that they found a sent of the sea; and that therefore certainly the Ocean could not be far off. He thereupon sent some to go a land, and to take up some of the country people; out of whom he thought something might be learned. They searched their cretes and cottages so long, that at last, they found some people in them; whom they asked, how far they were from the sea: and they answered, that they knew not what the sea was, nor ever had heard of any such thing; but, that, if they went on, in three days journey they should come to salt water, which marred the fresh.

Arrianus tells us, that certain Macedonians, being set a land, lighted upon some Indians, whom Alexander from thence forward used for his guides upon the River. But when they came where the river opened to the breadth of 200 furlongs, (which is the greatest breadth thereof) and the wind blew very strong off the sea, they were fain again to thrust into a creek, and harbor, which his guides directed him to. But Curtius says, that when upon the third day he came, as he was foretold he should to brackish water; he there found another Island in the River, where they observed that the ships went not so fast, as they were wont to do, because the tide met them, and turned back the River upon them.

Whiles they lay there at anchor, and some went a forraging, they fell into a new danger, for there came in upon them a mighty tide (which to this day is usual in Cambay, where this river of Indus emptieth itself into the sea) and overflowed all the Country thereabout, only the top of some Hillocks, like so many little Isles, appearing above water: to which, leaving their Boats, they for safeguard betook themselves; and when the sea was gone out again, and the land left dry, as it was before, then their ships, as it fell out, some fell forward upon their noses, others sidelong, from the side of a bank, where they stuck: and when the next tide came in, those ships which stood upright upon their keels, in the mud, floated presently, with the rising of the water, and had no hurt; but such as lighting on hard ground, when the sea was gone out, were fallen all along: those, upon the return of the tide, were there right driven one against the other, or beaten and broken all together upon the shore.

All which being repaired, as the time and place would permit, Alexander sent away two Barques down the river to view the Island, which the guides had told him, he must touch at, if he would sails out into the Ocean. That Island the natives called Cilluta, Alexander himself, Scillustin, and others Philtucin. And when they brought him back word, that the Island was large, and had in it, very commodious ports, and store of fresh water, he commanded the whole navy, to make for that Island; himself with some choice vessels, went further, to discover whether at the mouth of the river, there were no bar, but a safe passage out into the open Ocean; and having now gone some two hundred furlongs, he espied yet another Island, lying further out in the open Ocean.

Then returned he to the former Island lying in the mouth of the River, and coming on shore, at a certain foreland thereof, he there offered sacrifice, to certain gods, such as, said he, Jupiter Ammon commanded me to sacrifice unto. And the next day he sailed to another Island, lying out in the same Ocean, and there offered other sacrifices, and to other gods, and in another form and fashion, than formerly he had done; saying still, that what he did, was by the direction and command of Jupiter Ammon, and so sailed quite and quite out of the mouth of the river Indus, into the vast Ocean, and there having sacrificed certain Oxen, on shipboard to Neptune, threw them over board into the sea: whereunto he addeth also, a drink offering, and having poured that first into the sea, he threw a golden vial, and sundry golden goblets after it, with thanksgiving, into the Ocean; and praying that, whereas he had a purpose to send Nearchus into the gulf of Persia, he might safely there arrive, [ Arrianus lib. 6. pag. 136.]

Justin [lib. 12. cap. 10.] reports, that having returned with a fair side, to the mouth of the River Indus, he there, in memory thereof, built a new City called Barce; and erected certain Altars upon the place, and Curtius [lib. 9. cap. 16.] saith, that at midnight, he put forth with a small company of ships, with the first of the Eb, and went quite out of the mouth of the River Indus, four hundred furlongs into the open Ocean; and, so having done there what he intended, and sacrificed to the gods of those seas, and land adjoining, returned to the rest of his Navy: and Diodorus Siculus, that he went with some of his familiar friends, out into the main Ocean; and lighting upon two little Ilets, offered there a magnificent sacrifice to the gods: and that withal, he cast a multitude of golden cups, and of a great price, with drink offerings into the sea: and in the end, having there erected certain altars, in honor of Tethys, and Oceanus, supposing that now he had finished his intended voyage into the East, returned with his navy up the River, and that in his return, he came to a goodly and famous City, called Hyala, whose government was much alike to, or rather, all one, with that of Lacedaemon.

For there were in it, two Kings of two several families, succeeding always in a line and had the administration of the wars, but the chief ordering of civil affairs, was in the senate, and supreme council of state.

Alexander returning to the Patala against the stream, found there the Castle, or Citadel, ready built, according to his directions given; and Pithon returned with his army, having done all, that he went about: and whereas he purposed to leave a part of his navy, at Patala, (which city retains the same name, among the Indians of Cambais, to this very day) where the River Indus severs itself into two channels, he gave Hephaestion, the charge of making there the ports, and docks fit to receive it.

Mean while he made another journey to the Ocean, by the channel on the left hand of the same River, to try which of the two channels, was the best, and easiest to pass into the Ocean by, and to return again: and when he was now almost come to the very outlet of this second channel, he found a certain lough in it, which is made either by this River diffusing itself, into a larger space, or by waters which fall in there, from other parts, and make the River more spacious there, than in other parts; and to look like an arm of the sea: there he left Leonatus with most of his army, and with all his lesser sort of ships; and himself went forward, with his ships of 30 oars a piece, and of two tire of oars: and having gotten quite out of the River on that side also, sailed again out into the vast Ocean, and found by experience, that that was the more commodious channel of the two, to drive a trade by, to Patala. And then going a shore with certain Horse, he made three days journey along the sea coast, and having considered of the coast all along, where he had sailed, he caused wells to be digged in sundry places, for fresh water for his Navy, if need should be, [ Arria. lib. 6. pag. 137.]

The next day after his return out of the Ocean, Curtius says, that he came up the River, to a certain lough of salt water: which put sundry of them to a great inconveniency, whiles they went into it, not knowing the nature of it; for it drew a scab upon them, and the same infectious also unto others; yet they quickly found an oil, which cured it: which if it were the same lough, which I mentioned before out of Arrianus, then is all this History to be referred to Alexanders latter return from the Ocean, which no author mentions, save only Arrianus.

Alexander at his second return to Patala, sent a part of his army to dig those wells by the sea side: charging them withal, as soon as they had done, to return to Patala; and he sailing again into the lough, made there new Ports, and other Docks for his shipping: and leaving a Garrison there, laid up likewise provision of corn for four months, and other necessaries for the use of navigation, [ Arria. ut sup. ] Now it seems, that at this lake it was, that he built the City called Potana; to the end he might have a fit Port for his shipping, in that part of the Ocean: as we gather out of Diodorus, [ Ib. 3. pag. 181.] in the Greek and Latin edition, compared with Agatharchides, his Excerptions in Photios, [ Cod. 250. cap. 51.] and with this place in Arrianus.

Curtius [lib. 9. cap. 16. & 17.] writes, that Alexander with his army, stayed in the Island of Patasena, expecting the coming on of the Spring; and that during that time, he built many cities there, and that the Winter quarter drawing now to an end, he set fire on his ships which were grown unserviceable, and marched away by land: and [ Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 721.] signifies, that towards the Summer season, (which after their account, begins ever with the Spring) he left India: which I conceive, he would not have said, had he better considered, of what he himself a little after affirmeth out of Nearchus, who was Ammiral in it, concerning this voyage; where he saith, That when the King was now upon his way, he himself began his voyage in Autumn when the Pleiades or seven Stars began to appear in the evening.

Wherefore plain it is, that Alexander in September, having sent Leonatus before him, to cause wells to be digged in convenient places for the use of the army in their march overland, thorough a dry and thirsty country, and set fire on his ships, which were leaky; removed from Patala, and came with all his army, to the bank of the River Arbis or Arabius: which River parts the Arbites, or the Arabites, (whom Dionysius Periegetes, calls Aribes, and others call Abrite,) and with them India itself from the Orites. For the Arbites inhabit along the sea shore of India, which lieth between the River Indus, and the River Arbis, by the space of a thousand furlongs in length, as Nearchus saith, [ in Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 720. and Arrianus in his Indica, pag. 185. in si. ] and these are the utmost people of the Indians westward, as appears out of [ Arrianus in his Indica, pag. 184.] and out of [ Plin. lib. 7. cap. 2.] and next to the Oritans, as saith [ Pliny, lib. 6. cap. 23. and Arrianus in his Indica, pag. 185.] and which speak in a language of their own, and not that of the Indians.

These Arbites or Arabites, being a free State, or people, living under their own laws, neither strong enough to withstand Alexander, nor willing to submit unto him, so soon as they heard of his coming, fled away to the Woods, and Wildernesses.

Alexander, delivering the rest of his army into Hephaestions hands, took with him one half of his silver Targateers, and a part of his archers, and some certain Regiments of those who were called Asseteri, and a Troup of his fellow Cavaliers; and out of every Regiment of Horse one Troup, and all his archers on horseback, and turned his course on the left hand toward the Ocean; and commanded a multitude of wells to be digged along the sea side, to relieve his Navy with fresh water, as they passed by, on their way to the Gulf of Persia.

No sooner hand Alexander his back turned, but the Patalenians, taking fresh courage, and desirous of liberty, set upon Nearchus, with the army that was left with him, and sent him packing with his Fleet, when he had yet no wind to carry him: as Strabo reports out of Nearchus himself, [ lib. 15. pag. 721.] for before the beginning of Winter, which began, together with the setting of the Pleiades in the month of our November, in those parts, was no time fit for Navigation, [ Arria. lib. 6. pag. 137.]

So soon, [Year of the World 3679] therefore, as the Ctesian, or trade winds, (which blowing all summer long from the sea to land-ward, put a stop upon all navigation in that coast) were ended, Nearchus having sacrificed to Jove the deliverer, and having performed certain Gymic games, set sails from thence, in the eleventh year of Alexanders reign, when Cephisodorus was L. Chancelor of Athens, the 20 day of the month Boedromion, or the first of October, according to the Julian Calendar, as I have already shown in my discourse of the Solar year among the Macedonians, [cap. 2.] out of Arrianus his Indicae. Now we meet with the name of this Cephisidorus, not only 40 years before this, viz. year 3. of the 103 Olympiad, but also 3 years after this, to wit, year 2. of the 114 Olympiad, which was the next year after Alexanders death, as we find in the Rowls or Tables, of the Chancelors of Athens: so that if this name be rightly set down by Arrianus in this place, and there be no scruple to be made of two Cephisidori, by reason of the vicinity of the times, then there will fall out in the 4 years of 113 Olympiad, this difference ensuing in the ordering of the Chancelors of Athens, between Diodorus. Sic. Dionysi. Halic. and Arrianus, as followeth.

Olympiad 113.
An. 1.	Diodorus.	Dionys.	Arrianus.
1.	Euthycritus.	Euthycritus.	Hegemon.
2.	Chremes.	Hegemon.	Chremes.
3.	Anticles.	Chremes.	Cephisodorus.
4.	Sosicles.	Anticles.	Anticles.

Pliny tells us, that Alexander built a City, at the place; from whence Nearchus and Onesicratus set forth upon their intended voyage; and that is the same which we find called, Xulinopolis. [ lib. 6. cap. 23.] of which yet it is a wonder, that in the same place he should add, That no man can tell, where, or upon what River it was built: For where should it be, but in the Isle of Patalene, where they were left by Alexander, to attend the season fit to begin their voyage: or upon what River, but upon the Indus, where the Navy rode, and along which that fleet passed, when it fell down into the Ocean, as Arrianus teacheth us, out of Nearchus himself, in his Indica, pag. 183.]

The first day after they set forth from the port of Xulinopolis, to go down the River Indus, they came to a wonderful deep channel, called Stura, distant from the port, one hundred furlongs; and there lay at anchor, two days.

The third day, they removed; and came to another channel, 30 furlongs lower; where they found the water a little brackish, for the tide coming up so far, and there mingling with the fresh water, leaves a taste of salt in the place, even at low water: and when the tide is gone out, and that place was called Caumana.

From thence they parted, and came to a place lower upon the river, 20 furlongs, called Coreatis.

And then weighing again, they had not gone far, but they kenned a Rock, just at the place where the Indus opens and falls into the sea, and beats upon the shore, which was of itself very rocky: but where it began to be soft ground, and better bedding for ships, there they put in with the tide, and drew a ditch of five furlongs long, before them.

And falling down again, 150 furlongs farther, they came to a sandy Island called Crocala, and stayed there one other day, near to which, upon the main land inhabited, an Indian nation, called the Arabii, from the River Arabius, which divides them, as was said before, from the Oritans.

Their journey forward, is at large described by Arrianus out of Nearchus himself, as he witnesseth, [ lib. 6. pag. 143.] and after him by Jo. Ramusius, in his Navigations, [ vol. 1. fol. 169.] a brief of which voyage, is also delivered by Pliny [lib. 6. cap. 23.] gathered out of Onesicritus by King Juba: as those words in him show right well, where he saith, It is fit I should here set down, what Onesicritus delivers, of this navigation, wherein himself was by the command of Alexander, out of India, into the very mediterranean parts, of Persia, and out of him agaia related by King Juba: out of which we may also gather the meaning of those other words of Pliny next following, ( i. e.) That voyage of Nearchus and Onesicritus, hath neither names of places, where they touched by the way, nor distances from one place to another; to wit, as it is described by Juba, or Onesicritus himself, for that both were delivered by Nearchus, appears by Arrianus, who out of him, hath delivered both the one and the other, particularly.

But that we may return to Alexander, he having put over the river Arbis or Arabius, and having the very night following marched thorough a great part of the sandy Country, came the next morning into places well inhabited and cultured. Then he leaving the foot to follow in good array, took the Horse with himself, cast into several Troups, and squadrons, in very good order, but so wide spread, that they might take up and drive all the Country before them, and so set upon the Oritans, of which a great part, which took up arms, were slain, and many were taken prisoners, and then coming to a small river side; he there encamped.

Then dividing his company into three brigades, he gave one to Ptolomei, to lead along by the coast; the second to Leonatus, to pass through the midst of the country, and champain part thereof; and the third he took to himself; and with it marched into the hill country of that region, and mountainous parts thereof, with the places adjoining, and spoiled and wasted all that came in his way, whence the soldiers enriched themselves, and slew many a ten thousand of men withal.

But when Hephaestion, who had the greater part of the whole army under his command, was come up unto him; Alexander went forward to Rambacia, which was the principal division of all that country, where, when he found a place by the sea side, safe from all wind and weather, he presently gave order to Hephaestion, to build a city there, which being finished, and called by the name of Alexandria, he made there a plantation of the Arachosians, to dwell therein.

And then again, taking with him one half of his silver Targateers and Agrians, and a squadron of horse, and Archers on horseback, marched away to the borders of the Oritans and Gedrosians, where he was told there was a narrow passage, which parted the two countries: and that both nations with their several armies were encamped there, to keep that passage against him: But no sooner came the news unto them of his approach, but the most part of them abandoned the place and fled: whereupon the chief of the Oritans, went unto him, and submitted themselves and their whole country to him: and the only charge which he laid upon them was, to call home their countrymen, everyone to his own place, assuring them, that in so doing, all should be well with them; and they receive no harm.

Then made the Apollophanes Governor of the Oritans, joining Leonatus, a Squire of the body with him: with whom he left all his Agrians, and some of his Archers, and Horse, and other companies of his foot, and mercinaries out of Greece, in the country of the Oritans, giving them in charge to attend the coming of the fleet into those parts; and in the mean time to go in hand with the building of a new city, and to order all matters there for the benefit of the people.

Then set he forward with a great part of his army (for now was Hephaestion again come up unto him) and marched into the country of the Gedrosians, which was for the most part abandoned by the Inhabitants. In which desert, as Aristobulus says, the Phoenicians which followed the army, to buy what was there to be sold, loaded their camels with mirrh, and spikenard, for of such spicery and Apothecary ware, there was infinite store growing in those parts: so as the whole army used it for coverings, and beds to lie upon: and of the spikenard which they trode under their feet, a most sweet smell diffused itself far off, [ Arian. lib. 6. pag. 138. and Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 721.]

He sent Craterus before him with a part of the army, into the mid-land countries, both to subdue Arimania (under which name, all the Regions to the west of India, properly so called, even as far as Carmania, go) and so to go from thence forward into those places, which himself purposed to come unto; But Craterus marching through the countries of the Aracotti, and the Drangae, subdued by force the country of Choarina, which refused to submit themselves, [ Strabo, ut supra, pag. 721. 725.] And whereas Ozines (whom Arianus calls Ordones) and Tariaspes two noble men of Persia, endeavored a revolt in Persia, he subdued them by force, and laid them in irons, [ Curt. l. 9. c. 18.]

Himself with another part of the army, going through the country of Gedrosia, some 500 furlongs distant from the sea, and yet sometimes quartering near to the sea itself, marched through a barren, craggy, dry, and desolate country: for his desire was to visit the sea coast, all along, that he might discover, what places there were in those parts fit to make ports of; and there to make provision for his fleet, which was to come that way by his appointment, and for that purpose, to cause wells to be digged, and markets to be kept, and ports to be made, fit to receive them when they came, [ Strabo, ut su. p. 721. and Arria. l. 6. p. 139.]

To this purpose, he sent before him one Thoantes, with a competent company of Horse, to scout about the sea coast; and to see wether there were any fit place for landing there, or fresh water near the shore; or other fitting provisions for them: who returning brought him word, that he found there certain poor fishermen: and that they had to dwell in, a kind of little cottages, built up and covered with shells of fishes, and the back-bones of them serving for rafters; and that the men used little water, and that itself, such as they digged out of the sand; and that not very sweet neither.

Alexander, coming at length into a country of the Gedrosians, where was store of corn, he seised it all into his own hand, and sealing up the sacks, wherein it was, with his own signet, and laying it upon carriages, sent it all away to the sea side. But whiles he went to the next ports, the soldiers, for all the seals, brake up the sacks, and took out the corn, and spent it, for very hunger; in which action, they were the foremost, who were principally trusted with the keeping of it: and Alexander, understanding that what was done, was for pure hunger, winked at it. And sent about all the country over to take up more corn, and sent that away by one Cretheus, to the sea side, to relieve the Fleet, with the army in it, which at that very time came to land in those parts: commanding also the natives, to go farther up into the country, & from thence to bring as much corn ready ground, and dates, and cattle, as possibly they could, and carry it to be sold at the sea side, to the army; and withal, dispatched away Telephus one of his Nobles, to make further provision of corn ready ground, whereof he found some quantity, though not much; and carried it to another Port; according to directions.

Mean while some of the Oritans, dwelling in the mountains set upon Leonatus his Brigade, and slew a great number of them, and then retired into their fastnesse again: as Diodorus saith: and then the whole nation of the Oritans, joining with other neighbouring countries, made a body of some 8000 Foot, and 400 Horse, and made a general revolt. But Leonatus meeting with them, cut off 6 thousand of their Foot, and all their Leaders: and lost of his own men, but 15 Horse, and some few Foot; but withal, there died in that fight, Apollophanes, Governor, as was said before, appointed by Alexander, of that whole country, [ Cur. lib. 9. cap. 18. Arria. lib. 7. pag. 149. and in his Indica, pag. 184.]

Nearchus, coming a shore at this place with his Fleet, took in provision of corn, provided by Alexander, to serve his army aboard for ten days: repaired his ships, that were any ways leaky, and left such of his Mariners as he found not fit for sea, with Leonatus to serve at land, and took others in their room, out of his companies, [ Arria, in his Indica, pag. 185.]

Philippus, whom Alexander had made Governor over the Oxydracans and Mallians, was set upon by his own mercenary companies, and by them murdered; and the murderers presently were set upon by the Macedonians which were of his guard; and either then present, or immediately after, taken and hewed in pieces for their pains

It is said, that Alexander endured many a hard brunt, and suffered more losses, in the country of the Gedrosians, than in all Asia besides; so that of all that army, which he carried with him into India, he brought scantly a fourth part out of Gedrosia; what with grievous diseases, ill diet, burning heats, deep sands, want of water, and famine, which he suffered in those parts. But Nearchus says, that Alexander, though he were not ignorant of the incommodities of this way, yet out of a selfwill'd ambition, which reigned, or rather raged in him, he would need force his way thorough it forsooth; because some had told him that Semiramis, and Cyrus both, had gone that way into India; and therefore he would needs return the same way out of it: though it was told him withal, that she was fain to save herself by flight from thence, with 20 men only in her company; and Cyrus with seven, thinking it would prove a great glory for him, if, when they suffered so much there, he should be able to come off with his army safe and sound: wherefore partly out of this ambition, partly to favor and relieve his Navy, which he had appointed to meet him in those parts, it was, that Nearchus says, he would needs return homeward thorough that country. When his guides, missing their way thorough those vast sands, by reason the wind had confounded and covered all the tracks, which lead thorough them; Alexander guessing out of his own mother wit, that the way must needs lie on the left hand, took a small company of Horse with him, and went to see whether he could recover the sea shore or no: but their horses being all spent to five, with the length and torridnesse of the way, lay behind, and he with those five only in his company, came at length to the sea side, where digging a while, and finding fresh water to drink, he presently sent back for his whole army to come thither to him: and when they were come, he marched forward seven days journey, along the sea coast, and found plenty of fresh water all the way; and then his guides having found the way again, led him up into the midland countries, as he desired, [ Strabo, ibid. pag. 722. Arria. pag. 142.]

At two months end therefore, after he parted from the country of the Oritans aforesaid, he came to the chief city of the Gedrosians, called Pura, and there he rested his army; and refreshed them with feastings, as was very fitting, and high time for him to do, [ Strabo, ut sup. pag. 723. Arria. pag. 140. and 142. and Plut. in Alexan. ]

From thence he dispatched away the swiftest courriers that possible he could find, to Phrataphernes, whom he had left Governor of Parthia, and to the two Presidents of the Provinces of Drangia and Aria, lying at the foot of the mount Taurus, with commands to them, that they should forthwith get together as many Camels, Dromedaries, and others, with all sorts of beasts of draught or carriage, as possibly they could, and load them all with victuals, of all sorts, and send them in all haste to meet him at his first entry into the country of Carmania; These letters speedily carried, and duly executed on all hands, caused, that when he came into Carmania, he found there all kind of provisions necessary, ready to receive him and his army, at the place appointed.

Menon, the Governor of the Arachosians, being lately dead, Alexander made one Sibyrtius, Governor of Arachosia and Gedrosia, both.

As Alexander was upon his march towards Carmania, news was brought him of the death of Philippus, Governor of the Oxydracans and Mallians: whereupon he presently wrate away to Eudemus and Taxilas, and by his letters, commended the charge and care of those two Provinces unto them, until he should send a Governor to succeed in Philip's room.

So soon as he set foot in Carmania, Astaspes the Satrape of that province, met him, of whom there was a suspicion that he would have revolted from him, whiles he was in India. Alexander concealing the grudge which thereupon he bare him, received him very graciously, and used him according to his rank and quality, whiles in the mean time, he sought by all means possible to find out whether the suspicion that was raised of him were true or false.

Here Craterus came unto him, with the rest of the army, and the Elephants, and bringing with him Ordones, all. Ozines, and Zariaspes, whom he had taken into custody, for having endeavored a revolt in Persia. And thither came also Stasanor, Governor of the Provinces of Parthia and Hircania; and with them, the Captains and Commanders of all those forces which he had formerly left with Parmenion, in the Province of Media, to wit, Cleander and Sitalces, and Heracon and Agetho, which brought him 5 thousand foot, with a thousand horse.

Now the several Governors and Presidents in the parts of India, sent him in here, an infinite number of horses and other beasts of draught and carriage, some for pack-saddles, and some for panniards, out of every country of his dominions in India, some. Stasanor also, and Phrataphernes, brought him a huge number of drought Horses, and Camels. And Alexander presently distributed them all among those that wanted them to carry their goods upon, some he bestowed upon particular Captains, the rest he distributed among the soldiers, by troops and companies, as he saw cause; He also new armed his soldiers with as much bravery as ever: for why? they now drew near unto Persia, a country full, not only of peace, but also of all manner of plenty and wealth.

Here Alexander (as Arrianus report out of Aristobulus) offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to his gods for his victory over the Indians, and for the safe coming of his army out of Gedrosia: and withal, entertained his armies with sports of music and wrestlings, and such like: and moreover took Pencestes, who covered him with his target in the country of the Mallians, to be the chief Squire of his body, an honor, which at that time, seven only men had borne; Leonatus, Hephaestion, Lysimachus, Aristonus (all born in Pella) Perdicas of the country of Macedonia; Ptolomei the son of Lagus, and Pithon, and the 8 was Pencestes, for his brave behavior in saving the King from the Mallians. Others, and among them, Diodore, and Curtius, and Plutarch, say, that Alexander, whether in imitation or emulation of Bacchus, but in a drunken manner, spent seven days with his army, in his passage through Carmania, [ Diodorus. and Plutarch in the life of Alexander, and in the book of his good fortune; and Curtius, lib. 9. c. 18. with lib. 3. ib. c. 24. & lib. 8. c. 19.] which Arrianus therefore holds for very improbable, because that neither Ptolomeus, Aristobulus, nor any other credible Author in this kind, make any mention of it.

Aspastes the Governor of Carmania, was put to death, and Tlepolemus made Governor in his room, [ Curt. lib. 9. cap. ult. Arria. lib. 6. pag. 142. and again in his Indica, pag. 193.]

Cleander and Sitalces, who slew Parmenion, by Alexanders command, were accused to him for many vilanies (which I mentioned before) by them committed both by the Provincials, and also by the army itself: not could that slaughter by them committed, how acceptable soever it was to the King, expiate in his mind such a multitude of vilanies and gross misbehaviours, as were laid to their charge: wherefore he put them forthwith in chains, to be done to death when he thought fit: but seven hundred private soldiers, whom they had used as executioners of their vilanies, he caused there presently to be executed, and at the same time also was execution done upon Ozines and Zariaspes, whom Craterus had brought prisoners, for endeavoring a rebellon in Persia as was said before.

Mean while Nearchus, having sailed along the coast of the Arabii, the Oritans, the Gedrosians, and the Icthyophagians (so called because they lived only upon fish) arrived in the Gulf of Persia, and came to Harmozia, all. Armusia (which is now called Ormus, or Ormusa) and there drew up his ships, and went over land with a small retinue to Alexander, who as he heard by a Grecian, which came from the army, was not above five days journey off, and found him in a certain sea Town, called Salmuntes, busy in making stage-plays there, and sitting himself on the open theater.

Alexander also offered sacrifice there, to Jupiter, by the name of a deliverer, and to Hercules and Apollo, by the name of Apollo, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e, ) the deliverer from evil, and Neptune for bringing his army safe out of the Ocean. He also made sports and games of Music, and other Gymnick exercises; and made a pageant, which was led in by Nearchus, all the army setting themselves on work, to get flowers and garlands to strow upon him.

Alexander, having fully heard the relation which he made of his whole voyage, sent him back to the fleet, with a small army to convoy him, because the whole country, which he was to pass, was, as he thought, friend, and willed him to sails up as far as the very mouths of the Euphrates, and to be in a readiness from thence to row up to Babylon, when order should be given.

Tlepolemus was scantly warm in his Strapie or Government of Carmania, when the natives all rose, and possessed themselves of the principal and strongest places, of that country: these also set upon Nearchus in his return, in sundry places, so that he was often put to it, and forced to fight twice or thrice in a day: yet with much ado, he came at length safe to the sea side, where he sacrificed to Jupiter his deliverer, and made games of dancing, running, wrestling, and the like: then loosing from Ormuse, he kept along by the shore of the Persian gulf; and by such stages, as Arrianus in his Indica, out of Nearchus himself, delivereth, came to the mouth of the River Euphrates.

Alexander, understanding by letters from Potus and Taxiles, that Abisarus was dead, gave his kingdom to his son. He sent away also Eudemon, all. Eudemus, who was commander of the Thracians, to succeed Philip, slain, as a foresaid, in the government of the Oxydracans and Mallians.

He sent Hephaestion with the greater part of the army, and with the carriages and Elephants, to go out of Carmania into Persia by sea for that the Persian sea in the winter season it always calm, and there was great store of provision in those parts.

Stasanor being sent back to his Government, Alexander himself, with the choicest of his Foot, and with the Horse of his confederates, and a part of his Archers, marched to Pasargadas in Persia, where he gave money among the women, as the fashion of the Persian Kings was, when ever they came into Persia, to give unto every woman there, a piece of gold.

At his very entrance into Persia Orsines, all. Orxines met him: He it was, who after the death of Phrasaortes the Governor there, (Alexander being then a far off in India) by his authority kept the Persians in their due subjection and allegance to him, till he gave order for another Governor to succeed in the deceased room. He was descended from one of the seven Princes of Persia, and deduced his pedigree from Cyrus himself, and now came, and met Alexander, and presented not him alone, but all his nobles also, with rich gifts, only he gave nothing to Bagoas the Eunuch, and the Kings bardaschy; which proved afterward the cause of his destruction, [ Curtius lib. 4. cap. 27. and lib. 10. cap. 3. Arrianus lib. 6.]

Whiles he was at Pasargadas there came unto him Atropates, the Governor of Media, bringing with him prisoner Baryaxes a Median, who had worn his Turbant upright, and called himself king of Medes and Persians; him therefore he brought prisoner to the King; and all those, who had been partakers with him in that action. All which Alexander caused forthwith to be put to death.

But he was most of all offended at that vilany committed upon Cyrus, his monument, which he found all broken down and spoiled, and the precious things which he had formerly seen there, all save a lictier, and a golden urn, wherein his body was put, purloined, and that also was broken, and the covering of the urne taken off, and his very body tumbled out of it by those sacrilegious thieves, and they had also gone about to hew in pieces, and batter the urne or coffin itself, the better to carry it away, by pieces, if it might have been; which because they could not, therefore they left it behind them. But Alexander presently gave order to Aristobulus, to rebuild his sepulcher in such form as it was before, and for those parts of his body which were left, to put them into the urne again, and to make a new cover for it; and to reform what was defaced, and to embellish it in all points, as formerly it was: and moreover, to mute up the door, which led into the Chapel, where the body lay, with lime and stone, and to put the impression of the Kings seal upon it. All this Strabo reports, out of Aristobulus himself, [lib. 5. pag. 173.] And Arrianu, at the end of his 6 book.

After this, Alexander commanded the Magi or Priests, which had the keeping of the Sepulcher, to be taken and had to the rack, to make them confess the authors of this sacrilege, who yet could never be drawn to confess anything, either against themselves, or any other person, and thereupon were discharged: yet Plutarch says, that Polymachus, though no mean person, and a Pellaean borne, was put to death by Alexander, only for opening and looking into the Sepulcher.

From Pasargada, Alexander marched to Persepolis, the Royal Seat of the Kings of Persia, which he himself had set on fire, and burnt to the very ground; but now at his return thither, he blamed himself for so doing. Here were many foul matters laid to Orxines his charge: as, That he had spoiled and robbed the Kings houses, and sepulchers of the dead, and done many of the Nobility of Persia to death. But in particular, Bagoas the Eunuch put it into the Kings head, that perhaps it was he, that had robbed the sepulcher of Cyrus too: wherein, said he, I have heard Darius say, there were 3000 talents laid up; and wrought so far with the King, that he forthwith caused the Noblest person of all the Persian Nation, and to him a most affectionate servant, to be crucified.

At the same time also, Phradates, who had formerly been Governor of the Hircanaius, and Mardians, and Tapyrians, being now drawn into suspicion of making himself a King, was put to death, [ Curt. lib. 8. cap. 8. and lib. 10. cap. 4.]

Alexander now made Pencestes, (of whose worth in all kinds he had had so good proof, especially in that danger of his among the Mallians) Governor of Persia. And he presently, and only of all the Macedonians, put himself into the Median attire, and fell a learning of the Persian tongue: and began withal to order matters all after the Persian garb; for which Alexander much commended him, and the Persians were glad at heart, to see him use the Persian, rather than the Macedon attire.

And now a toy took Alexander again in the head; and he would needs fall down the Euphrates, and Tigris, and go see the Persian sea, and how those Rivers fell into the Ocean there, as formerly he had done, at the River Indus, and the sea which that falls into. Also, he had a purpose to sail round the coast of Arabia first, and then of all Africa; and so to return into the Mediterran Sea, and to Macedon by the way of Hercules his pillars, [ Arria. lib. 7.] And being in this mood, he gave order to the Governors of Mesopotamia, to fell timber in Lebanon, and to carry it to Thapsacus a City in Syria, and to make keeles for huge ships to be built thereon; not all of seven tire high, as Curtius hath it; but some of one size, some of another, as we shall see anon out of Aristobulus, and all to be brought overland to Babylon: and order was given to the Kings of Cyprus to provide, brass, and towe, and sails, for this Fleet, [ Curt. lib. 10. cap. 2.]

Nearchus, and Obesicritus, coming with the Fleet to the mouth of the Euphrates, anchored at Diridotis, which is the chief Mart Town of the whole Province of Babylon; and where the Merchants of Arabia, with their frankincense and spicery, use to discharge; And there hearing that Alexander would go to Susa, they fell back, and went to the mouth of the River Pasitigris; and rowing up that River, they came to a country well inhabited, and plentifully stored with all provisions; and having rowed 150 furlongs, they there came to an anchor again; attending the return of them whom Nearchus had sent to bring him word where the King was. Mean while Nearchus there again sacrificed to the gods his deliverers, and made Games; so that the whole Sea-army, gave themselves wholly to pastime and merriment, [ Arria. in his Indica. ]

Calanus an Indian borne, and a Gymnosophista, or of the sect of Philosophers, which went naked in those parts, having now attained the 73 year of his age, and had never in all that time felt ach in his bones, or other sickness or distemper in his body; happened now to fall into his first sickness at Pasargadas; wherefore finding some feebleness in his parts, and them to grow weaker every day more than other, when he came to the borders of the territory of Susa, (for there it was that this fell out, as Diodorus saith; and not in a suburbe of the City of Babylon, as Elian. lib. 5. Varia. Histor. cap. 6. will have it) he petitioned Alexander, that he would cause a great pile of wood to be made, and that when he was got up upon it, he would cause some of his servants to put fire to it. The King at first endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose; but when he could not, and the man told him, that if not that, he would die some other way: Alexander commanded a pile of wood to be dressed as he desired, and bad Ptolemy the son of Lagus, to take care for it, [ Diodorus. lib. 17. Strabo, lib. 15. pag. 686. & 717. & Arria. lib. 7.] But as he was going to the Pile of wood, he saluted and kissed the hands, and bad farewell to all the rest, of his friends: but Alexanders hand he would not kiss; saying, that he should meet with him time enough at Babylon, to kiss it there; meaning, that he should die there, [ Arria. lib. 7. pag. 160. Plut. in Alex. Cic. lib. 1. De divinat. Valer. Max. lib. 1. cap. 8.]

Now Nearchus tells us, that so soon as the fire was put to the p •• e of wood, the trumpets sounded, for so Alexander had appointed; and the whole army there present, gave a shout, as if they had been ready to join in a battle: the Elephants also at the same time made a noise, such as they use when they enter fight in the field; as if all had conspired to honor the funeral of Calanus. [ Arrianus. ]

Chares of Mitylene, addeth further, that Alexander, to honor his funeral, caused a prize of Musicians and Wrestlers to be proclaimed: and that, desirous herein to gratify the Indian Nation, he made one match of drinking, a thing usual among them; and that he appointed a talent for him that could drink most, and 30 pounds for the second, and ten for the third: and when he had called many of his Nobles and Captains to that feast, he that drank most, was one Promachus, who drank off four gallons and one pottle, and having received his talent for his prize, lived three days after, and then died; of the rest, 35 finding a stark chillinesse coming on them by the surfeit which they took instantly, and six others of them, shortly after, were found dead in their tents, [ Athenaeus, lib. 10. cap. 12. Plutarch in Alexander. Elian. Vaira. Histor. lib. 2. c. p. 42.]

Nearchus, and Onesicritus, with their Navale army; continuing their course up the river Pasitigris came to a bridge newly made, over which Alexander with his army was to pass, to come to Susa; and there they anchored, [ Arria, in his Indica, pag. 197. Pliny, [lib. 6. cap. 23.] saith, they found him at Susa, keeping holiday seven months after he left them at Patala, and in the 3 month after they set sails from thence: or rather in the sixth month, seeing we have already made it appear that they set out from Patalene, the very next month after he parted from them at the City Patala.

Now when both armies both of land and sea, were come together, Alexander offered sacrifice yet again, for his Navy and Army both, so preserved, and made plays and games for it: and where ever Nearchus went through the spaces of the camp, every man strowed flowers, and cast garlands on him, [ Arria. ut sup. ]

Alexander, having sent away Atropates to his Government, marched to susa: where when Abulites; who had made no provision at all for his entertainment, only presented him with 3 thousand talents of silver, he bade him lay it before his horses, and when they would none of it; for what purpose then, said he, is this money: Plutarch saith that Alexander laid Abulites in irons, and struck his son Oxathres all. Oxyartes through with a javelin: Arrianus saith, that he put both the father and son to death, for their ill behavior, in their government at Susa.

Many of the Nations, which he had conquered, came in and complained of their Governors who little dreaming of Alexanders ever returning out of India, committed many and monstrous outrages, both upon the temples of their gods, and upon the sepulchers of the dead, and also upon the persons and fortunes of the subject: all which Alexander commanded to be executed in the view of those who came to complain against them, without all respect of nobility, favor or service, which otherwise they might have done; and now also Cleander and Sitalees, whom he had condemned whiles he was yet in Carmania, he caused to be executed for company, as guilty of the like disorders. Heracon also, who hitherto had scaped scot free, but was now accused by the men of Susa, for robbing and ransacking their temple, and thereof convicted, suffered according to his deserts. And now Alexander grew ready to hearken to every slight accusation, upon trivial matters, and to punish with death and torment, every small offense, conceiving with himself, that they who acted small matters, intended greater in their minds.

And when the fame of such his severity against his officers in their several places flew abroad, many, considering what themselves had done, began to fear what might come thereof: some of which packing up what moneys they had gotten, fled away into unknown parts, others who commanded over mercenary companies, openly revolted from him: whereupon letters were presently dispatched away to all the Governors and Presidents of countries throughout all Asia, to disband and send away all mercenary companies, [ Diodorus. yer 2. Olym. 113.]

No sooner then, was this order put in execution; but forthwith many strangers, finding themselves cashiered, went straggling over all Asia, and for want of pay, lived upon the spoil of the country, till at length they all came into one body, at Tenarus in Laconia: and so likewise all the Commanders and Governors of the Persians which were left, gathering together what men and moneys they could make, came all to Tenarus, and there joined their forces together, [ Id. year 3. Olymp. 113. and year 2. Olymp. 114.]

Alexander now took to wife, Statira, the eldest daughter of Darius, and besides her another, as Aristobulus tells us, called Parysatis, the youngest daughter of Ochus; and gave Drypates the youngest daughter of Darius, and his own wives sister in marriage to Hephaestion. To Craterus, he gave Amestris, the daughter of Oxyarta, all. Oxathra, a daughter of Oxathres the brother of Darius. Perdiccas married the daughter of Atropates the governor of Media. Nearchus had given him to wife the daughter of Spitamenes the Bactrian; to Ptolemeus the son of Lagus, the squire of his body, and to Eumenes, were given the two daughters of Artabazus, and sisters unto Barsina, by whom, though not in lawful wedlock: Alexander himself had a son, called Hercules. Ptolomei his wife, was called Artacama, all. Apama; but she whom Eumenes married, Artonis: where we must note by the way, that the name of Barsine in Arrianus, [ lib. 7. pag. 148.] is put for Statira: But in Plutarch, in the beginning of the Life of Eumenes, where he nameth his wife, it is, I know not how, crept in for Artonis.

Upon all the rest of his Nobles likewise, Alexander bestowed wives, of the most illustrious families that were of the Medes and Persians, in all to the number of 80, as Arrianus, or 90, as Elian, 92 as Chares, 100 as Plutarch, in his discourse of the Fortune of Alexander affirmeth. Now these marriages of Alexander and his Nobles were all made and solemnised, at one and the self same time, the King bestowing a dowry with everyone of them; and for five days together, celebrated these marriages, with that pomp and magnificence of feasting, and Mascarades, as is set down by Elian, [lib. 8. cap. 7. Var. Hist. and by Atheneus, Deipnosoph. lib. 12. cap. 18. out of Chares of Mytylene, lib. 10. of his History of Alexander. ] To everyone of the guests, who amounted in all to the number of nine thousand; it is said, that he gave a golden vial to sacrifice a drink offering withal. To the rest of the Macedonians, who had formerly married wives out of Asia, which amounted to above ten thousand men, he gave them every man wedding gifts.

Moreover, he thought it fitting at this time, to pay everyone of the soldiers debts out of his own store: and when he had given order that everyone should give in a ticket of what he owed, that thereupon they might receive every man his money, at the first very few gave in their tickets, fearing that this was but a devise of the Kings to find out who they were, that could not live of their pay, by reason of their riotous expenses. But among those, who did give in their names, there was one Antigenes, with one eye, and who had lost the other under Philip, at the siege of Perinthus, with the hurt of a dart from the wall. He feigning himself to be more in debt then indeed he was, brought one to the pay-master; who affirmed to him, that he had lent the said Antigenes so much money: whereupon Antigenes received it. But the King being afterward informed of this abuse of his, grew worth thereat, and forbad him ever after to come within his court, and took from him an office, which he had; which brand of ignominy, he took so to heart, that he thought thereupon to kill himself; which Alexander perceiving, remitted his displeasure, and suffered him to enjoy his money.

But when he heard that many, who were truly in debt, would not yet give in their names, but would keep their own counsel, and would not be know what they ought, he then openly blamed them for being so distrustful of him, saying, that a King should be no other than true to his subjects, nor the subjects have other opinion of their King, but that he would be in all things true unto them. And then he caused tables to be set out in sundry places of the Camp, with monies on them; and whoever brought in his ticket of what he owed, received presently his money, without being asked so much as what his name was, and then they began to believe that Alexander was Alexander, and a man of his word, indeed.

The largesse of his among his soldiers, amounted, as Justin and Arrianus report, to upward of 20 thousand talents, whereas Diodorus more probably saith, that it came to little less than ten thousand, for Curtius and Plutarch say, that of 10 thousand talents brought forth, there were, 130 left all paid, with this lennoy over and above of Curtius, So that, saith he, that army, conqueror of so many nations, brought yet more honor and glory, then spoil and riches out of Asia.

Sundry other gifts did Alexander at that time bestow upon several men in the army, either according to degree and quality, or in regard of some memorable services which they had done, and upon those which excelled in this kind, he bestowed over and above Crowns of gold to wear: as first, upon Pencestes, who covered him with his Target against the Mallians, and next him upon Leonatus, who at the same time also fought most manfully in his defense, and had upon sundry occasions behaved himself bravely in the country of the Oritans, and thirdly upon Nearchus, who had brought his Navy and army, therein safe out of Indie thorough the Ocean into those parts: and in the fourth place One •• critus, the Pilot of the Kings ships, and then Hephaestion, and other squires of his body.

Mean while, there came unto him the Governors of sundry Cities, which he had built, and divers Provinces, by him subdued, bringing with them to Susa 30 thousand soldiers out of Persia and other Nations (of which I spake formerly in the year of the World 3676.) all young men, and of an age, goodly persons all, to look on, and of great performance. These being thus selected by the Kings command, and trained and marshalled after the Macedonian manner and discipline in feats of arms, and all gloriously armed, encamped before the walls of Susa; where when they had given a proof of their readiness and good address in Marshal Discipline before the King, the King highly rewarded them every man, and gave them the name of Epigoni; that is, of an after brood, growing up in their room, who in feats of Chivalry, and Conquering the World, had gone before them.

Alexander, [Year of the World d.] having delivered over the greater part of his land army to Hephaestion, to be led to the coast of the Persian Gulf, and given order for his Navy to come to the country of Susa; took shipping there with his silver Targateers and his Phalaux or Main Squadron, and part of his fellow Cavalleers, and fell down by the River Ulay, into the Gulf of Persia. But before he came at it, left many of his ships, which were any ways bilged and leaky, and with the rest went forward and came about from the mouth of that River by sea, to the River Tigris: the rest he sent up the channel or cut, by which the Tigris is drawn into the Ulay, and so they also came into the River itself of Tigris.

Alexander, compassing about all the shore of the Persian Gulf, which lieth between the two mouths, that of the River Ulay, and that other of Tigris, came to his Camp; where Hephaestion with the army attended his coming. Then returned he again to Opis, a City seated upon the bank of the Tigris; and as he went on, caused all the dams, locks, and sluices, which the Persians had made upon that River, to hinder the access of any enemy by sea to Babylon, to be taken away; saying, That they were but shifts and devises of those, who were of little worth in themselves, [ Arria. lib. 7. with Strabo, lib. 16. pag. 740.]

But so soon as he came to Opis, he called all his army together, and declared to them that his purpose was, to discharge all such, as through age, or otherwise, found themselves grown unserviceable for the war, and to give them free leave to return every man to his own home: but for such as were able and would stay, he promised to make their condition such, and to bestow such largesse upon them, as should make their eyes ache, that lay idleing at home; and should encourage the rest of the Macedonians to come and share with them in their fortunes.

This he did with a purpose to gratify the Macedonians: But they took it, as if thereby he went about to disgrace them, and held them for no better than a company of useless men for his wars; and champing upon this bit, called to mind all other grievances, and occasions of discontent by him formerly given them in any kind: as that he went attired in a Median Robe; and that all those goodly marriages that he made, were all solemnized forsooth, after the Persian fashion: that Pencestes his Governor of Persia, was turned altogether Persian, both in attire and language, and that Alexander himself delighted, but too much, in these new fangles, and outlandish fashions. That the Bactrians, Sogdians, Arachosians, Zarangians, Arians, Parthians, and those Persian Horse, which were called Euacae, were mixed with, and reckoned among his fellow Cavaliers. That now there was a fifth Brigade of Horse set up; not altogether indeed consisting of foreign nations; but yet that increasing the number of his Horse, there were taken into them, Cophes the son of Artabazus, Hydarves, and Artiboles, the two sons of Mazaeus, Itanes the son of Oxyartes, and brother to Roxane, Alexanders wife, Aegobares, and his brother Mithrobaeus; and that he had made Hydaspes a Bactrian by birth, Commander over that Regiment: and that instead of the Macedonian Spear, they used a Javelin, after the manner of foreign nations. That he had erected a new company of young foreigners, calling them Epigoni, and armed them after the Macedonian manner. And lastly, that in all things he despised and scorned the Macedonian Discipline and Customs, and the Macedonians themselves: wherefore one and all cried out, and desired to be discharged, and to serve no longer in the wars: bidding him and his father Hammon, go fight hereafter if they would, seeing he grew weary of, and cared no more for his own soldiers, who had hitherto fought for him.

In this combustion, Alexander enraged as he was, leapt off the place, where he stood speaking to them, and with such Captains as were about him, and flew in among them, and took thirteen of the principal mutineers, and which stirred up this sedition among the rest; and delivered them to the Serjeants, to be bound hand and foot and thrown into the Tigris: so great was either the dread of the King upon them in making them take their death so patiently as they did, or the resolution of the King himself, in doing them to death, according to Marshal Discipline: and then attended only with his Nobles and Squires of his body, he went to his lodging; and there neither eat nor slept, nor suffered any man to have access to his presence all that day, no nor yet the next.

Upon the third day, he called his foreign soldiers together, commanding the Macedonians, not to bugde out of their Tents; and when they came, he spake to them by an interpreter, and commanded their perpetual loialty to himself, and to their former Kings, and withal reckoned up, and put them in mind of the many favors and honors, which he had conferred upon them, how he had never used them as conquered persons, but as fellow soldiers and partakers, of all his conquests, and had mingled the conquered with the conquerors, by mutual affinities & entermarryings, the one with the other: Wherefore, saith he, reckon not yourselves, as made, but born, my soldiers: The kingdoms of Asia and Europe are become all one; what was novelty before, is now grown natural by long use and custom, and you are no less my countrymen, then you are my soldiers.

And presently he chose out of them a thousand tall young men, and appointed them for a guard of his person, the chief commands of the army, he bestowed among the Persians, and called the several Troups and Companies, by Macedonian names, and these he also called his Cousins and Nobles, and gave them only the privilege, to be admitted to kiss his hand, [ see Polyanus Stratag. 4. in Alexandernu 7.]

When the Macedonians saw the King come abroad guarded only with Persians, and that out of them, all Serjeants, and other attendants were taken, and they promoted to all places of dignity and honor, about his person, and themselves cast off, with scorn and infamy; their courage abated, and conferting a while among themselves, ran all together to the Kings lodging, and casting off all their cloths to their very wast-coats, threw down their arms at the Court gates; and standing themselves without, lift up a pitiful cry, and desired to be admitted, offering to give up every author of that mutiny, and desired the King to satiate himself with their deaths, rather than their disgraces. But he, though his choler were down, yet would not admit them: and they on the contrary would not away, but continued there crying and howling two whole days and nights, and calling upon him, by the name of their Lord and master, protesting never to leave his gate, until he had mercy on them: wherefore upon the third day he came forth unto them, and seeing their humiliation, and dejection before him, with their unfeigned sorrow, and hearing their pitiful complaint and lamentation which they made, was moved to compassion of them; and wept a long time over them: and when he stood a good while, as if he would speak unto them, but could not; and they continued all that time upon their knees before him.

Then one Callines by name, a man venerable for his age, and of no mean esteem in the regiment of his fellow Cavaliers, spake thus unto him. This is that, saith he, O king, which grieves thy Macedonians, that now thou hast made some of the Persians, thy Cousins, and these thou hast received to kiss thy hand, and hast deprived thy Macedonians of this honor, and when he would have proceeded, Alexander interrupted him, and said, I now make you all my Cousins, and from henceforward, will call you by that name. This said, Callines stepped out, and went and kissed his hand, and so did as many else, as had a mind to it, and then taking every man up his arms again, they all returned with joy and triumph into the Camp.

Then went the King and sacrificed to the gods, as he was wont to do, and made a general feast for all the army; sitting down himself, first with his Macedonians, and then the Persians, and after them, the rest, according to their several ranks and qualities in the Army. Then took Alexander a bol • , and drank, and so it went round among the Macedonians. The Grecian Prophets, and Persian Priests; pouring forth their prayers, and among all other prosperities, and favors from their gods, desired of them, to grant a concord and unity of Empire between the Macedonians and Persians, and both kingdoms. It is said, that there were nine thousand guests, which sat at this feast, and that they all pledged this health, and sang the same Pae • na, or Song of joy and gladness unto Apollo, as they used to do, when they returned from a victory into their Camp.

Alexander, passing over the Tigris, encamped in a country, called Cares, and then having passed the region called Sitacene in four days march, he came to Sambana; where he camped seven days: and then after three days journey, he arrived at Celovae, where Xerxes heretofore had made a plantation, of those, which he brought out of Baeotia, and then turning a little out of the right way, leading to Babylon, he went to see Bagisthenes, a country, abounding with fruit, and all other commodities, belonging either to the pleasure or profit of man's life.

Mean while, Harpalus a Macedon born, chief Baron and Tresurer, of all the Kings monies in Babylon, and revenues of that whole province, being privy to himself of his wastfulnesse, and other ill behavior there, and knowing what Alexander had done, to many other Governors, upon complaints made of them, by the provincialls, got together five thousand talents of silver, and six thousand hired soldiers, and fled quite out of all Asia, and coming with them to Taenarus in Laconia, left them there, (whither, others also, which could not well stay in Asia, had already retired themselves, as I said before) and came himself to Athens, in suppliant wise: But when Antipater and Olympias demanded him out of their hands, he so dealt with the people of Athens, by feeing Demosthenes, and other Orators there, that he escaped, and returned safe to his company at Tenarus, [ Diodorus. year 2. Olymp. 113. Pausanias in his Attica, Plutarch in the lives of Demosthenes and Phocyon, ] In Arrianus there is a blank left, [ lib. 7. pag. 155.] in which place this flight of Harpalus from Babylon, should have been joined to that journey of Alexanders thitherward, [ as appears by Photios in his Biblioth, cap. 91.] and that there was an action brought against this Harpalus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e. ) of bribes received by him, Dionysius Halicarnassaeus, in the end of his Epistle to Ammaeus concerning Demosthens, when Anticles was L. Chancellor at Athens, which was, as I said before, in this 4 year of the 113 Olympiad, according to his account, plainly showeth.

A contention falling between Hephaestion and Eumenes, concerning a certain gift, whatever it was, and wherein many foul words passed between them, Alexander composed the difference and made them friends, much against Hephaestions will, and not without some threatening speeches used by Alexander to him; but much to the content of Eumenes, [ Plut. in Eumenes. Arria. l. 7. p. 155.]

Alexander from hence came into a country, [Year of the World 3680. a.] where great herds of the kings of Persias horses fed, for in this place, called the Nicaean Country, there were wont to be kept 150 or 160 thousand horses of the kings, though Alexander at his coming thither found not, as Arrianus saith, above fifty thousand, or at most sixty, as Diodorus hath it.

When Alexander had encamped here 30 days, he set forward again, and upon the 7 day after, came to Ecbatane, the chief city of all Media: the circumference whereof was said to be 250 furlongs, where, as his manner was, after any good success, he offered sacrifices, and made games of music, and gymnic sports, and exercises in honor of his gods; and feasted himself with his nobles; and then having ordered all matters in that kind, he returned again to see his stage-plaiers, and Anticks act their parts, and moreover, instituted certain set feasts and clubbings, because there were newly come unto him out of Greece, 3 thousand Cooks, and other ministers, and artificers of that kind.

Apollodorus of Amphipolis, a noble man about Alexander, and whom he had made General of that army, which he had left with Mazaeus, when he made him Governor of the City and province of Babylon, hearing what course he took with such Governors or chief officers as he had set over the several regions of his dominions, took a fright, as his fellow Harpalus had done before him, and having a brother called Pythagoras, who was a kind of a soothsayer, consulted him by his letters, to know what was like to become of him: And Pythagoras by his letters back again to him, desired to kow for fear of whom it was that he would have his fortune told? and he answered, it was for fear of Alexander and Hephaestion: whereupon he first looked into the entrails of a beast for Hephaestion, and when he found that the liver of it had no filets, he wrate back again to his brother from Babylon to Ecbaton, and bade him never fear Hephaestion, for that he should shortly depart this life himself; which letter, Aristobulus reports, was written the very day before Hephaestion died, [ Arria. l. 7. with Apian, toward the end of his second book De Bell. Civi. ]

For Hephaestion being overmuch given to wine, sell thereby into a fever: and being a young man and a soldier, would keep no diet, which was prescribed him, but whiles his Physician Glaucus, all. Glaucias, was a little away, fell to his dinner as at other times, and eating of a roasted dunghill cock, & taking a huge draught of frigifacted wine after it, felt himself presently not well, and upon the seventh day after, died of it.

Upon the same day there were certain gimnic games, exercised before the King, by the boys, or pages of the Court, from which he suddenly arose, and went to see Hephaestion, but when he came, found him dead, whereupon he refrained all eating for 3 days space; nor took any care of himself; but lay all that while, either sullenly silent, or impatiently lamenting the loss of his Hephaestion: Afterward he changed his attire, and caused not only himself and his soldiers, but even very horses and mules, to be all shorn: and caused the pinnacles of Ecbatane, and all other cities and towns thereabouts, to be taken down from their walls, to the end that they looking in a worse, and more deformed fashion than they did before, might seem in a sort, to lament and bewail his death; and withal crucified his poor Physician that could not help it: commanded there should no found of pipe or flute be heard in all the camp, gave order for a general mourning among all Nations to be made for him, [ Diodorus, year 3. Olymp. 113. Plut. in his Alex. and Peloprdas. Arria. l. 7. and upon Epistetus, l. 2. c. 22. Elian Var. Hist. l. 7. c. 8.]

He gave his body to Perdiccas, to be carried to Babylon; for that there he intended to bestow on him a most magnificent funeral, and had often speech with the principal architects about him, of making a most sumptuous monument for him, especially, with Stasicrates, who made profession of new and rare inventions, in devising and erecting vast and excessive buildings.

Now Eumenes, fearing lest Alexander might conceive that he was glad of Hephaestions death, put him on the more upon this project, and suggested to him new devises, as pertaining much to the honor of Hephaestion, devoting both himself and his arms to Hephaestion, and sundry other of the Nobles, following Eumenes his example, did the like. [ Plutarch in the Life of Eumenes, and Arrianus lib. 7.]

And moreover, whereas Hephaestion was Colonel of the Regiment of the Kings fellow Cavaliers, he put none to succeed him in that place, lest happily the name of Hephaestion should be forgotten among them, but caused that Regiment to go by the name of Hephaestions Regiment. And the Cornet which he gave to be born still before them, when ever they went to fight.

At last, [Year of the World b.] to put himself out of this melancholy fit, he would needs go and make a needless war, and parting his army with Ptolomei, went a hunting of men, and to drive the country as he would drive a forest for wild beasts; and fell upon the Cossaeans, a people bordering upon the Uxians, and inhabiting the mountainous parts of Media: which all the Persian Monarchy could never bring under their subjection; nor were in all these wars ever daunted in courage, or thought the Macedonians such bugbears, as to be afraid of them. But he first took the passages leading thorough the mountains into their country, and wasted their borders: and going further on, routed them in sundry conflicts, and destroyed them wherever he came without mercy, and called that, Hephaestions funeral feast. Now as well Nearchus, as Arrianus, tells us, that he thus set upon these Cossaeans in the depth of Winter, when they little dreamt of any enemy to come upon them, [ Strabo, lib. 11. pag. 524. Arria. lib. 7. pag. 157. and in his Indica, pag. 196. See also Polyaenus, Stratag. lib. 4. in Alexan. nu. 31.]

The Cossaeans, seeing they had ever the worst of it, and grieved to see what multitudes of them were taken prisoners, were fain at length to redeem their fellows lives, with their own slavery; and giving themselves up wholly to Alexanders will and pleasure, had peace granted them, upon these terms, That they should be obedient in all things, to the King, and do whatever he commanded. So Alexander having subdued all that nation within 40 days space, and built sundry Cities upon the most difficult passages of the country, returned with his army.

Alexander sent one Heraclides, with certain Shipwrights into Hircania, to fell timber there, for the building of ships, all men of War, some with decks some without, after the Grecian manner; for he had a great desire to be acquainted also with the Caspian sea, and to know to whom it belonged.

When he had passed with his army over the Tigris, [Year of the World c.] then marched he strait forward to Babylon; yet so as he made divers encampings by the way, and rested his army in sundry places to refresh them; and when he removed at any time, made easy marches. And now he was come within 300 furlongs of Babylon, when the Chaldean Priests, and Prophets, sent unto him, by one of their own company, called Bellephantes, advising him by no means to come to Babylon; for that if he did, it would prove fatal to him.

Alexander, when he had understood by Nearchus, (for himself durst not have speech with Bellephantes) what these Chaldeans errand was, he sent many of his Nobles thither; but himself turned aside from it, and would not go into it, but encamped some 200 furlongs off from it, at a place called Bursia, which perhaps is the same which Prolomei calls Bersita, a City long since destroyed and there stayed.

There was he persuaded by Anaxarchus, and other Grecians, and their philosophical reasons, not to regard those predictions of the Priests and Magicians, but rather to reject and despise them, as vain and false. Whereupon he brake out with that Iambick Verse of Euripides,

Then the Chaldeans desired him, that if he would needs enter that City, yet at least he would not enter it with his face toward the West: but take the pains to go about, and come into it, looking toward the East. And Aristobulus tells us, that he was content to hearken to them in that point; and therefore the first day he marched as far as to the River Euphrates: but the next day, having the River on his right hand, he marched along the bank thereof, as desirous to pass by that part of the City which looked toward the West, that so he might come in looking toward the East: but when he found that way slabby, and full of slowes and fens, and cumbersome for his army to pass, he neglected that very point of their counsel also, and entered it, with his face toward the West, [ See Appian. toward the end of his second book, De Bello Civi. and Seneca, Suasor. 4.]

When he came to the walls of the City, he looked and beheld a flock of Crows, fighting and killing one another: whereof some fell down dead hard by him. And when Apollodorus told him, that he had a brother in that Citiy called Pythagoras, who was versed in the skill of soothsaying, by looking into the bowels of beasts offered in sacrifice, and that he had already consulted the gods that way concerning him; he forthwith sent for him, and asked him what he found concerning him: Sir, said he, I found the liver of the beast without strings or filets: without strings? (quoth Alexander) what means that? The meaning, Sir, is, quoth Pythagorus, that some great mischief hangs over your head: or as Appian, that you shall shortly die; for which so far was it off, that Alexander, grew offended with him, that from thence forward, he made the more of him; because of his free and clear dealing with him in the way of his profession: And thus much Aristobulus relates, that he learnt from Pythagoras himself.

When the Babylonians had entertained his army in all courteous manner, as at his former being there, they did, all betook themselves to ease and luxury, for that there was no want of anything that the heart of man could wish in that place, [ Diodorus. ]

While Alexander resided at Babylon, there came in Ambassadors to him from all the parts and nations of the world; for besides those that came out of Asia, from Cities, and Princes and Countries there, there came also sundry others, out of Europe and Affric: out of Affric, from the Ethiopians dwelling about the Temple of Hammon, and from the Carthaginians, and other Punic nations, bordering all along the sea coast, as far as Hercules his pillars, and the western sea, out of Europe, from the several Cities of Greece, and out of Macedon itself; as also from the Thraciants, Illyrians, Scythians, and out of Italy, from the Brutians, Lucanians, and Hetrurians, with the Islands of Sicily, and Sardinia, and from Spain and France, whose very names and habits, the Macedonians never knew nor had heard of before.

Alexander, calling for a list of them, appointed, which of them should have audience first, and so forward, till he should have heard them all; and he resolved to give audience first of all to such as came about any matter concerning religion: and in the second place, to such as came to him with presents, in the third, to them, who came about differences, or wars, which they had with their neighbouring nations. In the fourth, to them which came about their particular and private interests. And in the last place, those, who came to show cause, why they did not restore any Grecians, whom they had banished out of their cities or countries, to their homes and estates again; for the hearing of all which, he caused a throne of gold to be set up in the garden there, and seats for his nobles, all born up with feet or frames of silver; whereon taking his place with his Nobles, he purposed to give them audience, as Athenaeus [lib. 12. cap. 18.] reports out of one Ephippius Olynthius: wherein his chief purpose and care was, upon hearing of the cause, to give such answers, as might give all content, and send every man away satisfied and well pleased therewith.

The first which he gave audience to, were they, which came from the City Eli • , then to those, which came from the Temple and City of Ammon, from Delphi, from Corinth, Epidaurus and others, hearing of every of them in order, according to the dignity and same of the Temples, rather than of the cities from whence they came.

When he had heard the Ambassadors from Epidaurus, and granted their suit, he sent moreover a present and oblation by them to their God Esculapius; but with these words added, That Esculapius had dealt but untowardly with him, in taking lately away from him, a friend, whom he loved as his own life: and then look what Statues soever of illustrious persons, or Images of the gods, or any other consecrated thing Xerxes had heretofore taken and brought out of Greece, and set them up, or otherwise bestowed them in Babylon, Susa, Pasargada, or elsewhere in all Asia, those he gave order to the Ambassadors of Greece, to take and carry them home again with them, and among the rest, he now caused the brazen statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, to be returned to Athens, with the Image of Diana Cercaea.

But as concerning the restitution of the banditoes of Greece, he sent this short Epistle, by Nicanor, a native of the city Stagyra, to be read and proclaimed, at the next Olympian games to be held, in this wise. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. ( i. ) King Alexander, to the Banditoes of Greece, sendeth greeting. We were not in fault that you were banished, but we will take care, to see you restored to your former estates, all save such as are banished for outrageous crimes, of which things we have written to Antipater, requiring him to proceed by way of force, against all such as shall oppose your restitution, [Diod. lib. 17. year 2. Olymp. 113. and lib. 18. year 2. Olymp. 114.]

Having dispatched this matter of Embassies, he set himself to take care of Hephaestions funeral, commanding the Cities thereabouts to contribute what they possibly could, to the adornment thereof. And moreover sent an express command to all the Cities and nations of Asia to put out the fire, which among the Persians, is called Holy fire, till the exequies of this Funeral were fully finished, as was wont to be done, in the Funerals of the Kings of Persia: which was taken for an ill bode to the king himself, and as a portender of his death.

Whereupon all his chief Commanders and Nobles, set themselves, for the Kings pleasure, to make Medailes, or Portraictures of Hephaestion, graven in Ivory, or cast in gold, or other costly metal: Himself called together the most exquisite workmen, that were to be had, and a great number of them, and brake down the wall of Babylon, ten furlongs long; and took the brick of it, and first levelling the place, built thereon a four square pile, each square taking up a furlong in length, and 130 cubits high, whereon the body was to be burnt. This work of his Diodorus describeth at large, summing up the particulars, of the cost of this sumptuous Funeral; because the Mourners, the Soldiers, Ambassadors, and Natives of the Country, strove a vie, who should give most toward the charge thereof, amounting in all to above 12 thousand talents: which very sum, Justin also hath, [ lib. 12. cap. 12.] Though Plutarch and Arrianus, have but 10 thousand.

Alexander, throwing his arms first into the fire, threw in also gold and silver to be burned with him; with a Robe, of a great value and esteem among the Persians, [ Elia. Var. Histor. lib. 7. cap. 8.] and besides he made Gymnick Games, and of music, far beyond all that ever he had made before; both for number of the Prizers, and value of the Prizes themselves, to those, which wan them; for it is said, that there were no less than three thousand, which put in for the Prizes in all kinds, [ Arria. lib. 7.]

And then also it so fell out, that Philip, one of the Kings Nobles, returned to him from the Temple of Hammon, whither he had been sent, and brought word from the Oracle there, that Hephaestion might well be sacrificed to, as to a demy god: whereat Alexander was infinitely glad; and first of all offered to him upon that style: and then sacrificing to the number of 10 thousand beasts of all kinds, he made a Magnificent Feast to all the multitude, [ Diod. year 1. Olymp. 114. compared with Arria. lib. 7. pag. 157. 164.] He gave in charge also to Cleomenes the Governor of Egypt (as we have noted formerly in the year of the World 3673. a. ) a lewd man, to erect Templs to his name; and generally no contract in writing to be good or valid, if Hephaestions name were not subscribed to it: adding this also in the letter which he wrote unto him about this matter: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. ( i. e.) For if I shall find, that thou shalt have duly erected Temples to Hephaestion in Egypt as to a demy god; I will not only pardon thee all thy past offenses which in thy government thou hast committed; but whatever thou shalt hereafter commit in any kind, shall never be laid to thy charge by me. Whereupon many Cities presently fell in hand with building of Temples and Chapels, to Hephaestion, erecting altars, offering sacrifices, and enjoining Holidayes, to be kept in his name: and the most religious oath that a man could make, was if he sware by Hephaestion, it is true or false: And death it was for any man to faulter or fail in his devotion unto him: many dreams were said to have been of him, and that his ghost appeared to many; and of words which his ghost should utter, and answers which it made. To conclude, sacrifices were offered to him, as to a tutelary god, and a Revenger of all evil. Wherefore Alexander at the very first was wonderfully pleased with such fancies in other men; but after a while, he began to believe them himself; and spared not to brag and boast, that he was not only himself Joves son, but also that he could make gods of other men. At which time also, one Agathocles a Samian borne, and one of Alexanders prime Captains, was in extreme danger of his life, for being accused, that passing by Hephaestions Tomb, he was seen to weep; and had undoubtedly died for it, had not Perdiccas holpen him out by a lie of his own making, & swore it too, by Hephaestion himself, that Hephaestion appeared to him as he was a hunting, and told him, that Agathocles, did weep for him indeed, but not as for one that was dead, and now vainly called upon, and worshipped as a god; but wept only in a due remembrance of the former intimacy and familiarity that was between them two: but for which tale, Agathocles a great Soldier, and ever well deserving of the King, had without peradventure lost his life, for being so kind to his deceased friend, [ Lucian. in his book 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : ( i. e.) of false accusing. ]

The 114. Olympiad was celebrated at Eli’s, in which year all agree. that Alexander died: as [ Josephus says, lib. 1. cont. Apio. ] when Hagesias, all. Hegesias, was L. Chancelor at Athens: as [ Diodorus. lib. 17. says, ] and Arrianus in [ his 7 book ] of the Gests of Alexander, confirms, to wit, toward the end of his year of Chancelorship and in this very Olympic year, as shall eftsoons appear by the month wherein h •• died.

In that general assembly of all Greece, at the Olympic games, was that letter of Alexander, for the restoring of all band • toes, or ou • lawed persons, to their homes and estates again, read openly by him whose office it was to p • oclaim him that had won the prize in any kind of those games: nevertheless, the Athenians and E • o •• ans protested against it, [ Diodorus, year 2. Olymp. 1. 3. Justin, lib. 13. c. 5.]

Whiles he was at Babylon, he received, as Aristobulus reporteth, his fleet, which partly went out of the Euphrates, into the Persian sea, under the command of Nearchu • , and partly had been built in Phoenicia and Cyprus: of the Phaenician ships, there were two, each of them of five tire of Oares, and three, of four tire, of three tire high, twelve: and 30 vessels, of 30 Oares a piece, all which had been taken in pieces, and carried overland to the city Thapsacus, and there put together again, and came by the Euphrates unto Babylon, Alexander caused certain other ships also to be built at Babylon, of those Cypress trees which he found in their gardens there, for as for other timber fit for shipping, there was none to be found in those parts. And moreover there was brought unto him, lying at Babylon, all other provisions for shipping, out of Phoenicia, and other cities, lying along the sea coasts in Asia, and wrights, and mariners of all sorts, [ Strabo, lib. 16. pag. 741. Arian. lib. 7. pag. 161. out of Aristobulus. ]

Moreover Alexander caused a Port to be made among the Babylonians, big enough to receive a thousand sails of ships of war, adding galleries and docks thereto, and sent Miccalus a Clazomenian born, with 500 talents into Phoenicia and Syria, to persuade or hire as many seamen as possibly he could, to come and serve him: for he had a purpose to make several plantations upon the Persian gulf, assuring them that those, would be as rich to dwell in, as any places in Phenicia were, [ Arrianus, ibid. ]

All which preparation by sea, was to set upon the Arabians, under this color, that among all other nations, they only had never sent any Ambassadors unto him; nor shown any duty or respect unto him: whereas indeed, it was out of an immoderate desire he had to be sovereign over all alike, and whereas he had heard that they worshipped two gods only, Jove or Heaven, and Bacchus, he thought himself not unworthy to be worshipped as a third God among them; if he could overcome them, and restore to them, as he had done to the Indians, their pristine liberty, [ Strabo and A • ria. ut sup. ]

And whereas he had heard say that Arabia, lying upon the sea coast, was of as large an extent as all India, and had many Islands lying upon their coast, he sent Archias, and Androsthenes, to wi • , that Androsthenes of Thasus, (of whom Strabo, lib. 16. pag. 766. and Theophrastus, lib. 2. of Plants, cap. 7. maketh mention. ) and Hieron of Solos, with three ships of 30 Oares apiece, from Babylon, with charge, that sailing round about that Chersonese, or Peninsula of Arabia, they should discover and inform themselves of the ports of all that region: of these, Arenias brought him word, that there were two Islands which lay out in the sea, at the mouth of the river Euphrates, the one a lesser, consecrated to Diana, one hundred and twenty furlongs off from the land (which Alexander, as Aristobulus saith, caused to be called Icarus:) the other a greater one, a day and a nights sail off from the shore, in the same latitude, called Tylus: But Hieron, which went further than any of the rest, brought him word that the Cherso • se was of a vast extent, and had a foreland which ran far out into the Ocean: which they also who came with Nearchus by sea, out of India, descried to be not far off, before they stood in for the mouth of the Euph • ates, [ Arrianus, lib. 7. and in the end also of his Indica. ]

Whiles his ships of war were in building, and the haven a digging in Babylon, Alexander himself fell down the Euphrates, to the mouth of the river Pallacopa: distant from Babylon, some 800 furlongs, where rowing up and down, and, as Aristobulus saith, steering sometimes his own boat himself, he espied some certain ditches, which he caused to be scoured by such as were in his company; damming up the mouths of some, and opening others of them: And espying one dike among the rest, in the Arabian side, toward the fenny and mo • ry places thereof, having an outlet, hard to be stopped up, by reason of the rottenness of the soil, he opened a new mouth, 30 furlongs off from the other, in somewhat a more firm and hard ground, and forced the water course that way: He saw there also many monuments of old Assyrian Kings and Princes, which lay buried in that fenny Country, and midst of those loughs, [ Strabo, lib. 16. p. 741. Arria. l. 7.]

And sailing through those loughs into the body of Arabia, he there built a city, and a wall about it, planting there a colony of mercenary Greeks, and volunteers, and such as through age or otherwise, were grown unserviceable for the war, [ Arria. ib. ]

And now he began to laugh and scoff at the Chaldeans, and their predictions, for that he had both entered Babylon, and was come safe out of it, with his fleet; and therefore sailed the more bodily thorough those loughs of Arabia, having Babylon still on his left hand, [ Id. ibid. Appian. toward the end, lib. 2. De Bell. Civil. ]

And when at last, a part of his army wandered up and down in those parts, they knew not whither, for want of a Pilot, he sent them one, which brought them into the right channel again: then there arose a mighty wind, which severed the ship wherein himself was, from the rest of the fleet, and hurled the Kings hood or bonnet off from his head into the water; but his Turbant or Diademe, which was fastened to it, was rent from it, and driven by the wind upon a great reed, which grew up close to a sepulcher, of one of the Kings, which there lay buried, as I said before; which one of the mariners espying, swam unto it, and took it up, and in his return for fear of wetting it, clapt it upon his own head, Aristobulus saith that the marriner which did it, was a Phoenician born, and that he was well scourged for presuming to put the Kings Diademe or Turbant upon his head: yet Alexander upon this accident, consulted a wizard about it, and was by him advised to offer a magnificent sacrifice to the gods, and to be very diligent and devout therein, [ Diodorus. see Appian, in his Syriaca, pag. 124. in the Greek and Latin edition.]

When it was told Alexander, that the Athenians and Etolians would not obey his edict, concerning the restoring of their banditoes, he presently gave order for a thousand tall men of war to be built, with which he purposed to make a war in the west, and to begin it with the destruction of Athens itself, which yet never took effect, [ Justin lib. 13. cap. 5. see Curtius lib. 10. cap. 4.]

Alexander returning to Babylon, [Year of the World 3681] there gave himself over to ease and company keeping; so addicted to gluttony and drunkenness, that in the Diaries kept by Eumenes Cardianus, and Diodorus Erythraeus, it is often found, such and such a day or night, Alexander was carried drunk to bed, Athenae. lib. 10. cap. 11. with Phillinus in Plut. lib. 1. Sympos. cap. 6.] one example whereof, Elian. [lib. 3. Var. Histor. lib. 23.] reciteth out of the said Eumenes, which I thought good here to insert, to the end it may appear, that some use may be made of my treatise of the Macedonian year, comparing therewith, the days of our Julian Calendar, mending first that place in Elian, where it is written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without all sense, and making it mensis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nomine, (i. e. ) of the month called Dios, as thus: On the fifth of the month Dios (our September. 28.) he drank drunk, at Eumaeus his house; nor did anything all that day, but rise and give order to his Captains, whither they should march tomorrow, and telling, he would be going very early. And upon the seventh day (our September. 30.) he dined with Perdiccas, and there he fell to drinking again: and on the eighth, (our Octob. 1.) he slept all day, and upon the 15 of the same month (our Octob. 8.) he fell a drinking again, and the day following (our Octob. 9.) he slept it out all day according to his wonted fashion. Upon the 24. (our Octob. 17.) he supped at Bagoas his lodging, which was 10. furlongs off from the Kings palace, and then upon the third (or rather the fifth) he slept it out again.

Alexander, [The Julian Period. 4391] seeing Babylon to excel, [Year before Christ 323] both in greatness, and all other things, purposed to enbellish it all that might be, and to make it the place of his residence, forever after, [ Stra. lib. 15. pag. 731.] and resolved to rebuild the Temple of Belus, and raise it out of its old dust; and, as some say, to make it more magnificent than ever it was before: and when in his absence the Babylonians went on more slowly in the work than he would have had them, he intended to set himself and all his army to work about it. But because the work, would take up a great deal of labor and much time, therefore he was not able to go thorough with it, as he desired, for he was taken short by death, [ Id. lib. 16. pag. 738. with Arrianus lib. 6. pag. 159.]

Alexander dreampt, that Cassander killed him, whereas he had never seen the man in all his life, and shortly after, when he happened to see him; he called to mind his dream, with a great deal of horror at the first: but then again understanding that he was a son of Antipater, he cast off all such fear of any hurt from him, especially of poison, which yet was at that time ready prepared for him, merrily uttering certain Greek verse, purporting, that so many dreams, so many lies, or to that effect.

When Cassander saw the outlandish people prostrating themselves, when they came unto him, having never seen the like done before, he fell a whickering; whereat Alexander grew into such a cholor, that wrapping both his hands in his long hair, he beat his head against the wall, [ Plut. in Alexand. ]

As there went a report that Antipater had sent a poison by Cassander to deliver it to his brother Iolla Cup-bearer to the King, [Year of the World c.] and by him infused into the last draught that he ever took, so was it said also, that at the same time, Alexander had sent Craterus with a company of old soldiers to make away Antipater, [ Curt. lib. 10. cap. ult. ] Concerning the poison, of which Alexander is said to have died, see Andraeas Schottus, and his collections thereupon made out of sundry authors, in the Comparison which he makes, of the lives of Aristotle and Demosthenes, [ to the first year of the 114 Olymp. and Mathaeus Raderus, upon Curius, lib. 10. cap. 7.] As for Craterus and his old soldiers sent away with him into Macedon, though Justin, and Arian, and Plutarch, report this passage, as of a thing done before the death of Hephaestion; yet that it ought to be referred to this time, and not to that, appears, as by many other arguments, so especially by this; for that at the time of Alexanders death, Craterus with his old maimed soldiers was not come into Macedonia, but was still in Silicia.

Those that would of the Macedonians, which found themselves disabled thorough age or other impotency of body to follow the war any longer, were dismissed by Alexander, to return into their own country: and the number of them at this time, came ( as Diodorus. lib. 17. year 2. Olymp. 113. says ) to 10 thousand; or as [ Justin, lib. 12. cap. 12.] to 11 thousand: to every of which, he not only gave their full pay for the time past, but also money in their purses, to carry them home withal: And if any of them had children, begotten of wives which they had married out of Asia, he willed them to be left with him, fearing least that mongrel kind might happily in time stir up some rebellion in Macedon, in contending with the wives and children which were left there: and promised that when they were grown up, and trained in Marshal Discipline after the Macedonian manner, they should have them again sent home unto them. Justin saith, that such as returned, had their full pay continued to them, as before, during life. Plutarch, that the children of the deceased, succeeded in their fathers pay: adding further, that Alexander wrote to Antipater, that they which so returned, should have the prime places assigned them in the Theaters, and should there sit with Garlands upon their heads; and that at their parting, they all wept, and so did the King himself.

Together with these, were dismissed also, sundry of the Nobility, upon the same occasions, as Clytus, Gorgias, Polydamas, Adamas, Antigenes, and the principal of all, Craterus, who was assigned as a Captain to conduct them, as a man of all others most loyal, and most dear unto the King, and next unto him Polysperchon; least if Craterus should happen to die by the way, as he was at that time but weak and sickly, they should want a noble Commander to conduct them. Then commanded he Craterus to take charge of Macedon, Thrace, Thessaly, and of the liberty of Greece, in Antipaters room, sending for Antipater to repair to him; and to bring with him an army of young lusty Macedonians, in lieu of these old ones which he had sent home unto him.

Craterus, when he was sent to carry some certain old decayed soldiers into Silicia, he received some instructions and commands from Alexander in writing, the chief heads whereof, Diodorus Siculus, out of the Kings own Commentaries relateth to be these, That he should cause a thousand tall ships somewhat bigger than the ordinary sort, of 3 tire of oars, to be built in Phoenicia, Syria, Silicia, and Cyprus for his wars against the Carthaginians, and others bordering upon the sea coasts of Africa and Spain, and Islands adjoining as far as Sicily: To take order, that his way along the sea coast of Africa, as far as Hercules his Pillars, might be ready for him; to lay out 1500 talents, upon six Magnificent Temples to be built: And that he should make Ports in several places fit to receive so great a Fleet. That he should transplant men out of Europe into Asia, and likewise out of Asia into Europe, to inhabit such new Cities as he should build in either of them, to the end that by enter-marriges, and mutual affinities, he might establish a peace and concord between the two main Continents of the World. These were his then designs, of which Lucan speaks, in this manner, [ lib. 10.]

A little before his death, came Ambassadors to him out of Greece, to acknowledge him for a god, and they wearing Crowns themselves, set all Crowns of gold upon his head.

And Pencestes, returning out of Persia, with about 20 thousand Persians, brought also a great company of Cossaeans, and Tapurians along with them to babylon for his service, because these nations bordering upon Persia, were reckoned the most warlike of any other. To him also came Philoxenus, bringing an army out of Caria, and Menander with another out of Lydia, and Menidas with an army of Horse: Alexander commended the forwardness of the Persian nation, and especially Pencestes for his just discreet government among them, and ranked both them, and also those which came from the sea side with Philoxemus and Menander, with his Macedon squadrons. Also he caused his navy to be often exercised; and whereas there were often sea fights made in the river of Euphrates, between the Triremes, and the Quadriremes, ( i. e. ) between the ships of three, and those 4 of tire of oars, upon the River Euphrates, and as well the Mariners, as the Commanders in them labored hard to outdoe their adverse party, he ever bestowed Crowns, and honored them that did best herein.

When upon a time, as he was bestowing those companies which came with Philoxenus and Menander, among his Macedon Squadrons, he happened to be a thirst; as Arrianus reports out of Aristobulus, and went a little aside, from the throne whereon he sat, and some also of his Nobles which sat on either hand of his throne, left their seats also and attended him, it fell out, that a certain mean party, (some say one that was committed to custody, but without irons upon him) came through the midst of all the bed-chamber-men, and other Officers, which stood thick about the throne, and sat himself down upon the kings seat: and when the Bed-chamber-men, durst not pull him out, because there was a Persian law to the contrary, they rent every man his clothes, and beat their faces, and thumpt their breasts, as at a thing exceeding ominous to the King; which when Alexander heard, he caused the fellow to be had presently to the rack, to know whether he had done it upon any design or compact with others or no, and for what purpose: But when he answered that what he had done was only out of a light humor, and toy which came in his head, the wizards told him that it was by so much the worse sign; and Diodorus saith, that by their advice, the poor fellow was presently killed for his labor; to the end, that if there were any ill luck in it, it might all fall upon his own head: The same also, saith Plutarch, adding, that upon the rack, being asked who he was, answered that his name was Dionysius, a Messenian born, with some other answers which he made them.

Some few days after, when the King had sacrified to his gods, in thanksging for his good successes; and had added thereto something more than ordinary by the advise of the Priests or Wisards, he fell a feasting with his Nobles; and sat up at it, ti • late in the night: he also distributed beasts for sacrifices among the soldiers, and gave wine among them to be drunk. And when he was now breaking up, and going away one Medius a Thessalian, had prepared a banquet, and invited him and all his company to it; at the banquet there sat twenty guests; to every of which, Alexander drank a several health, and they the like to him again, as Athenaeus reports out of certain memorials, commonly attributed to Nicobulus, [ lib. 10. cap. 11. & lib. 12. cap. 18.]

Now when Alexander had called for a cup, containing two gallons and an odd quart, as Ephippius Olynthius, in a book which he wrate of the deaths and burials of Alexander and Hephaestion, reported by Athenaeus, [ lib. 10. cap. 11.] and commanded Proteas a Macedon, to pledge him; Proteas cried, let come, and having in many words spoken much honor of the King, took the cup, and drank it off with such a grace, that all the table commended him highly for it: a while after, Proteas called for the same cup again, and drank it off to the King; and Alexander took and pledged him a great draught, but could not drink it off, but let the cup fall out of his hand, and lay along upon the cusheon, and presently fell sick and died, and this was that Herculean fatal cup to Alexander, of which besides Diodore, and Plutarch, [ Seneca also in his 83 Epistle, ] maketh mention; with which we may compare also, what Athenaeus saith, [ l. 11. c. 17. and Macrobius, l. 5. Saturnal. c. 21.]

Aristobulus saith, that when he gr • w light headed with his fever, and withal very thirsty, he called for a draught of wine, and that cast him into a phr • nsie; and • o upon the 30 day of the month Daesius, that is, upon the 24 of our May, departed. Others say that he died upon the 6 day of the month Thargelion, with the Athenians, as Elian hath it, [ lib. 2. Var. Histor. cap. 25.] which answers to our 18 of May: In the Diaries or Day books, kept of the Kings actions, it is said that he died the 28 of the month Daesius, or 22 of our May: wherefore sure it is, that die he did in the month Daesius, according to the Macedon account, and in the month of May with us; though upon what day of the month, Authors do not agree.

Out of the said Diaries, what things fell out in the time of his sickness, Arrianus and Plutarch do very particularly declare, but who was the true author of those D • aries, or daily remembrances of what he did or said, neither of them tells us; whether Eumenes Cardianus, or Diodorus Erythreus, or else Strattis Olynthius: for he also wrate a Diary of his actions in four books, and one particular book of his death, as Soudas teacheth us: But whose soever Diaries they were, forasmuch as we can have nothing more plainly or more assuredly delivered, than what we find in them, therefore have I thought it good here to set down what I find in Plutarch, delivered out of them, comparing all along, the days of the Macedonian Daesius and our month of May, together, out of my own discourse of the Macedonian year.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. ( i. e. ) the eigteenth day of the month Daesius ( May, 12.) he slept in a bath for his fever. The next day ( May 13.) having washed, he went to his chamber, and spent that day there at dice with Medius, then washing again, toward the evening, and having been at his devotions, he ate his supper somewhat greedily, and the night following had a sore fit of a fever. Upon the 20 day ( May 14.) having washed, he offered Sacrifice very solemnly again, and lying along in a bath, he heard Nearchus while he related to him such things as had happened in his voyage; and what wonders he had seen in the Ocean, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) ( i. e.) (our May 15.) when he did the like, his fever increased upon him. The day after ( May 16.) his fever grew very sharp upon him, and he was carried to lie in a Chamber near the great pool, or swimming place, where he had speech with his Commanders, of putting approved men in places of office, when they happened to fall void, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) ( i. e. ) upon the 24. ( May 18.) finding his sickness to increase upon him, he offered sacrifice, to which he was carried, and commanded the chief Commanders and Captains which were then in Court, to stay with him; but the Centurions and Corporals, to attend without and watch. Being carried into the innermost lodgings of the Court, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) Upon the 25 day ( May 19.) he had a little ease, but his fever left him not. But when the Captains came to him, he spake not at all unto them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and likewise upon the 26, ( May 20.) whereupon the Macedonians, thinking that he had been dead, came flocking with a great noise to the Chamber door, and threatened the Nobles which were there, if they would not let them in. The doors hereupon being set open, every common soldier passed by his bed side. The same day, Pithon and Seleucus, who were sent to Serapis his temple, to know whether Alexander should be removed thither or no, brought answer back from the Oracle, that he should stay where he was, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e. ) Upon the twenty eight day, ( May 22.) in the evening he died.

Now whereas I said, that the Macedonians all passed by the Kings bed side, it is to be understood, that they came in at one door, and went out at another, [ Lucian in Pseudom. ] And allbeit he was grown weak and faint with the violence of his sickness, yet he raised himself upon his elbow, and gave everyone of them his hand to kiss as he passed by, [ Valer. Max. lib. 5. cap. 1.] and which is more, and may seem incredible in itself, look in what posture he put himself, at their first coming in, in the same • he continued, till every man to the very last, of all that army, had kissed his hand, [ Curt. lib. 10. c. 7.]

When the soldiers were gone, he then turned him to his Nobles, and demanded of them, whether they thought they should find them a King like to himself or no? and when no man answered him to that question; then again he said, that as he could not tell that himself, so that one thing he foresaw, and could foretell, how much Macedon blood would be shed, before this controversy would receive an end, and with what vast slaughters, and effusion of blood, they would solemnise his funeral, and sacrifice to his ghost, when he was gone; and so gave order for his body to be carried to the Temple of Ammon, and there buried, [Justin l. 12. c. 15.] And when his Nobles asked him to whom he would leave his kingdom, his answer was, fortissimo, ( i. e. ) to the strongest, and withal, took off his signet, and gave it to Perdiccas: whereby they all conceived, that his meaning was, to commend the government of his kingdom to his care and trust, till his children should come to age, [Em • l. Probus in Eumene.] And again, when Perdiccas asked him, When he would have Divine Honors performed to him? his answer was, When they were all grown happy.

Eratosthenes in his Canons, (mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 1. Srom. saith) that 12 years passed between the death of Philip, and the change, (i. e.) the decease of Alexander, which is the very number given him, [lib. 1. Maccabae, cap 1. 8. and in both the Chronicles of the Jews, as also in Tertullian, lib. cont. Judaeos. cap. 8. in Porphyry, cited by Euseb. pag. 124. in Scaligers Greek edition of him, In Rufinus, In Josepus, his Antiquities, lib. 12. cap. 2. in Orosius, lib. 3. in Jerome and Theodoret upon Daniel cap. 11.] though A. Gellius, [lib. 17. cap. 21.] giveth him but 11 years. Julius Africanus, and out of him Eusebius, 12 years and six months, [Diod. Sic.] 12 years and seven months, Livy, and after him Emil. Probus in Eumene, allow him 13 years.

Nor is there any less difference among Authors, concerning the years of his life, than there is of his reign. Whereof Cicero in his fifth Philippic speaking, saith, What shall I speak of Alexander the Macedon, when he set himself upon great achivements from his very youth, was he not take off by death in the 33 year of his age, which is less by ten years, then with us a man can by law, be made a Consul. Justin [in the last chap. of his 12 book,] saith that he died at the age of 33 years and one month: yet [Philostratus, lib. 2. de Vit. Sophista: in Herodes. Euseb. in Chron. and in his first book, de Vita Constanti. and Jerome, upon c. 8. and c. 11. upon Daniel,] and sundry other writers following Eusebius, [in Chron.] allow him to have lived no more than 32 years: All which are nevertheless to be reduced to that rule delivered by Arrianus, [lib. 7. pag. 167.] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. ( i. e. ) He lived, 2 years, and took up 8 months of the 33 year: as Aristobulus saith; But he reigned twelve years, and those 8 months over.

Immediately upon Alexanders decease, there arose such a difference and dispute between the Horse and Foot Companies of the army, for the settling of the present State of things, that they were ready to fall all in pieces, and to take up arms about it. Yet by the advice of the Nobles and Commanders, it was at length accorded, that the Supreme authority, or rather a bare name and shadow thereof, should be committed to Aridaeus, brother to Alexander, and son to his father Philip, begotten upon one Philinna of Larissa, a common dancer; as [ Athenaeus, lib. 13. cap. 13.] reports out of one Ptolomaeus, son of Agesarchus, in his History of Philopater, and a whore to boot, [ as Justin. lib. 13. cap. 2. and Platarch in the end of his Alexan. ] say. And having by common consent proclaimed him King, they called him by the name of Philip; to whom also was joined, the son that Roxane then went withal, and was eight months gone with child, begotten by Alexander, as Justin in the place aforesaid hath it, or six, as Curtius, [ lib. 10. cap. 10. says. ] As for his son Hercules, who then lived at Pergamos, because he was gotten upon Barsine, who was never married to Alexander; therefore was there no regard had of him in this settlement of the kingdom. And because Aridaeus himself was but a weak spirited man, not thorough any natural infirmity of his own, as Plutarch noteth in the end of the life of Alexander; but by such slibber-sauces, and drugs as Olympias had procured to be given him, therefore was Perdiccas, to whom Alexander delivered his Signet at the hour of his death, made Regni 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : ( i. e. ) Lord Protector, or Steward, and in effect absolute King itself. The charge of the army, and of all affairs, was committed to Meleager, the son of Neoptolemus, with or under Perdiccas. The command of the Horse, which was the most Honorable charge in all the army, and which after Hephaestions death was given to Perdiccas, was now assigned to Seleucus, the son of Antiochus, yet with, or under Perdiccas, as the other was. The oversight also of the kingdom, and treasure thereof, was commended to Craterus his trust, [ Diod. in the beginning of his 18 book, Justin. lib. 13. cap. 1, 2, 3, 4. Curt. lib. 10. cap. 10, 11, 12. Plutarch, in Eumene & Alexan. Dioxippus and Arria. in their books written of what passed after the death of Alexander, in Phot. Bibliot. cod. 82. & 92. Appian. in his Syriaca. pag. 120. 124.]

Censorinus in his discourse, De die natali, notes, that the years of Philip, are to be reckoned from the death of Alexander, taking always the rise therein from the first day of that month, which with the Egyptians is called Thoth. For the Egyptian Astronomers applying this computation of times for more easy reckoning sake, to their own account, make the head thereof to be the first day of Thoth, in the beginning of the 425. year of Nabonasar; to wit, upon the 12 of November, according to the Julian account, 4390. in the seventh month before the true time of Alexanders death. And from the beginning of that month Thoth it is, that Ptolomei in his Manual Canons of Astronomy (not yet published) deduceth the Epochs or risings of all the Stars, of which he in his Preface Ad Syrus. saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. Here are fixed the Epoches, or heads of all accounts, according to the Meridian of Alexandria, which is in Egypt, from the first day of the Egyptian month Thoth, of the first year of Philip, who succeeded Alexander, the Founder of this City. Not of Philip the father of Alexander, (as some have imagined) but of Philip, brother and next successor unto Alexander; whom the Alexandrians for Honors sake, call, as indeed he was, their Founder: adding, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. ( i. e.) For from the first day of his (meaning Philippus Aridaeus) reign, the times of the Manual Canons of Ptolomei, (who in them followeth the common account, or Calendar of the Egyptians) being taken, and according to the rectifying of the Egyptian year (reduced to the Alexandrian account, which Theon also used in his Canon) are reckoned; as we find also, in the Greek Collections published by Scaliger, in his Eusebian Fragments, [ pag. 48.] Whence it is also, that in the Epistle to Apollophanes (falsely attributed to Dionysius Areopagita: found in Hilduinus, in his Areopagatica ) these Astronomical Tables are called, The Canon of Philippus Aridaeus.

And now had the dead body of Alexander laien seven days, as Justin says, (for Elian says 30.) [Var. Histor. lib. 12. cap. 64.] upon his Throne, whiles all men's thoughts were taken up about the settling of the present state, and could not heed, what belonged to the solemn Obsequies belonging to the deceased: and yet was there not in all that time found any putrifaction, or the least discolouring of the flesh upon his body: but the very vigor of his countenance, which is the proper effect of the spirit that is in a man, continued still the same; wherefore the Chaldeans and Egyptians, were commanded from thence forward to take care of the body; and they when they came about it, durst not at first approach to touch him, as if he had been still living: but anon after, saying their prayers, that it might be no sin unto them being but mortals to lay their hands upon so divine a body, they fell to work, and dissected him; and the golden Throne wherein he lay, was stuffed all with Spices, and hung about with Pennants and Banners, and other emblems of his high State and Fortune, [ Curt. lib. 10. in fi. ]

The care of his funeral, and providing a chariot to carry the body into the Temple of Ammon, was committed to Aridaeus, whether the King, as Justin hath it, [ lib. 13. cap. 4.] and Dexippus, as we find in Scaligers Greek fragments of Eusebius, [ pag. 84.] or rather to some other Aridaeus, of whom we shall see more anon, out of Diodorns, year 2. Olymp. 114.] in which provision making, he spent two whole years, [ Dodor. year 3. Olymp. 114.] and Olympias seeing him lie so long unburied, in great grief of heart, cried out, and uttered these words; O my son (said he) thou that wouldest needs be counted among the gods, and keptst such a do about it, canst not now have that which every poor man hath, a little earth and burial, [Elian. Varia. Histor. lib. 13. c. 30.]

Mean while Sisygambes the mother of Darius, hearing of his death, sunk under the burden of her sorrow for it; and covering herself with mourning attire, when her niece and nephew, Drypetis and Oxathres, came and fell at her knees, she looked away from them, and would neither eat nor see the light anymore, and so the fifth day after, died of hunger, [ Diod. l. 17. in fi. Curt. l. 10. cap. 8.]

Roxane being great with child, and seeing herself therefore, courted by the Macedon army, grew into emulation with Statira, eldest daughter to Darius, and one of Alexanders wives, as herself was: and by her letters invited and requested her to come unto her: but as soon as she came, she caused both her and her sister Drypetis, Hephaestions Relict, to be murdered; and threw both their carcases into a well, and cast earth upon them: not without the privity and assistance of Perdiccas, as Plut. [ in the end of the life of Alex. ] says.

Roxane was a while after, delivered of a son, whom they named Alexander: and the common soldiers proclaimed him King, [ Arria. in Biblioth. Phot • , ca. 92.] with Pausanias in his Attica, and Dexippus, in Scaligers Greek fragments of Eusebius, [ pag. 48.]

Perdiccas gave order for the purification or cleansing of the whole army by a solemn sacrifice; because of the death of the King, and great dissention fallen among them thereupon. Now the Macedonian manner of cleansing the army was thi • : They cut a dog in two: and laid the one half on the one side, and the other, on the other of the field, where the army was to come, and to make them pass solemnly, and, as it were, in procession between them: Now as the army passed, Perdiccas caused some 300 soldiers, which followed Meleager, when in the first assembly of the Macedonians, alter the decease of Alexander, he arose, and in a mutinous manner left them, and threw them among the Elephants, to be trod in pieces by them: all which he did in the open sight of the army, and in the presence of Aridaeus himself, whom (nothing differing from a very Innocent) Meleager had caused to be, as it were, wrapped in purple clouts like a child, and put into the Royal Throne, as Plutarch [ lib. 2. de fortuna Alexandri, ] saith. And Meleager for the present, because no violence was offered to his own person, stirred not: but presently after, seeing his life was sought, fled to a Sanctuary, and was there taken and slain; [ Justin, lib. 13. cap. 4. Curt. lib. 10. cap. 12. Arrianus in Photios. ]

D • odorus [lib. 2. year 4. Olymp. 18.] affirmeth that Alexander made his last Will and Testament, and left it to be kept at Rhodes; and Ammia, [ Marcellinus, lib. 23.] seems to say, that therein his will was, to leave all in the hands and power of one man: and Q. Curtius, Some, saith he, have been of opinion, that a distribution of the Provinces was made by Alexander, in his last Will and Testament: but we have found, that, that was but an Idle report, though delivered by sundry Authors, [l • b. 10. c. 13.] Nevertheless, the Author of the first book of Machabeis, seemeth to follow that first opinion, as delivered and believed by so many Authors, as it was; and saith that Alexander in his own life time, parted his kingdom among his most illustrious and noble officers. And the Chronologer of Alexandria (out of whom, those barbarous and broken Latin fragments publ • shed by Scaliger, pag. 58, and 59. are taken ) affirmeth, that, that division of the Provinces, which Justin [ lib. 13. cap. 4. Curtius lib. 10. cap. 13. Arrianus in Photi • B • blioth. ca. 92. Dexeippus ibid. ca. 82.] and other writers report to have been made by Perdiccas, was none other than that which was comprised in that will: which, as may be gathered out of them all, comparing one with another, was in this manner.

In Europe all Thrace, with the Chersonese and other nations bordering upon Thrace as far as Salmydessus, a city standing upon the Euxin sea, was committed to Lysimachus, the son of Agathocles, a Pellaean born: but that Region which lay beyond Thrace, belonging to the Illyrians, Triballi, and Agrians, and Macedonia itself, and Epirus, stretching as far as the Ceraunian mountains, with all Greece, was assigned to Antipater, and Craterus: and so much for Europe.

In Africa, all Egypt, and what ever else Alexander had gotten, in Cirenaica, or Libya, with all that part of Arabia which borders upon Egypt, was allotted to Ptolomei, the son of Lagus, who, as Pausanias in his Attica says, was by the Rhodians, honored with the surname of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ( i. e. ) a Deliverer. The truth is, that the Macedonians ever held Ptolomei for a base son of Philip, Alexanders father: for his mother Arsinoe, being great with child by Philip, was by him put off, and married to a poor fellow of Macedon, called Lagus: whereupon it was, that when after a while, (as Plutarch in a discourse of his, De ira cohibenda: (i. e.) of suppressing a man's choler, saith, Ptolomei to put a jeer upon a poor school-master, would needs ask him, who was Peleus his father: he asked him again, and I pray Sir, said he, Who was Lagus his father? intimating thereby the baseness of his birth by the fathers side, [ See Curtius, lib. 9. cap. 1. Pausanias in his Attica. pag. 5. in the Greek edition of him at Fracford, and Soudas in the word Lagus. ]

But, to return to where we left, Cleomenes, who was left by Alexander, to gather up the tributes and other incomes of those parts, was commanded to deliver over that Province unto him, and to hold his office, as under him: and because Ptolomei presently upon the death of Alexander entered upon that Province, and died not till full 40 years after; thence it is that Lucian, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : ( i. e. ) in his discourse of long-lived men) and in the fragments of Eusebius, published by Scaliger, [ pag. 49. and Porphyry, ibid, pag, 225. and Clemens Alexan. Stromat. 1. and Eufeb. in Chron. and Epiphanius in his books of weights and measures: ] and others say, that he reigned 40 years in Egypt, after whom his posterity down to Cleopatra, held that kingdom, under the title and name, and common notion, of Ptolomeis.

In the lesser Asia, all Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, and all the Regions lying upon the Euxin Sea, as far as Trapezond, a Colony of the Sinopenses, which Alexander, being taken up with the more weighty war against Darius, had not leisure to subdue as he went, were assigned to Eumenes Cardianus; with a charge to make war upon Ariarathes, who only ever stood out against Alexander. As for Antigonus, he was made Governor of Pamphylia, Lycia, Lycaonia, and Phrygia the Great. The lesser Phrygia, which lies upon the Hellespont, was committed to Leonatus. The government of Lydia, not only of the inland country, but also along the sea coast, taking in Eolia and Ionia, was given to Maenander; who had it formerly by grant from Alexander himself, [ as Arrianus, lib. 3. pag. 56. saith, ] for whom, the name of Meleager, is mis-put by Diodorus. Caria was given to Cassander the son of Antipater, and Silicia, and Isauria, to Philotas.

In the upper and greater Asia, all Syria, and Phoenicia, was committed to Laomedon, a Mitylenaean borne. The petty kings of the Isle of Cyprus, for a while held every man his State, as they had it granted to them respectively by Alexander. Neoptolemus was set over Armenia, Arcesilaus over Mesopotamia, Archon over the Province of Babylonia; Atropates, father in law to Perdiccas, was left Governor of Media by Alexander himself. In this par • age making, [ Justin. lib. 13. cap. 4.] and Orosius [lib. 3. cap. 23.] say that Atropates was made Governor of Media the greater, and Perdiccas his father in law, of the lesser; not remembering that Atropates, and Perdiccas his father in law were all one man. But having afterward better considered of the matter, in a second distribution made by Antipater in Triparadiso, he acknowledgeth that Media was assigned to Pithon, [ lib. 15. pag. 660.] Nor is it likely, that the son in law would any way diminish the authority of his father, The Rule and Government of the hither Bactria and Sogdiana, was put into the hands of Philippus: yet so, as that Oropius was joined with him in the Satrapie of Sogdiana, who yet, as Dexippus saith, when he had received that kingdom of Alexanders bounty, was put from it again for treason: But in the Government of Persia, Pencestes of Hircania, and Parthia, (for they went together, as Strabo, lib. 11. pag. 514. witnesseth ) was Phrataphernes, in Carmania, Tlepolemeus, in the further Bactria and Parapamisus, Oxyartes, or Oxathres, the father of Roxane, Alexanders wife, in Aria and Drangiana, bordering upon Taurus, Stasanor of Solos, in the Province of Susa, Scynus, in Arachosia and Gedrosia, S • byrtius, as they were there placed by Alexander, so were they now suffered to continue in them. All the coast of India from Paropamisus, and from the place where the Acesines and Indus meet, down to the very Ocean, was committed to the charge of Pithon the son of Agenor, as that of the Oxydracans and Mallians to Eudemus, all. Eudemon, Commander of the Thracian companies: and the rest of India, to King Porus, and Taxiles, and to the son of Abisarus, who, as appears by what hath been said before, were all placed in those charges, by Alexander himself in his life time.

When, upon this division so made, everyman had his share, as it were allotted him from heaven, they hence took occasion to increase their power, at their pleasure for the most part: for not long after, as if they had not had governments, but kingdoms given them, so they bare themselves not as Deputies, but as absolute and soverign Kings and did not only acquire great matters to themselves, but also left the same to their posterities after them, [ Justin. lib. 13. cap. 4.] and so that vast Empire and name of the Macedonians, immediately upon the death of Alexander, came to be rent and torn into several kingdoms, [ Livius lib. 45.] yet no man took upon him the title of a King, so long as any of his children, survived, so respective were they of him, that though they had every of them the power of a King in his hand, yet they willingly refrained the title, so long as he had a lawful heir of his body living, to succeed him, [ Justin. lib. 15. cap. 2,] All which was long before foretold by the Holy Ghost, [ Daniel 11. 4.]

Concerning the instructions given by Alexander to Craterus, Perdiccas referred the consideration of them, to the general assembly of the Macedonians; which though they could not mislike, yet because they were exceeding high, and difficult beyond measure, to be brought to pass, therefore they ordered by a general consent, that none of them should be gone in hand withal, [ Diodorus year 2. Olympiad 114.]

The old Greek soldiers, which Alexander had left and planted in garrison and colonies in the upper Asia, and several provinces thereof, being touched with a desire of returning home; and seeing their native Country the rather for that they saw themselves, as it were ejected and cast out into a far remote corner of the World, joined in an association, and revolted from the Macedonian state; choosing for a head of this conspiracy, one Philo an Enian born: and now they were gotten to the number of 20 thousand Foot, and three thousand Horse together, all old tried and expert soldiers. Against these, Perdiccas dispatched away Pithon, who had been one of the squires of the body to Alexander, and a man of a high spirit, and long versed in the mystery of war, with three thousand Macedon Foot, and eight hundred Horse, drawn out by lot, with letters and instructions to the governors in all those parts, to furnish him, with 10 thousand Foot, and eight thousand Horse more. Now Pithon purposed to win unto him by all fair means possible, those old Grecians, that so joining them with such other forces as he had of his own, he might be the better able to set up for himself, and reduce all those upper provinces, under his own subjection: which Perdiccas perceiving, to cross his purpose therein, gave him express order; that having overcome those Rebels, he should put them every man to the sword, and divide the spoil of them among his soldiers. But Pithon, having by intelligence, with one Lipodorus, who commanded a brigade of three thousand men among the Rebels, gotten the victory of them, went no further, but upon capitulation, licensed them to repair every man to his own home: which notwithstanding the rest of the Macedonians, remembering the order given them by Perdiccas, fell upon them, and flew every man of them, and shared what they had among themselves. So Pithon, failing of his ends, returned with his Macedonians to Perdiccas, [ Diod. ibid. Prolog. Trogi, lib. 13.]

As for Ptolomei, he, having quietly gotten into the possession of Egypt, demeaned himself fairly in all things toward the people of the land; and possessing himself there of eight thousand talents, got an army together, of such as would serve for pay, sundry others also, for pure love, seeing his fair and impartial distribution of justice in his place, came into him. And being duly informed that Perdiccas had a purpose, to wrest Egypt out of his hand, he leagued himself firmly with Antipater, [ Diod. ut. sup. ] and by good turns and gratifications, obliged the neighbouring Kings and Princes to his devotion, [ Justin lib, 13. cap. 16.] and finding that Cleomenes, whom Perdiccas had put to him for a Lieutenant, was no better than a spy upon him, cut his throat, and placed strong garrisons of his own, over all the land of Egypt, [ Pausan, in Attic. pag. 5: in the Greek and Latin edition. ]

Leonatus and Antigonus, were commanded to put Eumenes by strong hand into the possession of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia. But Antigonus, out of the haughtiness of his spirit, and presuming of himself, refused to obey Perdiccas his command herein. But Leonatus, coming with his army down out of the upper provinces, promised Eumenes to undertake the service for him. Nevertheless, when Hecataeus, Tyrant of the Cardians, coming to Leonatus, advised him rather for the present to go and aide Antipater, and relieve the Macedonians, which were besieged in Lamia; he resolved forthwith to cross the seas, and to put over into Macedonia; and moved Eumenes himself, to go along with him, and to make an end with Hecataeus. But when Eumenes would not, and alleged withal, that he stood in some fear of Antipater, Leonatus believed him, and kept nothing from him, of all that was in his heart: yet finding that he could not draw him over to his party, went about privily to murder him, and had done it, had not Eumenes, perceiving his purpose, got him privilie out of his quarters, for he stole away by night, with his carriages, having only 300 Horse in his company, and 200 of his guard; and five thousand talents in gold, after the rate of silver. And so coming to Perdiccas, disclosed all Leonatus his counsels to him; whereupon Perdiccas took him in for a bosom friend, and swore him of the Council, [ Plut. and Emil. Pro. in Eumene. ]

Leonatus, coming to help Antipater, was there slain in a fight by the Grecians, [Diodorus year 2. Olymp. 114. Justin, lib. 13. cap. 5. Plutarch in Phocion, Arrianus in Photios.]

Thimbro, having caught Harpalus in Crete by a slight (which Harpalus had, as I shown before, fled thither out of Asia, and carried all the Kings money with him:) slew him, and got into his own hands all that treasure, and with his army and fleet, left Cydonia, a city in Crete, and with 6, or (as Diodorus hath it) 7 thousand men, sailed to the country of Cyrene, being invited thither by the banditoes of the Cyrenians, and the Barcenses, [ Diodorus & Arrianus, ut supra. Strabo, lib. 17. cap. 837.]

There, in a fight against the Cyrenians, Thimbro made a great slaughter of them, and took many prisoners; then seizing of their Port, and ready to take the City itself; he drew them to a composition, upon these terms, That they should pay him down five thousand talents ready money, and deliver into his hand, half their chariots ready furnished for a service: He sent Ambassadors also to other neighbouring cities to join with him, pretending that he would make war upon Libya, and subdue it: and moreover he laid hold on all the Merchants goods, that were in the Port, and gave them to the soldiers, to scramble for, thereby to make them the forwarder in his service, [ Diodorus. ]

Mnasicles, a man of Crete, one of Thimbrons Captains, but of a turbulent disposition, fell off from him to the Cyrenians, and by declaiming against Thimbrons cruelty and perfidiousness, persuaded them to break covenant with him, and to stand for their former liberties and freedom; whereupon, when they had paid only six hundred of the five thousand talents, they would pay no more. And Thimbron, to cry quittance with them, seized on 800 of their men, whom he found in the Port: and coming with his own men and the Barcenses, and Hesperitans, all which joined with him before the walls of the City, did what he could to take it; but failing of his purpose, retired to the Port. [ Id. ]

The Cyrenians, leaving a sufficient guard to keep the town, drew out the rest, and went a forraging into the neighbouring parts, and when these sent to Thimbro for help, he presently went with all the strength that he could make to relieve them against the Cyrenians: Mnasicles, espying this opportunity, and that there were few or no soldiers left in the Port, moved those who were left in the City, to sally out, and set upon the Port: and they being quickly persuaded, followed him, and fell upon it; and by reason of Thimbrons absence with his men, easily took it: and such goods as they there found in specie, belonging to the Merchants, restored it all faithfully to the owners; and Mnasicles fell presently to work, and fortified the Port against Thimbron, if he should return: This went ill on Thimbrons side, for that he had not only lost the place, but with it, all his Provisions that were in it; yet upon the taking of another town called Taricha, he renewed his hopes again, [ Id. ]

Thimbrons Mariners and sea Soldiers, being turned out of the Port, knew not what to do for victuals, but were fain to go a free-booting into the country for it: and this, when they were daily forced to do, at last the Boors of the Country, knowing their haunts, laid wait for, and slew a great number of them, and took as many prisoners, as they had slain: They that were left, got a shipboard, and sailed away toward other confederate places. But being on their way, there fell a violent tempest, which sunk many of them in the sea; those that escaped, some were driven a shore in Egypt, and some in the Isle of Cyprus: All which put such heart into the Cyrenians bellies, that they stuck not now to encounter Thimbron in the open field; which they did, and in a battle slew many of his men, [ Id. ]

Craterus departing from Silicia, with six thousand of those old Soldiers, which came at first with Alexander into Asia, and four thousand more, of such as came to him upon the way, besides 1000 Persian Archers and Slingers, and 1500 horse, hasted all he could to the succor of Antipater, and came into Thessaly; where yielding the precedency in all things to Antipater, they both sat down in camp together, upon the bank of the river Peneus. And in the month of Munichion (our April) next, fought a battle with the Grecians, and overthrew them, [ Id. with Arria. and Plut. in the lives of Phocion and Demosthenes. ]

After Jaddus his son Onias succeeded in the Priesthood at Jerusalem, [ Joseph. Antiq. lib. 11. in fi. ] and there sat one and twenty years, [ Scalig. in Graec. Eusebius, pag. 50.]

Thimbro, having hired new soldiers from Taenarus in Laconia, where they wandered up and down, out of pay, began a fresh to make war upon the Cyrenians, and they on the contrary, praying in aide from the Africans and Carthaginians, made up an army, with their own men, to the number of 30 thousand. and put all upon the hazard of a battle: wherein after a long and bloody fight, they lost a many of their men, and Thimbro had the better of the day. Then the Cyrenians, having lost all their own Commanders, made Mnasicles their General. Thimbro growing proud of this victory, set upon the port of Cyrene, and took it, and made every day an assault upon the City itself, to take it. But the siege continuing, and provisions failing, the Cyrenians began to mutiny among themselves; the end whereof was, that the common people, who bare the sway for matter of power, thrust the richer sort out of the City, and they, being so thrust out, repaired, some to Thimbro, and others into Egypt, [ Diod. ut. sup. ]

They who fled into Egypt, dealt with Ptolomei, to restore them into their Country; and by his means, returned with forces both by land and sea, under the command of one Ophellas a Macedon, which coming to the ears of those which were gone to Thimbro, they prepared to fly over, and to join with Ophellas, but their intention being disclosed under hand to Thimbro, he put every mothers son of them to death. Then the leaders of the Commons of Cyrene, taking a fright at the return of their banditoes, made their peace with Thimbro, joined with him, and in a main battle, were all utterly vanquished, by Ophellas. [ Id. ]

Thimbro, in his flight, was lighted on by some certain African Carters, who took and carried him to one Epicides, who held a Town, called Teuchira, in those parts, under Ophellas: and the men of that place, with Ophellas his leave, first scourged him with whips, and then sent him to be crucified at the port of Cyrene. But for as much as the Cyrenians continued still in combustions among themselves, therefore Ptolomei himself made a journey thither by sea; and having by his presence settled all matters there, came back again by sea as he went, [ Arrianus, in Phot. Biblio. ]

Perdiccas, having King Philip, and the Royal Army all at his command, made a journey against Ariarathes, the petty King of Cappadocia, for that he had not received Eumenes for Governor there, as he was commanded. Ariarathes, at that time, had gotten together a great army, 30 thousand Foot, and 15 thousand Horse: In two several fights, Perdiccas slew four thousand of his men, and took six thousand prisoners; and among them Ariarathes himself: and both him and all that were allied to him, he first tortured, and then crucified. The rest he pardoned, and having settled all matters in Cappadocia, committed the Government of it to Eumenes, according to the first establishment, [ Diodorus. with Arria. and Plut. in Eumene, and Appian in his M • thridatica, pag. 175.]

Eumenes committed the several cities of his Government, to his most trusty friends, and appointed them Garrisons, with Judges, and gatherers of his tributes, such as pleased him best, without any interposing of Perdiccas: which done, he returned with Perdiccas, both in respect to him, as also, that he might not be a stranger at Court, [ Plut. ]

Perdiccas, and Philip the King, leaving Cappadocia, went into Pisidia, with a purpose there to destroy two Cities, one of the Larandaeans, the other of the Isaurians, for these in Alexanders life time, had slain Balacrus the son of Nicanor, whom he had set over them. Laranda therefore they took at first assault; and putting all that were of age to the sword, they sold away the rest for slaves, and laid the City level with the ground: those of Isau • us, seeing themselves besieged, set the City on fire over their own heads, with purpor • e to consume both it and themselves with it, to ashes. But the soldiers, to whom Perdiccas had given the spoil of the City, quenched the fire, and by that means, found great store of silver and gold there, [ Diodorus year. 2. Olympiad 114.] Justin says, that this was done by the Cappadocians, when they saw Ariarathes overcome, [ lib. 13. cap. 6.] and Orosius, treading in his steps, says the same. [ lib. 3. cap. ult. ]

Jollas, the son of Antipater, and Archias, came to Perdiccas out of Macedonia, bringing with them Nicaea, Antipaters daughter, to be his wife. Perdiccas, long before, whiles his estate was yet unsettled, had b • trothed her. But now, that he had gotten the Royal Army, and administration of the kingdom quietly into his hands, he purposed to marry Cleopatra, daughter to Philip, the father of Alexander, and Alexanders own sister, especially by the procurement and setting on of Eumenes, yet that he might the more easily procure a supply of the Macedonian youth, and that he might not have Antipater for an opposite in his undertakings, he married Nicaea when she came, being drawn thereto principally by the advise and persuasion of his brother Alcetes, [ Diod. and Arria. with Justin, l. 13. c. 6.]

Cinna also, another daughter of Philip's, and sister likewise of Alexanders, but not by the same mother, brought her daughter Adea, which was afterward called Euridice, to be married to Philippus Aridaeus: But Perdiccas and his brother Alcetes, between them, dispatched her out of the way: whereupon the Macedonians began to grow into a combust • on, and Perdiccas to quiet them, was fain to give her daughter in marriage to Arideus, [ Arian. in Photios. ] where she is named, not Cynna, but Cynane: which yet in the same Arrianus, [ lib. 1. de Gest. Alex. p. 5. is called Cyna: and by Diod. year 1. Olymp. 116. and by Athenae. l. 13. c. 2. Cynna. ]

Perdiccas sent away Eumenes out of Silicia, under a color of looking to his own government in Cappadocia, but indeed, that he might have a care of Armenia, to keep it in due order; because Neoptolemus sought to make some innovations there: But Eumenes by fair words, prevailed so far with him, though a man of a high, and an intemperate spirit, as to keep him quiet, [ Plut. in Eumen. ]

Eumenes, finding that the Macedonian Squadron grew insolent and fierce, raised an army of horse out of the Provincials in those parts, remitting to them all payment of tribute, and granting them other immunities. He furnished also them whom he most trusted, with horses at his own charge; kindling their affections towards himself with his largesse and bounteous favors bestowed among them, and keeping them in breath and exercise, by continual labors and journeys, which he put them upon: so that in a short time he had gotten together six thousand three hundred and sixty Horse, [ Id. Ibid. ]

Antipater and Craterus together in Greece, made war upon the Aetolians; whom when Craterus his old soldiers, compelled by continual alarms, to lie abroad in the snow, in the winter season, they were ready to perish for want of victuals, [ Diodorus. Ibid. ]

Eumenes carried Perdiccas his presents to Cleopatra lying at Sardes; for that Perdiccas was now resolved to rid his hands of Nicaea, Antipaters daughter, and to take Cleopatra to be his wife, and so much Menander, the Governor of Lydia, signified to Antigonus, who was an intimate friend to Antipater. [ Arrianus, ] And when Perdiccas, laying every day false crimes to Antigonus his charge, sought unjustly to put him to death, he made show, as if he desired to come to a hearing; but under hand, finding a ship of Athens in the rode, got privily into her, with his son Demetrius, and some other of his friends, and fled away into Europe, there to join with Antipater, [ Diodorus. ]

When Aristander, a Southsaier of Telmessa, had given it out, that it was revealed to him by the gods, that the land where Alexanders body should rest, should prove the most happy of all others, and forever free from all foreign invasions and incursions of the enemies; much emulation grew among the Nobles of Macedon, who should get the body of him into his hands: but principally between Perdiccas and Ptolomei the son of Lagus, [ Elian. l. • 2. c. 64.] Perdiccas dealt with his friends to have it carried to Egos, [ Pausan. in his Attica, p. 5.]

But Aridaeus, who had the body in his keeping, contrary to Perdiccas his will, went and carried it to Ptolomei: taking his journey, from Babylon, by Damascus, into Egypt. And although he met with many rubs cast in his way by Polemon, a fast friend of Perdiccas, yet he went through with it, and carried it into Egypt, as his purpose was, [ Arian. in Phot. ]

For having spent two full years in preparations for this funeral, the sumptuousness, and magnificence whereof is at large set down by Diodorus; at length he removed the body out of Babylon, with an infinite company of workmen, to open and level the ways where need should be, and others to attend the funeral following him: But Ptolomei with his whole army, went as far as into Syria to meet him, [ Diod. year 3. Olymp. 114.] and there receiving the Corps, buried it first at Memphis, with all rites and ceremonies, after the Macedonian manner [ Pausan. in his Attica. pag. 5.] and some few years after, removed it to Alexandria, [ Curt. l. 10. c. ult. ] which removal of it, yet was made by his son Ptolomaeus Philadelphus, and not by the father, [as Pausanias intimates in his Attica, p. 5. of which, see more in Srrabo, l. 17. p. 794.]

Perdiccas, calling a Council of Captains and friends in Cappadocia, propounded to them, whether he should march with his army first into Macedonia against Antipater, or into Egypt against Ptolomei: some were of opinion to pass over first into Macedonia, but it was resolved, that it was the best way to begin with Ptolomei in Egypt, least when he had put over into Europe, and was engaged there, Ptolomei should come and possess himself of Asia. Hereupon, Perdiccas gave unto Eumenes, besides what he had already, the provinces of Caria, Lycia, and Phrygia, and the government of all that part of Asia which lieth between the mountain of Taurus, and the Hellespont, commanding him moreover to take charge of all the gendarmery in Cappadocia and Armenia in chief, and with them to attend the motions of Antipater and Craterus, and to fortify all places upon the Hellespont, and to stop their landing, in case they should offer to pass the sea in those parts. Moreover Perdiccas gave order to his brother Alcetes, and Neoptolemus, that they should in all things attend the commands and orders of Eumenes; but Eumenes he willed to do things, as he should think fittest for the present service, in his own discretion. Silicia was taken from Philotas, and committed to Philoxenus: And Perdiccas himself moving from Damasc • s, to the end he might seem to have the better color for what he went about to do, took Aridaeus, and Alexander the son of Alexander the great by Roxane, along with him; and so set forward towards Egypt, to fight with Ptolemy, [ Diodorus. Justin. lib. 13. cap. 6. Arria. Plut. Emil. Probus, in Eumene, Pausan. in his Attica. cap. 5.]

When Antipater and Craterus had heard by Antigonus, that Perdiccas having married Cleopatra, purposed to come for Macedon, and there as absolute King to remove them from their Governments; they presently struck up a peace with the Eolians, and leaving Polysperchon, to manage all matters in Greece and Macedon, hasted into Hellespont in Asia side, amusing and abusing those who were appointed to keep that passage, by sending daily Embassies unto them. They sent also Ambassadors to Ptolemy, who was other ways a deadly enemy to Perdiccas, and a friend to them, and in like danger of Perdiccas, as they themselves were, and desired him to join with them. As also to Eumenes and Neoptolemus; both which, were at that time at Perdiccas his devotion: and with Neoptolemus they prevailed to fall over unto them; but with Eumenes they could not, [ Diodorus, Justin, ut sup. and Arrianus.