CHAPTER XXIV.

OPERATIONS AGAINST THE ASPASIANS.

Alexander now took command of the shield-bearing guards, the archers,

the Agrianians, the brigade of Coenus and Attalus, the royal body-guard

of cavalry, about four regiments of the other Companion cavalry, and

half of the horse-archers, and advanced towards the river Euaspla,[603]

where the chieftain of the Aspasians was. After a long journey he

arrived at the city on the second day. When the barbarians ascertained

that he was approaching they set fire to the city and fled to the

mountains. But Alexander followed close upon the fugitives as far as

the mountains, and slaughtered many of them before they could manage

to get away into the places which were difficult of access. Ptolemy,

son of Lagus, observing that the leader himself of the Indians of

that district was on a certain hill, and that he had some of his

shield-bearing guards round him, though he had with himself far fewer

men, yet he still continued to pursue him on horseback. But as the hill

was difficult for his horse to run up, he left it there, handing it

over to one of the shield-bearing guards to lead. He then followed the

Indian on foot, without any delay. When the latter observed Ptolemy

approaching, he turned round, and so did the shield-bearing guards with

him. The Indian at close quarters struck Ptolemy on the chest through

the breastplate with a long spear, but the breastplate checked the

violence of the blow. Then Ptolemy, smiting right through the Indian’s

thigh, overthrew him, and stripped him of his arms. When his men saw

their leader lying dead, they stood their ground no longer; but the

men on the mountains, seeing their chieftain’s corpse being carried

off by the enemy, were seized with indignation, and running down

engaged in a desperate conflict over him on the hill. For Alexander

himself was now on the hill with the infantry who had dismounted from

the horses. These, falling upon the Indians, drove them away to the

mountains after a hard struggle, and remained in possession of the

corpse. Then crossing the mountains he descended to a city called

Arigaeum, and found that this had been set on fire by the inhabitants,

who had afterwards fled. There Craterus with his army reached him,

after accomplishing all the king’s orders; and because this city seemed

to be built in a convenient place, he directed that general to fortify

it well, and settle in it as many of the neighbouring people as were

willing to live there, together with any of the soldiers who were unfit

for service. He then advanced to the place where he heard that most

of the barbarians of the district had fled for refuge; and coming to

a certain mountain, he encamped at the foot of it. Meantime Ptolemy,

son of Lagus, being sent out by Alexander on a foraging expedition,

and advancing a considerable distance with a few men to reconnoitre,

brought back word to the king that he had observed many more fires

in the camp of the barbarians than there were in Alexander’s. But

the latter did not believe in the multitude of the enemy’s fires.

Discovering, however, that the barbarians of the district had joined

their forces into one body, he left a part of his army there near the

mountain, encamped as they were, and taking as many men as seemed

sufficient, according to the reports he had received, as soon as they

could descry the fires near at hand, he divided his army into three

parts. Over one part he placed Leonnatus, the confidential body-guard,

joining the brigades of Attalus and Balacrus with his own; the second

division he put under the lead of Ptolemy, son of Lagus, including the

third part of the royal shield-bearing guards, the brigades of Philip

and Philotas, two regiments of horse-archers, the Agrianians, and half

of the cavalry. The third division he himself led towards the place

where most of the barbarians were visible.