CHAPTER XXX.

CAPTURE OF AORNUS.—ARRIVAL AT THE INDUS.

On the first day his army constructed the mound the length of a stade;

and on the following day the slingers shooting at the Indians from the

part already finished, assisted by the missiles which were hurled from

the military engines, repulsed the sallies which they made against

the men who were constructing the mound. He went on with the work for

three days without intermission, and on the fourth day a few of the

Macedonians forcing their way occupied a small eminence which was on

a level with the rock. Without taking any rest, Alexander went on

with the mound, being desirous of connecting his artificial rampart

with the eminence which the few men were now occupying for him. But

then the Indians, being alarmed at the indescribable audacity of the

Macedonians, who had forced their way to the eminence, and seeing that

the mound was already united with it, desisted from attempting any

longer to resist. They sent their herald to Alexander, saying that

they were willing to surrender the rock, if he would grant them a

truce. But they had formed the design of wasting the day by continually

delaying the ratification of the truce, and of scattering themselves

in the night with the view of escaping one by one to their own abodes.

When Alexander discovered this plan of theirs, he allowed them time

to commence their retreat, and to remove the guard which was placed

all round the place. He remained quiet until they began their retreat;

then taking 700 of the body-guards and shield-bearing infantry, he

was the first to scale the rock at the part of it abandoned by the

enemy; and the Macedonians ascended after him, one in one place

another in another, drawing each other up. These men at the concerted

signal turned themselves upon the retreating barbarians, and killed

many of them in their flight. Others retreating with panic terror

perished by leaping down the precipices; and thus the rock which had

been inexpugnable to Heracles was occupied by Alexander. He offered

sacrifice upon it, and arranged a fort, committing the superintendence

of the garrison to Sisicottus, who long before had deserted from

the Indians to Bessus in Bactra, and after Alexander had acquired

possession of the country of Bactra, entered his army and appeared to

be eminently trustworthy.

He now set out from the rock and invaded the land of the Assacenians;

for he was informed that the brother of Assacenus, with his elephants

and many of the neighbouring barbarians had fled into the mountains

in this district. When he arrived at the city of Dyrta,[618] he found

none of the inhabitants either in it or in the land adjacent. On the

following day he sent out Nearchus and Antiochus, the colonels of the

shield-bearing guards, giving the former the command of the Agrianians

and the light-armed troops,[619] and the latter the command of his

own regiments and two others besides. They were despatched both to

reconnoitre the locality and to try if they could capture some of the

barbarians anywhere in order to get information about the general

affairs of the country; and he was especially anxious to learn news of

the elephants. He now directed his march towards the river Indus,[620]

the army going in advance to make a road for him, as otherwise this

district would have been impassable. Here he captured a few of the

barbarians, from whom he learnt that the Indians of that land had fled

for safety to Abisares, but that they had left their elephants there to

pasture near the river Indus. He ordered these men to show him the way

to the elephants. Many of the Indians are elephant-hunters, and these

Alexander kept in attendance upon him in high honour, going out to hunt

the elephants in company with them. Two of these animals perished in

the chase, by leaping down a precipice, but the rest were caught and

being ridden by drivers were marshalled with the army. He also as he

was marching along the river lighted upon a wood the timber of which

was suitable for building ships; this was cut down by the army, and

ships were built for him, which were brought down the river Indus to

the bridge, which had long since been constructed by Hephaestion and

Perdiccas at his command.