CHAPTER XXV.
MARCH TO BACTRA.—BESSUS AIDED BY SATIBARZANES.
Having settled these affairs, he marched to Zadracarta, the largest
city of Hyrcania, where also was the seat of the Hyrcanian government.
Tarrying here fifteen days, he offered sacrifice to the gods according
to his custom, and celebrated a gymnastic contest, after which he began
his march towards Parthia; thence to the confines of Areia[480] and
to Susia, a city in that province, where Satibarzanes, the viceroy of
the Areians, came to meet him. To this man he restored his viceregal
dignity, and with him sent Anaxippus, one of the Companions, to whom
he gave forty horse-lancers so that he might be able to station them
as guards of the localities, in order that the Areians might not be
injured by the army in its march through their land. At this time
came to him some Persians, who informed him that Bessus had assumed
the erect tiara[481] and was wearing the Persian dress,[482] calling
himself Artaxerxes instead of Bessus, and asserting that he was king
of Asia. They said he had in attendance upon him the Persians who had
escaped into Bactra and many of the Bactrians themselves; and that he
was expecting the Scythians also to come to him as allies. Alexander,
having now all his forces together, went towards Bactra, where Philip
son of Menelaüs came to him out of Media with the Greek mercenary
cavalry which were under his own command, those of the Thessalians
who had volunteered to remain, and the men of Andromachus. Nicanor,
the son of Parmenio, the commander of the shield-bearing guards, had
already died of disease. While Alexander was on his way to Bactra, he
was informed that Satibarzanes, viceroy of Areia, had killed Anaxippus
and the horse-lancers who were with him, had armed the Areians and
collected them in the city of Artacoana, which was the capital of
that nation. It was also said that he had resolved, as soon as he
ascertained that Alexander had advanced, to leave that place and go
with his forces to Bessus, with the intention of joining that prince
in an attack upon the Macedonians, wherever a chance might occur. When
he received this news, he stopped the march towards Bactra, and taking
with him the Companion cavalry, the horse-lancers, the archers, the
Agrianians and the regiments of Amyntas and Coenus, and leaving the
rest of his forces there under the command of Craterus, he made a
forced march against Satibarzanes and the Areians; and having travelled
600 stades in two days came near Artacoana. Satibarzanes, however, no
sooner perceived that Alexander was near, than being struck with terror
at the quickness of his arrival, he took to flight with a few Areian
horsemen. For he was deserted by the majority of his soldiers in his
flight, when they also learned that Alexander was at hand. The latter
made rapid marches in pursuit of the enemy, killed some of the men whom
he discovered to be guilty of the revolt and who at that time had left
their villages, fleeing, some one way, some another; and others of them
he sold into slavery. He then proclaimed Arsames, a Persian, viceroy
over the Areians. Being now joined by the men who had been left behind
with Craterus, he marched into the land of the Zarangaeans,[483] and
reached the place where their seat of government was. But Barsaëntes,
who at that time had possession of the land, being one of those who
had fallen upon Darius in his flight, learning that Alexander was
approaching, fled to the Indians who live this side of the river Indus.
But they arrested him and sent him back to Alexander, by whom he was
put to death on account of his guilty conduct towards Darius.