Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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APRIL, 1029 )
ALEXANDER'S CAMPAIGN ON THE N.-W. FRONTIER
After this rapid survey of the ground to which the Assakênoi, the early predecessors of those "Swatis," are likely to have retreated for safety, we shall be better able, I think, to consider the questions raised by what our extant accounts relate of Alexander's great feat at Aornos. Among them Arrian's record is the fullest and undoubtedly also the most reliable, We may attach to it all the more critical value because one of the two contemporary authorities whose narratives Arrian in his preface declares as more worthy of credit than all the rest, and whom he principally follows, was that Ptolemy, son of Lagos and the first of the Ptolemies of Egypt, who personally had played a chief part in the conquest of Aornos.34
After recording the barbarian's flight to Aornos, Arrian immediately proceeds to inform us of the reason which filled Alexander with the eager desire to capture that rock fastness. Arrian's statements on this point have a peculiar interest for the historical student; for they help to throw welcome light on certain psychological factors which undoubtedly have played an important part in more than one of Alexander's wonderful enterprises-just as they did in those of his modern counterpart, Napoleon. At the same time we may recognize in those statements & significant indication of the critical attitude with which Arrian-and perhaps his chief authority also was apt to view the fabulous element fostered by the hero of his story.36
We are told of Aornos :
“This is a mighty mass of rock in that part of the country, and a report is current concerning it that even Herakles, the son of Zeus, had found it to be impregnable. Now whether the Theban, or the Tyrian, or the Egyptian Herakles penetrated so far as to the Indians I can neither positively affirm nor deny, but I incline to think that he did not penetrate so far; for we know how common it is for men when speaking of things that are difficult to mag. nify the difficulty by declaring that it would bafile even Herakles himself. And in the case of this rock my own conviction is that Herakles was mentioned to make the story of its capture all the more wonderful. The rock is said to have had a circuit of about 200 stadia, and at its lowest elevation a height of 11 stadia. It was ascended by a single path cut by the hand of man, yet difficult. On the summit of the rock there was, it is also said, plenty of pure water which gushed out from a copious spring. There was timber besides, and as much good arable land as required for its cultivation the labour of a thousand men.
"Alexander on learning these particulars was seized with an ardent desire to capture this mountain also, the story current about Herakles not being the least of the incentives."36
We may never know whether the ambition stimulated by such reports about Aornos was the sole incentive for Alexander to decide upon its capture. This decision may possibly have been due quite as much, if not more, to the strategic consideration invariably kept in view by Alexander of not leaving an enemy behind until he had been completely crushed. But anyhow we have seen that instead of pursuing the fugitive Assakênoi to their mountain retreat, Alexander moved from Swât into the Peshawar valley. Thereafter, resuming contact with that portion of this army which had already arrived by the route of Kabul river, he organized Macedonian control over this important district and then proceeded to the Indus.
In view of what has been shown above as to the direction to the East of the Swat-Indus watershed which the retreat of the inhabitants of Upper Swat was likely to have taken, it is easy for us to understand the sound strategic reasons underlying what might otherwise
34 Cf. Arrian, Ana basis,' Prooemion, where Ptolemy's name significantly meots us as the very first word.
36 See also Anabasis,' V. iii, where Arrian expresses similar critical misgivinge in connection with Alexander's visit to the city of Nysa, alleged to have been founded by Dionysos. He quotes there Eratos thenes' view "that all these references to the deity were circulated by the Macedonians in connection with the deeds of Alexander to gratify his pride by grossly exaggerating their importance." (M'Crindle).
36. Anabasis,' IV. xxviii. 1-4; translation, by M'Crindle, Invasion of India,' pp. 70 sq.
