The Strand Study Bible

BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS When Alexander reached the Indus River in 326 BC, he was greeted by Taxiles, the prince of Taxila. From there he marched his mixture of Greek, Asian, and Indian troops toward the Hydaspes River. Beyond the river, he was told, was Porus, the great Paurava King who was almost seven feet tall. Crossing the river, Alexander met the magnificent man with all his armies, who fought with elephants. In the ensuing battle that followed, King Porus would give Alexander the greatest fight of his life. With 15,000 soldiers, Alexander charged the Indian people and their elephants. In less than eight hours, the battle was over. Porus’ losses were immense as were Alexander’s, but Alexander came out the victor. After the battle, Alexander met personally with Porus, who had been struck by a series of arrows, and admired his courageous stand. While in India, Alexander founded two more cities: Nicaea and Bucephalus (named in memory of his horse who had died in the battle). Although the battle against Porus was a victory, it was too much for the exhausted Macedonians to continue on. According to Plutarch, this subcontinent “killed their hearts.” His troops had mutinied, not against Alexander, but against the idea of fighting anymore. They had seen enough during the past eight and a half years and 11,000 miles, and they wanted to go home. They had lost the will to fight, which means the end of any army. Like his ancestor Achilles, Alexander withdrew to his kingly purple tent and sulked for three days. When his army refused to change their minds, he yielded. Alexander thus turned back and forced his way through hostile tribes with such personal bravery that his soldiers wept at their inability to realize all his dreams. The year was 326 BC.

Oxus River

Bactra

• Mesked

Hindu Kush •

• Herat

• Taxila Bucephala •

Cabul Valley

• Farah

Hydaspes River

Hydraotes River

Hyphasis River

Indus River

INDIA

•

Pattale Delta

INDIAN OCEAN

The long and grueling return, was, in truth, a return, not a retreat. During the descent down the Hydaspes and Indus Rivers, Alexander met a warlike tribe called the Mallians. While storming their city, he received an arrow through his chest, which nearly cost him his life. After three months convalescence, he renewed his march along the Indus River, and at last came to Pattale in the delta. It was summertime. The year was 325 BC. By September, Alexander was ready to start his journey homeward toward Babylon, where he would put his kingdom in order. He divided his forces, sending some by ship through the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf, under the leadership of Nearchus, his admiral, while he and the others returned by land, across the desert of the Mekran. Those who returned by land with Alexander suffered immeasurably. The return across Gadrosia was full of difficulties as heat killed thousands; thirst killed more. By the time Alexander reached Susa in the spring, some ten thousand of his men had died, and Alexander was half insane. Having already married one Asiatic princess (Roxana), he now married another (Statira, the daughter of the late Darius III), Hephaestion, his closest friend, married her sister (Drypetis). Some say he may have even married another (Parysatis, the daughter of Artaxeres III). His aim was to unite his new world through marriages. He even ordered around 9,000 of his Macedonian men to marry Asiatic women. The year was 324 BC.

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