alexander-第21章

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nqueror　himself　has　left　us　in　his　own　epistles。　　　Almost　all　the　historians　agree　in　relating　that　Porus　was　four　cubits　and　a　span　high；　and　that　when　he　was　upon　his　elephant；　which　was　of　the　largest　size；　his　stature　and　bulk　were　so　answerable；　that　he　appeared　to　be　proportionately　mounted；　as　a　horseman　on　his　horse。　This　elephant；　during　the　whole　battle；　gave　many　singular　proofs　of　sagacity　and　of　particular　care　of　the　king；　whom　as　long　as　he　was　strong　and　in　a　condition　to　fight；　he　defended　with　great　courage；　repelling　those　who　set　upon　him；　and　as　soon　as　he　perceived　him　overpowered　with　his　numerous　wounds　and　the　multitude　of　darts　that　were　thrown　at　him；　to　prevent　his　falling　off；　he　softly　knelt　down　and　began　to　draw　out　the　darts　with　his　proboscis。　When　Porus　was　taken　prisoner；　and　Alexander　asked　him　how　he　expected　to　be　used；　he　answered；　〃As　a　king。〃　For　that　expression；　he　said；　when　the　same　question　was　put　to　him　a　second　time；　comprehended　everything。　And　Alexander；　accordingly；　not　only　suffered　him　to　govern　his　own　kingdom　as　satrap　under　himself；　but　gave　him　also　the　additional　territory　of　various　independent　tribes　whom　he　subdued；　a　district　which；　it　is　said；　contained　fifteen　several　nations；　and　five　thousand　considerable　towns；　besides　abundance　of　villages。　To　another　government；　three　times　as　large　as　this；　he　appointed　Philip；　one　of　his　friends。　　　Some　little　time　after　the　battle　with　Porus；　Bucephalus　died；　as　most　of　the　authorities　state；　under　cure　of　his　wounds；　or；　as　Onesicritus　says；　of　fatigue　and　age；　being　thirty　years　old。　Alexander　was　no　less　concerned　at　his　death　than　if　he　had　lost　an　old　companion　or　an　intimate　friend；　and　built　a　city；　which　he　named　Bucephalia；　in　memory　of　him；　on　the　bank　of　the　river　Hydaspes。　He　also；　we　are　told；　built　another　city；　and　called　it　after　the　name　of　a　favourite　dog；　Peritas；　which　he　had　brought　up　himself。　So　Sotion　assures　us　he　was　informed　by　Potamon　of　Lesbos。　　　But　this　last　combat　with　Porus　took　off　the　edge　of　the　Macedonians'　courage；　and　stayed　their　further　progress　into　India。　For　having　found　it　hard　enough　to　defeat　an　enemy　who　brought　but　twenty　thousand　foot　and　two　thousand　horse　into　the　field；　they　thought　they　had　reason　to　oppose　Alexander's　design　of　leading　them　on　to　pass　the　Ganges；　too；　which　they　were　told　was　thirty…two　furlongs　broad　and　a　fathoms　deep；　and　the　banks　on　the　further　side　covered　with　multitudes　of　enemies。　For　they　were　told　the　kings　of　the　Gandaritans　and　Praesians　expected　them　there　with　eighty　thousand　horse；　two　hundred　thousand　foot；　eight　thousand　armed　chariots；　and　six　thousand　fighting　elephants。　Nor　was　this　a　mere　vain　report；　spread　to　discourage　them。　For　Androcottus；　who　not　long　after　reigned　in　those　parts；　made　a　present　of　five　hundred　elephants　at　once　to　Seleucus；　and　with　an　army　of　six　hundred　thousand　men　subdued　all　India。　Alexander　at　first　was　so　grieved　and　enraged　at　his　men's　reluctancy　that　he　shut　himself　up　in　his　tent　and　threw　himself　upon　the　ground；　declaring；　if　they　would　not　pass　the　Ganges；　he　owed　them　no　thanks　for　anything　they　had　hitherto　done；　and　that　to　retreat　now　was　plainly　to　confess　himself　vanquished。　But　at　last　the　reasonable　persuasions　of　his　friends　and　the　cries　and　lamentations　of　his　soldiers；　who　in　a　suppliant　manner　crowded　about　the　entrance　of　his　tent；　prevailed　with　him　to　think　of　returning。　Yet　he　could　not　refrain　from　leaving　behind　him　various　deceptive　memorials　of　his　expedition；　to　impose　upon　aftertimes；　and　to　exaggerate　his　glory　with　posterity；　such　as　arms　larger　than　were　really　worn；　and　mangers　for　horses；　with　bits　and　bridles　above　the　usual　size；　which　he　set　up；　and　distributed　in　several　places。　He　erected　altars；　also；　to　the　gods；　which　the　kings　of　the　Praesians　even　in　our　time　do　honour　to　when　they　pass　the　river；　and　offer　sacrifice　upon　them　after　the　Grecian　manner。　Androcottus；　then　a　boy；　saw　Alexander　there；　and　is　said　often　afterwards　to　have　been　heard　to　say；　that　he　missed　but　little　of　making　himself　master　of　those　countries；　their　king；　who　then　reigned；　was　so　hated　and　despised　for　the　viciousness　of　his　life　and　the　meanness　of　his　extraction。　　　Alexander　was　now　eager　to　see　the　ocean。　To　which　purpose　he　caused　a　great　many　tow…boats　and　rafts　to　be　built；　in　which　he　fell　gently　down　the　rivers　at　his　leisure；　yet　so　that　his　navigation　was　neither　unprofitable　nor　inactive。　For　by　several　descents　upon　the　bank；　he　made　himself　master　of　the　fortified　towns；　and　consequently　of　the　country　on　both　sides。　But　at　a　siege　of　a　town　of　the　Mallians；　who　have　the　repute　of　being　the　bravest　people　of　India；　he　ran　in　great　danger　of　his　life。　For　having　beaten　off　the　defendants　with　showers　of　arrows；　he　was　the　first　man　that　mounted　the　wall　by　a　scaling…ladder；　which；　as　soon　as　he　was　up；　broke　and　left　him　almost　alone；　exposed　to　the　darts　which　the　barbarians　threw　at　him　in　great　numbers　from　below。　In　this　distress；　turning　himself　as　well　as　he　could；　he　leaped　down　in　the　midst　of　his　enemies；　and　had　the　good　fortune　to　light　upon　his　feet。　The　brightness　and　clattering　of　his　armour　when　he　came　to　the　ground　made　the　barbarians　think　they　saw　rays　of　light；　or　some　bright　phantom　playing　before　his　body；　which　frightened　them　so　at　first　that　they　ran　away　and　dispersed。　Till　seeing　him　seconded　but　by　two　of　his　guards；　they　fell　upon　him　hand…to…hand；　and　some；　while　he　bravely　defended　himself；　tried　to　wound　him　through　his　armour　with　their　swords　and　spears。　And　one　who　stood　further　off　drew　a　bow　with　such　strength　that　the　arrow；　finding　its　way　through　his　cuirass；　stuck　in　his　ribs　under　the　breast。　This　stroke　was　so　violent　that　it　made　him　give　back；　and　set　one　knee　to　the　ground；　upon　which　the　man　ran　up　with　his　drawn　scimitar；　thinking　to　despatch　him；　and　had　done　it；　if　Peucestes　and　Limnaeus　had　not　interposed；　who　were　both　wounded；　Limnaeus　mortally；　but　Peucestes　stood　his　ground；　while　Alexander　killed　the　barbarians。　But　this　did　not　free　him　from　danger；　for；　besides　many　other　wounds；　at　last　he　received　so　weighty　a　stroke　of　a　club　upon　his　neck　that　he　was　forced　to　lean　his　body　against　the　wall；　still；　however；　facing　the　enemy。　At　this　extremity；　the　Macedonians　made　their　way　in　and　gathered　round　him。　They　took　him　up；　just　as　he　was　fainting　away；　having　lost　all　sense　of　what　was　done　near　him；　and　conveyed　him　to　his　tent；　upon　which　it　was　presently　reported　all　over　the　camp　that　he　was　dead。　But　when　they　had　with　great　difficulty　and　pains　sawed　off　the　shaft　of　the　arrow；　which　was　of　wood；　and　so　with　much　trouble　got　off　his　cuirass；　they　came　to　cut　the　head　of　it；　which　was　three　fingers　broad　and　four　long；　and　stuck　fast　in　the　bone。　During　the　operation　he　was　taken　with　almost　mortal　swoonings；　but　when　it　was　out　he　came　to　himself　again。　Yet　though　all　danger　was　past；　he　continued　very　weak；　and　confined　himself　a　great　while　to　a　regular　diet　and　the　method　of　his　cure；　till　one　day　hearing　the　Macedonians　clamouring　outside　in　their　eagerness　to　see　him；　he　took　his　cloak　and　went　out。　An