Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

FINAL SOGDIAN CAMPAIGN. 489thence up the Margus, as far as Marginia or Antiochia (modernMerv). Here he built six fortresses, two facing southand four west, to hold in check the Daans from the vicinityofthe Caspian Sea.These several insurrections followed by their frightful retributionmust have brought the Sogdianian land tothe veryveroe of ruin. It had been essential that Alexander shouldsubdue it thoroughly ;it became essential that he should againpopulate it ; for the wars had transformed what had been agarden to the semblance of a desert. This duty Alexandercommitted to Hephiestion, who founded new cities, movedfresh inhabitants into them, and built up and fostered theagriculture of the land in every possible way. But it musthave taken many years to bring back the thrifty conditionofSogdiana.Although occurring some months later, the fate of -Spitamenesmay as well be detailed here.Many places in the mountains on the north and east stillremained unsubdued, and Alexander naturally feared thatSpitamenes might again appear to fan the flame. Only aleader was wanting.From Maracanda, therefore, Alexandersent the column of Artabazus and Coenus into MassagetanScythia, whither he had heard that Spitamenes had fled, andassuming personal direction of the others, marched on therebellious towns in Sogdiana, which were as yet unsubdued.After a campaign of marvelous marches, he reduced them toa fidl sense oftheir helplessness, and again returned to Maracanda.No details of this campaign exist.Spitamenes had collected a force of six hundred Massagetanhorsemen in addition to some of his old troops, and withthese he made a descent on an outlying fort in Bactriana,garrisoned by Macedonians. This chieftain by no meanslacked ability. He manoeuvred so as to induce the garrison