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

ROCK OF SISIMITHRES. 491thousand horsemen in liis company. Craterus overtook him,and defeated him with a loss of one hundred and fifty men.The rest escaped.About this time Amyntas was made viceroy of Bactria inplace of Artabazus, who, ninety-seven years old, felt compelledto retire for age. This place had been intended forClitus, whose unhappy fate will be detailed in the nextchapter. Ccbuus was left in Sogdiana for the winter withliis own brigade and Meleager's taxis, four hundred Companions,the horse archers, and Amyntas' old command of Bactriansand Sogdianians. It was made the peculiar duty ofCoenus to watch for Spitamenes, who, finding Bactria too hotto hold him, was now wandering about the outskirts of Sogdiana.AVhile Hephjestion returned to Bactria to make arrangementsfor provisioning the troops during thecoming winter,Alexander moved across the Polytimetus to Xenippa in pursuitof a number of the Bactrian and Sogdianian rebels. TheXenippians, fearing to be mixed up in the matter, refusedtheir countrymen the usual hospitality. Some two thousandin number, these were compelled to turn and defend themselves,and after a severe struggle, in which they lost eighthundred men, they were obliged to sue for peace.After this success, Alexander moved on the rock fortress ofSisimithres, the location of which is undetermined, but bysome authorities is put at a distance of several hundred milesfrom Maracanda ; and after much toil and danger — themarch to the fort being as severe as the work of taking it—this also succumbed by capitulation.Meanwhile, Spitamenes determined to make one lasteffortin Sogdiana. In addition to his own renegades, he had collecteda force of three thousand Scythian horsemen eager forbooty. These people, having no homes or cities, and ground