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

600 THE SOGDIAN ROCK.Arrangements looking to an Indian campaign were seriouslybegun. It was hoped that this might be undertakenearly in the coming summer, so soon, in fact, as the meltingof the snows should have sufficiently opened the mountainpasses.Bactria was quiet. Sogdiana had been reduced to submission,and thenceforth remained so. The exceptions wereonly one or two strongholds, where the last relics of oppositionhad collected. But these in nowise affected the generalsentiment of the country. Oxyartes, an influential Bactrian,had conveyed his family for safety to the Sogdian Rock, orRock of Arimazes, in Sogdiana, a fastness which was supposedto be quite impregnable, and was victualed for a longsiege. The snow furnished abundance of water.Alexander opened operations early. The march was fullof difficulties. Storms were very severe. One is mentionedby Quintus Curtius in which one thousand men perishedfrom cold and exposure ; and Diodorus details the energyand courage disj^layed by Alexander in cheering his men tothose exertions by which alone they could save themselves.The severity of the climate corresponds with what travelerstell us of this trans-Caucasian region to-day.The snow was not yet off the ground when Alexanderappeared before the place. This rock was very high ; itssides were ahnost perpendicular, and an assault promisedutter failure. It was absurd to attempt one. How to beginsiege operations was a question no one could answer. Thereseemed to be no approach ; the one road up the rock couldbe held by a dozen men. The snow made treacherous footingfor the Macedonians if they attempted to climb the rock.But the difficulty of the situation made the king all the moredetermined ;" for," says Arrian, " a certain overweening andinsolent boast uttered by the barbarians had thrown him into