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

504 ROCK OF CHORIENES.der, "among the Persians, to sit on the king's seat entailsdeath.To you, a Macedonian, it has brought life."This remarkable rock of Chorienes is described as aboutRock of Chorienes.eould be approached, was separated from itseven miles (sixtystades) in circumferenceat the base.A difftcult, narrow,winding road,artificiallymade, easilydefended, and somethingover two miles(twentystades)long, was its soleoutlet. This wasnot easy ofascent,which must be madein single file, evenwhen no one barredthe way.The onlyheight near by,from which the rockby a deep ravine^through which rushed a violent mountain torrent. Thismust be bridged by a causeway in order to get near the walls.Arrian says the ravine ran all round the rock.question was probably theThe place inonly spot high enough to operatefrom. Though it was deemed entirely impracticable, Alexandernevertheless undertook the task. From the heightmentioned, the soldiers were obliged to use ladders to descendinto the ravine, the walls of which were very steep. Theseladders were made by cutting down the pine-trees, whichwere here abundant and lofty.Once in the ravine, Alexander began to build up a sort of