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

THE SOUTHERLY COLUMN. 515tribes north and soutli of the river from combining to assisteach other, and either colmnn could retire upon the other incase of disaster.On the way Hephaestion and Perdiccas were delayed amonth by the so-called revolt of Astes, king of Peucelaotis,who retired into his fortified city. This it became necessaryto besiege, but theplace was captured and Astes was killedduring the hostilities. Sangaeus, who had deserted Astes,was left as viceroy. Beyond this Hephaestion and Perdiccashad little trouble. They easily pacified the country, whoseinhabitants were evidently far from warlike, marched to theIndus, which they reached while the king was stiU strugglingthrough the mountains, and" made all due preparation againsthis arrival, by collecting provision and materials for a bridge.The land they protected by garrisoning the fortress of Astesand Orobatis.The king meanwhile led the bulk of the army over themuch more difficult northerly route on the other side of theCophen.His task was to reduce such of the mountain tribesthere dwelling as would be necessary to secure and make permanenthis control of the valley of this river. He had withhim the shield-bearing guards, the other half of the Companioncavalry, the phalanx, except what marched with Hephaestionand Perdiccas, the foot-agema, the archers, Agrianians,and horse lancers. With these he first marched into the landof the Aspasians, next to which was that of the Guraeans andbeyond them the domain of the Assacenians. On the riverChoes or ^Choaspes (probably the modern Kama) — somegeographers make these separate streams — which rises fromthe glaciers of the Caucasus, and flows through an almostinaccessible valley with towering mountain masses on eitherhand, Alexander learned that most of the neighboring barbarianshad fled for refuge into the cities of that country,