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

BREADTH OF ALEXANDER'S IDEAS. 613sword. When Alexander had disappeared from immediateview, Musicanus unagined he had gone for good. The Brahminshad roused the religious frenzy of this people also.Arrian calls these Brahmins the philosophers of India. Theyappear to have been hard to reconcile to the new regime, andexcessively bitter in their antagonism. Alexander, incensedthat this barbarian king should thus reward his favors, countermarchedsharply against him, captured many ofthe citiesin the southern part of his domains, razed some to the groundand sold the inhabitants into slavery, and garrisoned otherswhile Peithon was sent to Alor and beyond after Musicanus,who had imitated Sambus and fled into the regions east of theIndus. Having captured him, Peithon brought him to Harmatelia.Alexander ordered him to be crucified in the publicroads, with a number of Bralnnins who had been the primemovers in the revolt.To offset this treachery, the ruler of the Patalians, Moerisby name, now came from the apex of the delta of the Indusand tendered submission, offering to do whatever Alexandershoidd prescribe.This practically put an end to all oppositionalong the Indus. Alexander could fairly call this greatriver, with its mighty affluents, his own. How strong theties which bound to him the vassals he had made might haveremained, had Alexander lived to consolidate his conquests,it is hard to say ;how lax they actually were was shown immediatelyafter his death.However uncertain or limited the information on whichAlexander conceived his gigantic schemes, he none the lesshad a very definite general idea ofwhat he desired to accomplish.He always looked ahead, gauged the outcome of hisventures correctly, and, after using due care, leftthe detailsto be met as they came up. From the delta of the Indus,which he next proposed to visit, Alexander's homeward