366 Journal of the Asiatic Sociely of Bengal. |N.S., XIX, 
to have proved fatal to the reputation of not only mortals 
but also of gods. This increase in the strength of his forces 
therefore was perhaps considered necessary by the difficult 
nature of the operations which confronted him. 
Alexander thus commenced his invasion. He gradually 
fought his way to Ohind, crossed the Indus and the Hy ‘daspes. 
defeated Poros and after crossing two other tributaries of 
the Indus arrived on the banks of ‘the Hyphasis in September 
326 B.C. This was the turning point in his invasion of India, 
for we are told by the historians of Alexander that his army 
mutinied and refused to proceed further. We are informed 
by Arrian that the reports about the Indians bevond the 
What were the causes that worked so screcse on the 
morale of the Greek forces. We have seen that with an army 
which was less than one-third its present strength the Greeks 
had shattered the vast Persian army and its numerous hosts. 
Issuing from distant Macedon they had conquered nearly the 
whole of S.W. Asia and a fair portion of Africa and were 
now resting their arms on the bank of the Beas. It is prob- 
able that Alexander received this ‘imperious check’ because 
his army was war weary and homesick, so natural to a force 
warring in distant and strange lands. But was this the 
sufficient and only cause of the mutiny ? 
n his famous address to the ise on the banks of 
the “teres Alexander remarks in one place—‘I am not 
ignorant soldiers that during the last days the natives of this 
_ From Arrian we © know that Phas ius ‘ were brave 
reason Brig 4 wo should reject this statement of Plutarcn and accept the 
guess of Dr. V. Smith that ‘ perhaps fifty or sixty thousand Euro 
age 
iaaet the Hindukush with Alex A “ 
et ah respon ander,’ Early History of pasate 
ndi 
2 Ibid, pp. a, its invasion by Alexander, p. io): 
127 and 229, 
3 MeCrindle’s Ancient India. its invasion by Alexander, p. 223. 
