562 Note on the Passes into Hindoostan [No. 126. 



thrown upon the geography of the countries traversed, to identify 

 most of the principal rivers and places named ; but there is a sad want 

 of dates and distances in Arrian's narrative, and even the seasons of 

 many of the operations, and the number of months and years occupied 

 in them, have to be guessed from circumstances. On the whole, however, 

 Arrian is a more sure guide in regard to this expedition than any other 

 author of antiquity, and but for the changes of names usual in the Greek 

 version of oriental appellatives, as well as those incident to the course 

 of events in twenty centuries, there would be less difficulty in follow- 

 ing him than the Persian and Turkish historians of later expeditions. 



After the victory of Gaugamela, in the province of Arbela,* which 

 was gained in October 331, b. c.,f Alexander marched first to Babylon, 

 and then to Susa and Persepolis. The ruins of both Persian capi- 

 tals have been fully traced and explored, the former is near Shoostur, 

 and the latter about 100 miles north-east of Shiraz. These royal cities 

 Alexander sacked, and then collecting all the camels and beasts of 

 burthen of Lower Persia, he followed Darius to Isfahan, (Ecbatana,)J 

 the capital of Media, at the time of this expedition. Hearing how- 

 ever of Darius's flight towards Bactria, he took himself with a light 

 division the eastern route by Yezd to Tabas, said to be the last town 

 of the Parsetaceni, (halfway between Yezd and Mushud.) Finding there 

 that he could not overtake the fugitive king before he passed the 



* Arbela appears to have been a city, the head-quarter town of a district. 



f Arrian gives three dates, one of this battle, a second of the death of Darius, and 

 the third of the battle with Porus. This last however is erroneous. 



X There is a great controversy amongst the learned as to whether Hamadan or 

 Isfahan is the Ecbatana, capital of Media, through which Darius fled, and at which 

 Alexander made his arrangements for the Bactrian campaign. I think it not at all 

 improbable that both bore the name, but if the resources of Darius lay in Bactria, 

 it is very unlikely that he and Bessus should have retired by Hamadan, and the evi- 

 dent line of advance from Persepolis, which is near Sheeraz, was Isfahan. The 

 Paraetaceni also lay to the right, and the site of Tabas half-way between Yezd and 

 Mushud, would show, if we assume the flight of Darius and pursuit of Alexander to have 

 taken this direction, that the latter attempted by that route to cut off Darius from 

 Bactria, while his main army advanced by Isfahan. Tabas is named by Quintus Curtius 

 as the limit of Alexander's pursuit towai'ds Bactria prior to the reorganization of the 

 army at Ecbatana, but by a strange confusion he places the death of Darius in this 

 flight from Ecbatana, whereas it clearly did not occur till next season. The pursuit 

 from Hyrcania and the Elburz mountains may, however, have taken a south-westerly 

 direction to Tabas, so as to be that referred to by Quintus Curtius, which would leave 

 doubtful the previous march on the same place. 



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