1854.] 



Gradus ad Aornon. 



319 



Arrian. 

 lent current,and that round bould- 

 ers iu the river were daugerous 

 to those fording. But the bar- 

 barians learning Alexander's ap- 

 proach, not having courage for a 

 pitched battle, distributed them- 

 selves amongst their several cities, 

 purposing to defend them. 



" xxvi. — And Alexander came 

 first to Massaga the largest of 

 those cities." 



The siege of Massaga occupies 

 two pages. The enemy had 7,000 

 mercenary troops of the neigh- 

 bouring districts (the Rohillas, 

 probably, who still swarm in that 

 neighbourhood). These sallied 

 bravely upon the Macedonians as 

 they were encamping. Alexander 

 feigning to retreat, drew them 

 away from the city to an eminence. 

 Then suddenly turning back upon 

 them,routed them and drove them 

 back to the town, leaving 200 

 slain. Alexander at once closed 

 upon the walls and rained in 

 arrows and, easily advancing his 

 engines to the base, effected a 

 partial breach that day, which, 

 the Macedonians carried but 

 could not retain. The third day 

 he dropped a bridge from the en- 

 gine upon the wall, but it broke 

 beneath the impetuous rush of his 

 soldiers and many of them were 

 killed. Another bridge was pre- 



Curtius. 

 city ; its base of stone, its super- 

 structure of unburnt brick. Stones 

 brace together the bricks, inter- 

 posed that the softer may rest 

 upon the stronger material, when 

 the soil is flooded with moisture. 

 That nothing might be wanting, 

 strong beams are superadded, 

 upon which planks being fastened, 

 not only cover the walls, but ren- 

 der them pervious. Alexander 

 contemplating these defences and 

 at a loss, because the chasms 

 could be filled with nothing less 

 than a hill, nor without filling 

 them could he advance his en- 

 gines to the walls, was wounded 

 by an arrow from the wall. The 

 arrow lighted upon his thigh and 

 the head being plucked out he 

 ordered them to place him in his 

 saddle, sitting in which he con- 

 tinued the operations without 

 attending to the wound. After 

 awhile, when the leg hanging 

 down and the blood drying, the 

 wound in cooling aggravated his 

 pain, he is reported to have ob- 

 served, that he was styled son of 

 Jupiter, yet felfc the evil of a body 

 subject to pain. Nevertheless he 

 no sooner found himself in camp 

 than he oversaw all things and 

 dictated his commands. Therefore 

 because it was so ordained, some 

 pulled down the suburbs and 

 2 u 2 



