Page 557 Hence he march'd into Bactria; for he heard that Bessus had Usurp'd the Crown, and had rais'd a Numerous Army These were the things then done by Alexander.
In the mean time, the Commanders that were sent into Area, there found the Ring-leaders of the Rebellion, with a strong Army under the Command of Satibarzanes, an Experienc'd and Valiant General. The Armies Encamp'd near to one another, and sometimes would engage in considerable Bodies, and at others in light Skirmishes, by a few on either side. At length it came to a General Battel, and in the midst of the Fight, (wherein the Valour of the Barbarians was such, that the Issue was very doubtful) Satibarzanes himself (to discover who he was) pluck'd off his Helmet with his own Hand, and challenges any of his Enemies Commanders, to fight with him Hand to Hand. Upon which, Erigyus makes up to him, and a stout Combat there was, in which Erigyus was the Victor. The Barbarians upon the Death of their General were so disheartned, that upon Quarter, they gave up themselves to the King.
In the mean while, Bessus had taken upon him the Name of King, and having Sacrific'd to the Gods, invited his Friends to Feast with him. In the midst of his Cups, he began to Quarrel with one of his Companions, call'd Bagodoras, and the Contest growing higher, he fell at length into such a Rage, as that he resolv'd to kill him, but chang'd his Mind through the Persuasion of his Friends. Bagodoras thus narrowly escaping with his Life, fled in the Night to Alexander. The Chief of the Commanders (mov'd by the Consideration of his Escape, and stirr'd up by hopes of Rewards) conspir'd together and seiz'd upon Bessus, and brought him to Alexander, for which the King bountifully rewarded them. As for Bessus, he gave him up into the Hands of Darius his Brother, and the rest of his Kindred, to punish him in such manner as they thought fit, who after they had put him to all manner of Torments, and us'd him with all the Despite and Disgrace imaginable, they cut his Body into small pieces, and hurl'd every part here and there away out of their Slings.—
[Here the History is broken off and lost, viz. 1. Alexander's March through a dry Country. 2. The Defection of the Sogdians, Bactrians. 3. The Hunting in Bahastis.
Peace being made upon these Conditions, and ratify'd by mutual Oaths, the Queen mightily admir'd the Brave and Noble Spirit of Alexander, and sent to him most rich Presents, promising to do whatever he was pleas'd to Command.—
[Here the History is likewise lost. 4. The Impiety against Bacchus. 5. The Death of Clitus and Calisthenes. 6. Wars with the Nauticae. 7. His Marriage with Roxana. 8. of Nysia. These are wanting may be supply'd out of Archian. Lib. 4. and Q. Curtius, Lib. 7, 8.
Then the Mercenaries, as they had agreed, forthwith left the City, and having march'd Eight hundred Furlongs Encamp'd without any Disturbance, not in the least suspecting any thing of that which afterwards happen'd: For Alexander hating them implacably pursu'd them with a considerable Body of Men, and fell upon the Barbarians on the sudden, and cut off Multitudes of them. Upon which the Mercenaries first cry'd out, that he had violated his Oath, in falling upon them in that Hostile manner, and call'd upon the Gods to revenge that Impious Cruelty executed upon them. But the King, with a loud Voice answer'd, That he indeed did agree, that they should quit the City, but not that they should ever be accounted as Friends to the Macedonians. Hereupon, the Barbarians not at all terrify'd with the desperate Condition they were in, drew up in a Body in a round Ring; placing their Wives, Children, and Women in the middle, that they might receive the Enemy on every side with less Hazard and Prejudice. Being therefore Desperate and of daring Spirits, encourag'd by their Successes in former Conflicts, they bravely receiv'd the Enemy. The Macedonians on the other hand resolving to be in nothing inferior to them, the Engagement was very sharp and terrible. For fighting close hand to Hand, Man to Man, various kinds of Death and Wounds appear'd every where: For the Macedonians by their Sarissas pierc'd through the short Shields of the Barbarians with that violence, that the Points ran into their very Bodies The Mercenaries likewise on their part threw their Lances amongst the Thickest of their Enemies, upon whom (being so near) they were sure not to fail in doing Execution. When a great Number of them were wounded and as many kill'd, the Women took up the Arms of those that were slain, and join'd with the Men in the Engagement. For the Desperateness of their Condition, and the Greatness of the Work in hand, forc'd them to the most resolute Resistance for the Defence of themselves. Some of them therefore getting Arms, defended their Husbands
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.