Historical Reference |
Antiochus In Parthia, B.C. 209-5. by Polybius |
Antiochus In Parthia, B.C. 209-5. by Polybius
Antiochus III Antiochus In Parthia, B.C. 209-5. by Polybius 48. The Apasiacae live between the rivers Oxus and Tanais, former of which falls the Hyrcanian Sea, the latter into the Palus Maeotis. (Polybius confuses the Tanais (Don) with another Tanais or laxartes flowing into the south-east part of the Caspian.)Both are large enough tobe navigable: and it seems surprising how the Nomads managed to come by land into Hyrcania along with their horses. Two accounts are given of this affair, one of them probable, the other very surprising yet not impossible. The Oxus rises in the Caucasus, and being much augmented by tributaries in Bactria, it rushes through the level plain with a violent and turbid stream. When it reaches the desert it dashes its stream against some precipitous rocks with a force raised to such tremendous proportions by the mass of its waters, and the declivity down which it has descended, that it leaps from the rocks to the plain below leaving an interval of more than a stade between the rock and its falls. It is through this space that they say the Apasiacae went on foot with their horses into Hyrcania, under the fall, and keeping close to the rock. The other account is more probable on the face of it. It is said that, as the basin of the. river has extensive flats into which it descends with violence, the force of the stream makes hollows in them, and opens chasms into which the water descends deep below the surface, and so is carried on for a short way, and then reappears: and that the barbarians, being well acquainted with the facts, make their way on horseback, over the space thus left dry, into Hyrcania. 49. News being brought that Euthydemia with his force was at Tapuria, and that a body of ten thousand horsemen were keeping guard at the passage of the river Arius, he decided abandon the siege and attack these last. The river was three days' march away. For two days therefore he marched at a moderate speed; but on the third, after dinner, he gave orders for the rest of his army to start next day at daybreak; while he himself, with the cavalry and light-armed troops and ten thousand peltasts, started in the night and pushed on at a great rate. For he was informed that the cavalry of the enemy kept guard by day on the bank of the river, but at night retired to a city more than twenty stades off. Having completed therefore the rest of the way under cover of night, the plains being excellent for riding, he got the greater part of his army across the river by daybreak, before the enemy came back. When their scouts told them what had happened, the horsemen of the Bactrians hastened to the rescue, and fell in with their opponents while on the march. Seeing that he must stand the first charge of the enemy, the king summoned the two thousand horsemen who were accustomed to fight round his own person; and issuing orders that the rest were to form their companies and squadrons, and take up the usual order on the ground on which they already were, he advanced with the two thousand cavalry, and met the charge of the advanced guard of the Bactrians. In this engagement Antiochus is reputed to have shown the greatest gallantry of any of his men. There was heavy loss on both sides: the king's men conquered the first squadron, but when a second and a third charged, they began to be hard pressed and to suffer seriously. At that juncture, most of the cavalry being by this time on the ground, Panaetolus ordered a general advance; relieved the king and his squadrons; and, upon the Bactrians charging in loose order, forced them to turn and fly in confusion. They never drew rein before the charge of Panaetolus, until they rejoined Euthydemia, with a loss of more than half their number. The king's cavalry on the contrary retired, after killing large numbers and taking a great many prisoners, and bivouacked by the side of the river. In this action the king had a horse killed under him, and lost some of his teeth by a blow on the mouth; and his whole bearing obtained him a reputation for bravery of the highest description. After this battle Euthydemus retreated in dismay with his army to the city of Zariaspa in Bactria. . . 34. Euthydemia was
himself a Magnesian, and he answered the envoy by
saying that "Antiochus was acting unjustly in trying
to expel him from his kingdom. He was not himself a
revolted subject, but had destroyed the descendant of
some who had been such, and so had obtained the kingdom
of Bactria." After adding more arguments to the same
effect, he urged Teleas to act as a sincere mediator of
peace, by urging Antiochus not to grudge him the royal
title and dignity, " for if he did not yield to this
demand, neither of them would be safe: seeing that great
hordes of Nomads were close at hand, who were a danger to
both; and that if they admitted them into the country, it
would certainly be utterly barbarized." With these
words he sent Teleas back to Antiochus. The king had long
been looking about for some means of ending the
controversy; and when he was informed by Teleas of what
Euthydemus had said, he readily admitted these pleas for
a pacification. And after several journeys of Teleas to
and fro between the two, Euthydemus
at last sent his son Demetrius to confirm the terms of
the treaty. Antiochus received the young prince; and
judging from his appearance, conversation, and the
dignity of his manners that he was worthy of royal power,
he first promised to give him one of his own daughters,
and secondly conceded the royal title to his father. And
having on the other points caused a written treaty to be
drawn up, and the terms of the treaty to be confirmed on
oath, he marched away; after liberally provisioning his
troops, and accepting the elephants belonging to
Euthydemus. He crossed the Caucasus (That is the Caucasus
Indicus or Paropamisus: modern Hindu Kush.) and
descended into India; renewed his friendship with
Sophagasenus the king the Indians. received more
elephants, until he had a hundred and fifty altogether;
and having once more provisioned his troops, set out
again personally with his army: leaving Androsthenes of
Cyzicus the duty of taking home the treasure which this
king had agreed to hand over to him. Having traversed
Arachosia and crossed the river Enymanthus, he came
through Drangene to Carmania; and, as it was now winter,
he put his men into winter quarters there. This was the
extreme limit of the march of Antiochus into the
interior: in which he not only reduced the up-country
Satraps to obedience to his authority, but also the coast
cities, and the princes on this side Taurus; and, in a
word, consolidated his kingdom by overawing all his
subjects with the exhibition of his boldness and energy.
For this campaign convinced the Europeans as well as the
Asiatics that he was worthy of royal power. |
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