treat the orientals like a master and to have asserted that his policy was to treat them as their leader. We know from Aristotle's "Politics" that with all his learning, the philosopher had not shaken off Hellenic prejudices, and that he regarded the Eastern nations as born for slavery. Apart from the questionable nature of his theory, he can have known little of the great Aryan barons of Bactriana or Sogdiana, who had for centuries looked on the Greek adventurers they met as the Romans did in later days. But Alexander belongs to a different age from Aristotle, as different as Thucydides from Herodotus, contemporary though they were in their lives, and he determined to carry out the "marriage of Europe and Asia." To a Hellene the marriage with a foreigner would seem a more or less disgraceful concubinage. The children of such a marriage could not inherit in any petty Greek state. Now the greatest Mace. donian nobles were allied to Median and Persian princesses, and the Greeks who had attained high official position at court, such as Eumenes, the chief secretary, were only too proud to be admitted to the same privilege.

The fashion of making or cementing alliances by marriages becomes from this time a feature of the age. The kings who are one day engaged in deadly war are the next connected as father and son-in-law, or as brothers-in-law. No solemn peace seems to be made without a marriage, and yet these marriages seldom hinder the breaking out of new wars.

All the Greek historians blame the Persian tendencies of Alexander, his assumption of oriental dress and of foreign ceremonial. There was but one of his officers, Peucestas, who loyally followed his chief, and who was accordingly rewarded by his special favor. Yet if we remember Greek prejudices, and how trivial a fraction of the empire the Greeks were in population, we may fairly give Alexander credit for more judgment than his critics. No doubt the Persian dress was far better suited to the climate than the Macedonian. No doubt he felt that a handful of Macedonians could never hold a vast empire without securing the sympathy of the conquered. At all events he chose to do the thing his own way, and who will say that he should have done it as his critics prescribe?

THE VOYAGE OF NEARCHUS.

BY ARRIAN.

[NEARCHUS," son of Androtimus," is the only known navigator of antiquity who singly added much to the stock of the world's knowledge. He was a Cretan who migrated to Macedonia, became a favored companion of Alexander, and in the Asiatic invasion was made governor of Lycia and vicinity, where he remained five years. In B.C. 329, he joined Alexander in Bactria with a body of troops, and took a prominent part in the Indian campaign, whence arose his immortal voyage, B.C. 325.

The terror which this sail of a few hundred miles inspired in every one, even Alexander, is a curious proof of the unfitness of the old war galleys for serious navigation, and their inability to carry any store of provisions. The crew were nearly starved in a few days after they left victualing places behind. The voyage added the coast of Baluchistan to the known map. Alexander was so pleased that he proposed to equip a similar expedition under Nearchus to circumnavigate Arabia; but his own death put an end to it. In the break-up, Nearchus took service with Antigonus, who was defeated and killed at Ipsus, B.C. 301. We know nothing further of him.

ARRIAN (Lucius Flavius Arrianus) was born in Nicomedia, Asia Minor, about A.D. 100; died under Marcus Aurelius, not far from A.D. 180. He lived in Rome and Athens, and held high office under Hadrian and the Antonines in Rome; being governor of Cappadocia under the former in 136 (repelling an invasion of the Mongol Alani), and consul under Antoninus Pius in 146. He then retired to a priesthood in his native city, devoting himself to philosophy and literary work. He wrote an abstract of Epictetus's philosophy, a work on India, and a "Voyage around the Euxine"; but his chief and only extant work is the "Anabasis of Alexander," modeled on Xenophon.]

THIS narrative is a description of the voyage which Nearchus made with the fleet, starting from the outlet of the Indus through the Great Sea as far as the Persian Gulf, which some call the Red Sea.

He

Nearchus has given the following account of this. says that Alexander had a great wish to sail right round the sea from India as far as the Persian sea, but was alarmed at the length of the voyage. He was afraid that his army would perish, lighting upon some uninhabited country, or one destitute of roadsteads, or not sufficiently supplied with the ripe crops. He thought that this great disgrace following upon his mighty exploits would annihilate all his success. But the desire he always felt to do something new and marvelous won the day. However, he was in perplexity whom to choose as competent to carry out his projects, and how he was to remove the fear of the sailors and of those sent on such an expedition

that they were being sent out recklessly to a foreseen and manifest danger.

Nearchus says that Alexander consulted him as to whom he should choose to conduct the expedition, mentioning one after another as having declined, some not being willing to run the risk of losing their reputation by failure, others because they were cowardly at heart, others being possessed by a yearning for their own land. The king accused one of making one. excuse, and another of making another. Then Nearchus himself undertook the office and said: "O king, I undertake to conduct this expedition, and if God assists me, I will bring the ships and the men safely round as far as the land of Persis, at any rate if the sea in that quarter is navigable; and if the enterprise is not an impossible one for the human intellect." Alexander in reply said he was unwilling to expose any of his friends to such great hardship and such great danger; but Nearchus, all the more on this account, refused to give in, and persevered in his resolve. Alexander was so pleased with the zeal of Nearchus, that he appointed him commander of the whole expedition.

VOYAGE FROM THE INDUS.

As soon as the annual winds were lulled to rest, they started on the twentieth day of the month Boëdromion (October) [B.C. 325]. These annual winds continue to blow from the sea to the land the whole season of summer, and thereby render navigation impossible. Before commencing the voyage, Nearchus offered sacrifice to Zeus the Preserver, and celebrated a gymnastic contest. Having started from the roadstead down the river Indus, on the first day they moored near a large canal, and remained there two days. Departing on the third day they sailed 30 stades (3 miles), as far as another canal, the water of which was salt. For the sea came up into it, especially with the tide, and the water mingling with the river remained salt even after the ebb. Thence still sailing down the river 20 stades (2 miles) they moored at Coreëstis. Starting thence they sailed not far; for they saw a reef at the mouth of the river, and the waves dashed against the shore, and this shore was rugged. But they made a canal through a soft part of the reef for 5 stades and got the ships through it, when the tide reached them from the sea. Having sailed

right round 150 stades (17 miles) they moored at a sandy island called Crocala, and stayed there the rest of the day. Near this island lives an Indian nation called Arabians. From Crocala they sailed, having on their right the mountain called by them Eirus, and on their left an island lying level with the sea. The island, stretching along the shore, makes a narrow strait. Having sailed through this they moored in a harbor affording good anchorage. There is an island near the mouth of the harbor, about two stades off; the island lying athwart the sea has made a natural harbor. Here great and continuous winds blew from the sea; and Nearchus, fearing that some of the barbarians might band together and turn to plunder his camp, fortified the place with a stone wall. The stay here was twenty-four days. He says that his soldiers caught sea mice, oysters, and a shellfish called solenes, wonderful in size if compared with those in this sea of ours; and the water was salt to the taste.

VOYAGE ALONG THE COAST OF INDIA.

As soon as the wind ceased they put to sea, and having proceeded 60 stades (7 miles), they cast anchor near a sandy coast; and near the coast was an uninhabited island, named Domæ. Using this as a breakwater, they anchored. But on the shore there was no water; so they advanced into the interior about 20 stades (2 miles), and lighted on some good water. On the next day they sailed 300 stades (35 miles) to Saranga, and anchored at night near the shore, about 8 stades (1 mile) from which there was water. Sailing thence they anchored at Sacala, an uninhabited spot; and sailing between two cliffs so near each other that the oars of the ships touched the rocks on both sides, they anchored at Morontobara, having advanced 300 stades. The harbor was large, circular, deep, and sheltered from the waves; and the entrance into it was narrow. This is called in native tongue, the Woman's Harbor, because a woman first ruled over this place. While they were sailing between the rocks, they met with great waves and the sea had a swift current; so that it appeared a great undertaking to sail out beyond the rocks. On the next day they sailed, having on their left an island like a breakwater to the sea, so close to the shore that one might conjecture that a canal had been cut between it and the shore. The channel

extends 70 stades (8 miles). Upon the shore were dense woods, and the island was covered with every sort of tree. At the approach of dawn they sailed beyond the island over the narrow surf; for the ebb tide was still running. Having sailed 120 stades (14 miles) they anchored in the mouth of the river Arabis. There was a large and fine harbor near the mouth. The water was not drinkable; for the water discharged by the river had been mixed with that of the sea. But having advanced into the interior 40 stades (4 miles), they came upon a pond, and having got water from it they returned. Near the harbor is an elevated uninhabited island, round which oysters and every kind of fish are caught.

THE COAST OF BALUCHISTAN.

Starting from the outlet of the Arabis, they sailed along the land of the Oreitians. They anchored in a river swollen by winter rain, the name of which was Tomērus. And at the outlet of the river was a lake. Men in stifling huts inhabited the narrow strip of land near the shore. When they saw the fleet approaching they were amazed, and, extending themselves in line along the shore, they formed into military array to prevent the men from landing. They carried thick spears, 6 cubits (9 feet) long; the point was not of iron, but the sharp end hardened in fire served the same purpose. They were about 600 in number. When Nearchus saw that these were waiting for him drawn up in battle array, he ordered the ships to be kept riding at anchor within range, so that his men's arrows might reach the land; for the thick spears of the barbarians seemed to be adapted for close fighting, but were not to be feared in distant skirmishing. He ordered the lightest of his soldiers and the lightest armed, who were also very expert in swimming, to swim from the ships at a given signal. Their instructions were that those who had swum ashore should stand in the water and wait for their comrades, and not attack the barbarians before their phalanx had been arranged three deep; then they were to raise the battle cry and advance at full speed. At once the men who had been appointed to carry out this plan threw themselves out of the ships into the sea, swam quickly, placed themselves in rank, formed themselves into phalanx, and began to advance at full speed shouting the battle cry to Enyalius. Those on the ships joined in the shout,