Γεωγραφικά 15.2.5

15.2.5

καὶ δὴ καί φησιν ὁ Νέαρχος, ἤδη τοῦ βασιλέως τελοῦντος τὴν ὁδόν, αὐτὸς μετοπώρου κατὰ πλειάδος ἐπιτολὴν ἑσπερίαν ἄρξασθαι τοῦ πλοῦ, μήπω μὲν τῶν πνευμάτων οἰκείων ὄντων, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων ἐπιχειρούντων αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐξελαυνόντων· καταθαρρῆσαι γὰρ ἀπελθόντος τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐλευθεριάσαι. κρατερὸς δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὑδάσπου ἀρξάμενος διʼ Ἀραχωτῶν ᾔει καὶ Δραγγῶν εἰς Καρμανίαν. πολλὰ δʼ ἐταλαιπώρει ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος καθʼ ὅλην τὴν ὁδὸν διὰ λυπρᾶς ἰών· πόρρωθεν δʼ ὁμοίως ἐπεχορηγεῖτο μικρὰ καὶ σπάνια ὥστε λιμώττειν τὸ στράτευμα· καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια ἐπέλιπε, καὶ τὰ σκεύη κατελείπετο ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς καὶ τοῖς στρατοπέδοις· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν φοινίκων ἦν ἡ σωτηρία τοῦ τε καρποῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου. φασὶ δὲ φιλονεικῆσαι τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καίπερ εἰδότα τὰς ἀπορίας πρὸς τὴν κατέχουσαν δόξαν, ὡς Σεμίραμις μὲν ἐξ Ἰνδῶν φεύγουσα σωθείη μετὰ ἀνδρῶν ὡς εἴκοσι, Κῦρος δὲ ἑπτά, εἰ δύναιτο αὐτὸς τοσοῦτο στράτευμα διασῶσαι διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας, νικῶν καὶ ταῦτα.

Nearchus says, that while Alexander was on his march, he himself commenced his voyage, in the autumn, about the achronical rising of the Pleiades, the wind not being before favourable. The Barbarians however, taking courage at the departure of the king, became daring, and attempted to throw off their subjection, attacked them, and endeavoured to drive them out of the country. But Craterus set out from the Hydaspes, and proceeded through the country of the Arachoti and of the Drangae into Carmania.
Alexander was greatly distressed throughout the whole march, as his road lay through a barren country. The supplies of provisions which he obtained came from a distance, and were scanty and unfrequent, so much so that the army suffered greatly from hunger, the beasts of burden dropped down, and the baggage was abandoned, both on the march and in the camp. The army was saved by eating dates and the marrow of the palm-tree.
Alexander however (says Nearchus), although acquainted with the hardships of the enterprise, was ambitious of conducting this large army in safety, as a conqueror, through the same country where, according to the prevailing report, Semiramis escaped by flight from India with about twenty, and Cyrus with about seven men.