Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander 9.2.2

9.2.2

percontatus igitur Phegea, quae noscenda erant, XII dierum ultra flumen per vastas solitudines iter esse cognoscit, excipere deinde Gangen, maximum totius Indiae fluminum,

Chapter II. — Alexander obtains information about the Ganges and the strength of the army kept by Agrammes, king of the Prasians — His speech to the soldiers to induce them to advance to the Ganges The king made a halt of two days with this prince, designing on the third day to cross the river, the passage of which was difficult, not only from its great breadth, but also because its channel was obstructed with rocks. Having therefore requested Phegeus to tell him what he wanted to know, he learned the following particulars: Beyond the river lay extensive deserts which it would take eleven days to traverse. Next came the Ganges, the largest river in all India, the farther bank of which was inhabited by two nations, the Gangaridae and the Prasii, whose king Agrammes kept in the field for guarding the approaches to his country 20,000 cavalry and 200,000 infantry, besides 2000 four-horsed chariots, and, what was the most formidable force of all, a troop of elephants which he said ran up to the number of 3000. All this seemed to the king to be incredible, and he therefore asked Porus, who happened to be in attendance, whether the account was true. He assured Alexander in reply that, as far as the strength of the nation and kingdom was concerned, there was no exaggeration in the reports, but that the present king was not merely a man originally of no distinction, but even of the very meanest condition.