The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c25.56.3

v1.c25.56.3

Between the two, the right bank of the river was largely overgrown with forest, which, if in one way it impeded the advance of Alexander’s division, in another way helped the transport by furnishing timber for boats. Part of Alexander’s force floated down the river, and when he arrived at Hephaestion’s bridge the number of new boats was swelled by those brought down from up-stream. The two divisions of the Yavana host now re-united for passage into the heart of India. The place at which the bridge had been made has been fixed by the most recent opinion at Ohind, about 16 miles above Attock. The Greeks felt that they were crossing the threshold of a new world. Sacrifices to the Greek gods, games and horse-races in their honour on the river bank at Ohind, marked their sense that they were about to begin a new enterprise of formidable magnitude. Alexander was approaching the bourne of the old Persian Empire, and it was evident that he meant to press still onward towards the sunrise. The Greek diviners announced that the omens were favourable. In the early dawn one day in the spring of 326 b.c.³, the host began to defile over the bridge, the mingled line of many races streaming all day into the Indian world.