Chapter 10
After everybody left the hall, Alexander looked at Hephaistion and said.
"You have some concerns about my plan?"
"You didn't mention the other two battalions of hypaspists. I guess you will leave them to guard Samarcand?"
"Yes, two battalions of hypaspists with 2000 Greek mercenary cavalry to guard Samarcand, the 6 towns nearby and all new Alexandrias. "
"So I suppose Melger and Necanor will be in command?" Melger and Necanor were commanders of the two hypaspists battalions.
"Yes."
"They should be capable defending the cities if Spitamenes ever sneaks by our cavalry and comes to siege our cities again."
"Yes I know your concern. I wouldn't allow what happened last-year happen again this time. Besides I don't think he has any chance to escape our encircling this time."
"I hope so."
A year ago, while Alexander and the main army was building the Alexandria-the-Furthest and battling Scythians at river Jaxartes, the boarder between northeast Sogdiana and Scythians, Spitamenes came with 6000 horsemen to northwest Sogdiana and besieged Samarcand. The 2000 Macedonians/Greeks garrisoned in Samarcand and the surrounding towns fight bravely but faced grave danger that the city might be overtaken. Hearing the news, Alexander sent 2000 horsemen of his Greek mercenary cavalry that he could barely spare to the rescue of Samarcand under two Greek generals. Hearing the news of Alexander's re-enforcement, Spitamenes gave up the siege and ambushed the Greek cavalry and slaughtered most of the Alexander's men and then disappeared into the northern mountainous areas next to Scythians. This was the heaviest loss ever occurred to Alexander's army since the beginning of the Persian campaign. The defeat was mostly caused by the two inexperienced Greek generals' inabilities to react promptly when ambushed.
When the disastrous news reached Alexander, he just came back to Alexandria-the-Furtherest after wining the battle against Scythians across the river Jaxartes. The battle was won victoriously by Alexander's army and Scythian King begged for pardon and offered his daughter to Alexander for marriage, and if Alexander didn't want her, then the Scythian King wished for inter-marriages between Alexander's generals and his nobles. Alexander turned down the marriage proposals and ordered the Scythian King to never cross the boarder – river Jaxartes - again. Alexander was happy after stabilizing the northeast Sogdiana, although he sufferer personal wounds - a stone thrown on his throat caused him unable to speak for several days and an arrow shot on his left lower leg made him unable to walk for days. Hearing the disastrous news from Samarcand, Alexander led his Companion Cavalry lightening back to Samarcand regardless his personal wounds, finished the 150 miles journey in just three days but only found the bodies of his soldiers, not a single sight of Spitamenes.
"Hephaisiton, when you get to Bactra, you'll also need to arrange supply for next spring and summer. You know I plan to leave Bactria for India the latest at the end of next summer."
"I know. Hopefully by then both Spitamenes and all those Sogdiana rocks fall to us."
"I strongly believe so. My plan is to take one rock this year and the remaining two rocks next spring. Then the main army can gather in Bactra before May so we can cross Hindu Kursh again before July."
"I heard those rocky forts are very high, and some even have enough supply to last for more than two years."
"High or not we will have to take them. If they do have so much supply in storage then that will even make your job easier."
"Alexander Maybe we can find some other ways to take the rocks than siege? We already loss more men in this gods forbidden satrap than we lost in the entire campaign against Daruis."
"I wish so too, Hephaistion. It's a pity we sent Darius' brother to Ecbatana with Bessus last year. He may know some of those rock chieftains and may persuade them to surrender." Bessus was Daruis' satrap of Bactria/Sogdiana. He proclaimed himself the Great King after he and several other Persian generals murdered Daruis two summers ago. Alexander's army captured Bessus last year and sent him to Ecbatana, by Daruis' younger brother Oxathres, now a companion in Alexander's cavalry, for a capital punishment in Persian style.
"We can call him back, but it will probably take him more than six months to get here. What about Artabazus' son? He is still around." Hephaistion thought.
"Most of Artabazus' contacts are in Asia Minor. Don't worry Hephaistion, we will find somebody with the contacts."
"Oh Alexander, I think I know such a person. Do you remember Mauaces? He led Scythians' envoy to us last year at Alexander-the-Furtherest to plead pardon for his King. He also led some of the Scythians fighting again us along Bessus in Gaugamela. He escaped and went back to his King after that. I think he knew those Bactrian and Sogdiana nobles well. Now with his King bowed down to us, we can order him to come over and help us."
"That's a great idea Hephaistion. Let's draft a letter to the Scythian King for Mauaces' immediate presence then." Alexander was excited. He knew his Hephaistion was ever knowledgeable about Persians and even people outside the border. Alexander quickly called in some scribes who knew both Greek and Persian languages to draft the letter.