Page:From Constantinople to the home of Omar Khayyam.djvu/330

 184 EXCURSIONS FROM DAMQHAN TO FRAT AND TAK

Caspian Sea, where he reunited his three divisions.^ The second column, under Craterus, possibly still in the rear, is presumed to have been directed northward from Semnan into the Sawad Kuh, turning then eastward, to punish the Greek mercenaries who had served under Darius, but who had now escaped into Tapuria (Tabaristan). The third division, his own, consisting of the lightest and best of his army, was led by the shortest, but most difficult route, across the mountains into Hyrcania, in order to overtake Nabarzanes, who surrendered later.^

I could note each of these probable directions as we rode out on to the plain toward the hills. Our horses were good and the pace was lively, but what won my admiration was the speed of the small white donkey upon which our guide was seated. With pattering footsteps the little beast cantered along at a tempo that matched the gallop of our own mounts. Once he stumbled and fell; but, quick as his rider, he was on his feet again and leading the van in an instant.

The watercourses streaming in every direction showed how abundant was the precious supply from the mountains ; and the laughing fields yielded in return rich sheaves of wheat to the garnerer's sickle. I could not help thinking of Pindar's famous ode beginning apiaTOv fiev vSoop — 'water is the best thing.' 3 Whatever may be the philosophic or metaphysical interpretation placed by the commentators upon the first line of this lyric, no Persian would quibble for an instant about the exegesis.

In less than an hour we had reached the large and flourishing

should we forget the possibility that * The general data on this point are

the festivities at Hecatompylos (cf . to be gathered from Arrian, 3, ch. 23-

Diodorus Siculus, 17. 75) may perhaps 24 ; Curtius, 6. 4. 2 ; 5. 23 ; Diodorus,

have played a part in making a short- 17. 75-76. For details regarding the

ened stage acceptable. probable passes followed by the three

1 The name Astrabad is generally columns, see the scholarly discussion

thought to be a direct descendant of by Marquart, Untersuchungen, 2. 45-

Zadracarta — Z'^dt^ ( = lAl^stra) + 63, and compare Droysen, Geschichte

karta (= bad) ; soMordtmann, op. cit. Alexanders, pp. 258-270. p. 636. 8 Pindar, Olymp.l. 1.

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