alexander captures the rock and marries roxana.

all the men who had gained practice in scaling rocks in sieges, banded themselves together to the number of three hundred, and provided themselves with the small iron pegs with which their tents had been fastened to the ground, with the intention of fixing them into the snow, where it might be seen to be frozen hard, or into the ground, if it should anywhere exhibit itself free from snow. tying strong ropes made of flax to these pegs, they advanced in the night towards the most precipitous part of the rock, which was also most unguarded; and fixing some of these pegs into the earth, where it made itself visible, and others into the snow where it seemed least likely to break up, they hoisted themselves up the rock, some in one place and some in another. thirty of them perished in the ascent; and as they fell into various parts of the snows, not even could their bodies be found for burial. the rest, however, reached the top of the mountain at the approach of dawn; and taking possession of it, they waved linen flags towards the camp of the macedonians,584 as alexander had directed them to do. he now sent a herald with instructions to shout to the sentries of the barbarians to make no further delay, but surrender at once; since “the winged men” had been found, and the summits of the mountain were in their possession. at the same time the herald pointed at the soldiers upon the crest of the mountain. the barbarians, being alarmed by the unexpectedness of the sight, and suspecting that the men who were occupying the peaks were more numerous than they really were, and that they were completely armed, surrendered, so frightened did they become at the sight of those few 242macedonians. the wives and children of many important men were there captured, including those of oxyartes. this chief had a daughter, a maiden of marriageable age, named roxana,585 who was asserted by the men who served in alexander’s army to have been the most beautiful of all asiatic women, with the single exception of the wife of darius.586 they also say that no sooner did alexander see her than he fell in love with her; but though he was in love with her, he refused to offer violence to her as a captive, and did not think it derogatory to his dignity to marry her. this conduct of alexander i think worthy rather of praise than blame. moreover, in regard to the wife of darius, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in asia, he either did not entertain a passion for her, or else he exercised control over himself,587 though he was young, and in the very meridian of success, when men usually act with insolence and violence. on the contrary, he acted with modesty and spared her honour, exercising a great amount of chastity, and at the same time exhibiting a very proper desire to obtain a good reputation.