Sogdian Rock

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes, a fortress located north of Bactria in Sogdiana (near Samarkand), was captured by the forces of Alexander the Great in the early spring of 327 BC as part of his conquest of the Achaemenid Empire.[1] [2]

Variants

Jat Gotras Namesake

Background

Oxyartes of Bactria had sent his wife and daughters, one of whom was Roxana, to take refuge in the fortress, as it was thought to be impregnable, and was provisioned for a long siege.[3] [4]

When Alexander asked the defenders to surrender, they refused, telling him that he would need "men with wings" to capture it.[5]

The siege

Alexander asked for volunteers, whom he would reward if they could climb the cliffs under the fortress. There were some 300 men who from previous sieges had gained experience in rock-climbing. Using tent pegs and strong flaxen lines, they climbed the cliff face at night, losing about 30 of their number during the ascent. In accordance with Alexander's orders, they signalled their success to the troops below by waving bits of linen, and Alexander sent a herald to tell the defenders that if they looked up, they would see that he had found his winged men. The defenders were so surprised and demoralized by this that they surrendered, even though they outnumbered the mountaineers by a hundred to one and Alexander's main force still had no way to reach the summit. The defenders had thought that the Rock was impregnable, and with one bold stroke Alexander showed them how wrong they were. The enemy's quick surrender validated Alexander's insightful use of psychological warfare.[6]

Aftermath

Alexander fell in love with Roxana on sight.[7] The Macedonians claimed that Roxana was "the loveliest woman they had seen in Asia, with the one exception of Darius' wife".[8]

From Sogdian Rock, Alexander advanced into Parsetakene which contained another supposedly impregnable craggy fortress known as the Rock of Chorienes,[9] but it was no match for Alexander and it was soon captured.[10] From there Alexander went to Bactra. Sending Craterus with a division of the army to finish the pacification of Parsetakene. Alexander remained at Bactra, preparing for his expedition across the Hindu-Kush into India. It was while in Bactra that he married Roxana.[11]

Historiography

The story of the siege as described here is told in many histories, but it is based on the history written by the Greek historian Arrian of Nicomedia, in his Anabasis (section 4.18.4-19.6).[12]

Ch.18: Oxyartes Besieged in the Sogdian Rock 327 B.C. (p.239-240)

Arrian[13] writes.... Meantime Coenus returned to Alexander at Nautaca, as also did Craterus, Phrataphernes the viceroy of the Parthians, and Stasanor the viceroy of the Areians, after executing all the orders which Alexander had given them. The king then caused his army to rest around Nautaca, because it was now mid-winter; but he despatched Phrataphernes into the land of the Mardians and Tapurians to fetch Autophradates the viceroy, because, though he had often been sent for, he did not obey the summons. He also sent Stasanor into the land of the Drangians, and Atropates into Media,[1] with the appointment of viceroy over the Medes, because Oxodates seemed disaffected to him. Stamenes also he despatched to Babylon, because news came to him that Mazaeus the Babylonian governor was dead. Sopolis, Epocillus, and Menidas he sent away to Macedonia, to bring him the army up from that country. At the first appearance of spring,[2] he advanced towards the rock in Sogdiana, to which he was informed many of the Sogdianians had fled for refuge; among whom were said to be the wife and daughters of Oxyartes the Bactrian, who had deposited them for safety in that place, as if forsooth it were impregnable. For he also had revolted from Alexander. If this rock was captured, it seemed that nothing would be left to those of the Sogdianians who wished to throw off their allegiance. When Alexander approached it, he found it precipitous on all sides against assault, and that the barbarians had collected provisions for a long siege. The great quantity of snow which had fallen helped to make the approach more difficult to the Macedonians, while at the same time it kept the barbarians supplied with plenty of water. But notwithstanding all this, he resolved to assault the place; for a certain overweening and insolent boast uttered by the barbarians had thrown him into a wrathful state of ambitious pertinacity. For when they were invited to come to terms of capitulation, and it was held out to them as an inducement, that if they surrendered the place, they would be allowed to withdraw in safety to their own abodes, they burst out laughing, and in their barbaric tongue bade Alexander seek winged soldiers, to capture the mountain for him, since they had no apprehension of danger from other men.[3] He then issued a proclamation that the first man who mounted should have a reward of twelve talents,[4] the man who came next to him the second prize, and the third so on in proportion, so that the last reward should be three hundred darics[5] to the last prize-taker who reached the top. This proclamation excited the valour of the Macedonians still more, though they were even before very eager to commence the assault.


1. The Hebrew name for Media is Madai, which means middle-land. The Greeks called the country Media, according to Polybius (v. 44), because it lies near the middle of Asia.

2. Of the year 327 B.C.

3. ωρα, akin to Latin cura, a poetical and Ionic word, often found in Herodotus.

4. About £2,700.

5. About £327. Curtius (vii. 41) says that the first prize was 10 talents, the second 9 talents, and the same proportion for the eight others, so that the tenth man who mounted received one talent. The stater of Darius, usually called a daricus, was a gold coin of Persia, See Smith's Dictionary of Antiquities.

p.239-240

References

  1. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  2. Horn & Spencer 2012, p. 40.
  3. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  4. Horn & Spencer 2012, p. 40.
  5. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  6. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  7. Horn & Spencer 2012, p. 40.
  8. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  9. Grote 1856, p. 289, 290.
  10. Arrian 1893, Section 21: Capture of the Rock of Chorienes.
  11. Grote 1856, p. 289, 290.
  12. Arrian 1958, section 4.18.4-19.6.
  13. The Anabasis of Alexander/4b, p.239-240