t Alexander's life, and which he had
deemed too contemptible to notice. He was consequently suspected of
being implicated in it; and on being put to the torture he not only
confessed his own guilt in his agonies, but also implicated his father.
Philotas was executed, and an order was sent to Ecbatana, where
Parmenio then was, directing that veteran general to be put to death.
A letter, purporting to be from his son, was handed to him; and whilst
the old man was engaged in reading it, Polydamus, his intimate friend,
together with some others of Alexander's principal officers, fell upon
and slew him. His head was carried to Alexander.

Meantime Bessus had assumed the royal dignity in Bactria; but upon
Alexander's approach he fled across the Oxus into Sogdiana. Early in
the summer of 329 Alexander followed him across the Oxus; and shortly
afterwards Bessus was betrayed by two of his own officers into the
hands of Alexander. Bessus was carried to Zariaspa, the capital of
Bactria, where he was brought before a Persian court, and put to death
in a cruel and barbarous manner.

Alexander even crossed the river Jaxartes (SIR), and defeated the
Scythians. Sogdiana alone of the northern provinces offered any
serious resistance to his arms. Accordingly in 328 he again crossed
the Oxus. He divided his army into five bodies, ordering them to scour
the country in different directions. With the troops under his own
command he marched against the fortress called the Sogdian Rock, seated
on an isolated hill, so precipitous as to be deemed inaccessible, and
so well supplied with provisions as to defy a blockade. The summons to
surrender was treated with derision by the commander, who inquired
whether the Macedonians had wings? But a small body of Macedonians
having succeeded in scaling some heights which overhung the fortress,
the garrison became so alarmed that they immediately surrendered. To
this place a Bactrian named Oxyartes, an adherent of Bessus, had sent
his daughters for safety. One of them, named Roxana, was of surpassing
beauty, and Alexander made her the partner of his throne (B.C. 328).

At Maracanda (now SAMARCAND) he appointed his friend Clitus satrap of
Bactria. On the eve of the parting of the two friends Alexander
celebrated a festival in honour of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux),
though the day was sacred to Dionysus (Bacchus). The banquet was
attended by several parasites and literary flatterers, who ma