CHAPTER II.
Battle with the Triballians.
Alexander sent the booty away southward to the cities on the seashore,[1] entrusting to Lysanias and Philotas[2] the duty of setting it up for sale. But he himself crossed the summit, and advancing through the Haemus into the land of the Triballians, he arrived at the river Lyginus.[3] This river is distant from the Ister[4] three days' march to one intending to go to the Haemus. Syrmus, king of the Triballians, hearing of Alexander's expedition long before, had sent the women and children of the nation on in advance to the Ister, ordering them to pass over into one of the islands in that river, the name of which was Peuce.[5] To this island also the Thraoians, whose territories were conterminous with those of the Triballians, had fled together for refuge at the approach of Alexander. Syrmns himself likewise, accompanied by his train, had fled for refuge to the same place. But the main body of the Triballians fled back to the river, from which Alexander had started the day before.
When he heard of their startiug, he wheeled round again, and, marching agaiust them, surprised them just
- ↑ Perhaps Neapolis and Eion, which were the harbours of Philippi and Amphipolis.
- ↑ This officer was commander of the royal body-guard. His father was Parmenio, the most experienced of Alexander's generals.
- ↑ Thucydides says (Bk. ii. 96): "On the side of the Triballians, who were also independent, the border tribes were the Trerians and the Tilatæans, who live to the north of mount Scombrus, and stretch towards the west as far as the river Osoius. This river flows from the same mountains as the Nestus and the Hebrus, an uninhabited and extensive range, joining on to Rhodope." The Osoius is now called Isker. It is uncertain which river is the Lyginus; but perhaps it was another name for the Oscius.
- ↑ Also named Danube. Cf. Hesiod (Theog., 339); Ovid (Met., ii. 249); Pindar (Olym. iii. 2i).
- ↑ It is uncertain in what part of the Danube this island was. It cannot be the Pence of Strabo (vii, 8). Cf. Apullonius Rhodius (iv. 809); Martialis (vii. 84); Valerius Flaccus (viii. 217).
