07-12-2012, 07:51 PM
Quote:Of Alexander’s men-about 100 were killed, and more than 1,000 of his horses were lost either from wounds or from fatigue in the pursuit, nearly half of them belonging to the Companion cavalry. Of the foreigners there were said to have been about 300,000 slain, and far more were taken prisoners than were killed.
So Arrian, 3.15.6. That's exceptional killing for a modern industrial army let alone a force of some 47,000 Greco-Macedonians; killing at a rate on 300 to one. It's also palpable nonsense.
"Far more" than 300,000 were taken prisoner so this propagandist figure would have one believe. Far more would mean tens of thousands at a minimum - perhaps 400,000. Clearly whichever source invented these figures didn't bother to stop to think just how an exhausted army of 47,000 was going to corral and herd "far more" than 300,000 prisoners about Mesopotamia. Such should give anyone pause over the hugely inflated numbers given for the Persian force.
Paralus|Michael Park
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους
Wicked men, you are sinning against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander!
Academia.edu
