| At the end of the war for Persia Alexander pressed down
towards the Indus River in hope that he would be able to take and chart India. Alexander
had issued a decree stating that everybody had to bow to him. On the way Alexander had a
party for his army and drank too much. In a drunken state he got into a fight with
Clietus, one of his generals, about making everybody bow to him. Clietus said that
Alexander was becoming a dictator. The Greeks wanted to have democracy, but Alexander wanted to be the king. In his rage he tried to harm Clietus, but guards took him away and he was not harmed. Clietus still came back to settle the argument. Alexander still being enraged with Clietus took up a dagger and killed Clietus. After coming to his senses Alexander felt horrid and shut himself up in his tent for three days and did not want to go on until the generals said that Clietus deserved to die. He then went to the supposedly unconquerable Mount Aornos and conquered it. Then, he fought Porus with his army of elephants and easily defeated him. After the fight, Alexander asked Porus how he wanted to be treated. Porus said he wanted to be treated like a king. Alexander then gave back his kingdom and enlarged it. This was the last great battle that Alexander fought. He then headed towards the heart of India, but his army rebelled and would not go any farther. They wanted to go back to Greece. Alexander pleaded and begged, but they would not go into India. Alexander then headed back to the Indus River. He sent half of his army ahead to make boats for the men. Alexander fought local tribes while they built. He then fought his way to the river where the boats were waiting to take them down the Indus River. The fleet encountered many difficulties and lost many ships. Alexander decided to take the bulk of his army across the desert and the other half would go by the sea to the Persian Gulf. Alexander’s army lost many men while going across the desert from starvation and thirst. He made it safely to the Persian Gulf after six months of traveling. |