In 328 or 327, Alexander captured one of the mountain forts in Sogdia, the Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes. The story of the siege is told by the Greek author Arrian of Nicomedia, whose Anabasis (section 4.18.5-19.5) was translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt.
News had come in that a large number of the natives had taken refuge on the Rock of Sogdia, and among them the wife and daughters of Oxyartes the Bactrian, who had himself refused to submit to Alexander and had chosen this refuge for his family in the belief that the Rock was impregnable. It was the last stronghold of Sogdia: should it fall, there would be nothing left for those who still hoped to offer resistance. To the Rock, therefore, Alexander advanced, at the beginning of Spring.
Alexander captures the Sogdian Rock
[4.18.5] He found, on a near approach, that it rose sheer on every side against attack. The natives had provisioned it for a long siege, and deep snow on its summit caused the double disadvantage of making the ascent more awkward for the Macedonians and of ensuring the defenders an unlimited supply of water. None the less, Alexander determined on assault.
[4.18.6] In point of fact the reason for his determination was something the natives had said, an offensive bit of bragging which made him angry and put him on his mettle. He had called on them to discuss terms, and offered to allow them to return unmolested to their homes on condition of surrendering the stronghold; but their answer to the offer was a shout of laughter. Then in their barbaric lingo they told Alexander to ford soldiers with wings to capture the Rock for him, as no other sort of person could cause them the least anxiety.
[4.18.7] As a result of this, Alexander proclaimed that he would give a prize of twelve talents to the first man up, and of eleven to the second, and ten to the third, and so on to the twelfth, who would receive 300 gold darics. The men were keen enough already, but this proclamation was an added spur.
[4.19.1] There were some 300 men who in previous sieges had had experience in rock-climbing. These now assembled. They had provided themselves with small iron tent-pegs, which they proposed to drive into the snow, where it was frozen hard, or into any bit of bare earth they might come across, and they had attached to the pegs strong flaxen lines. The party set off under cover of darkness to the steepest part of the rock-face, which they knew was least likely to be guarded;
[4.19.2] then, driving their pegs either into bare ground or into such patches of mow as seemed most likely to hold under the strain, they hauled themselves up, wherever each could find a way. About thirty lost their lives during the ascent - falling in various places in the snow, their bodies were never recovered for burial -
[4.19.3] but the rest reached the top as dawn was breaking, and the summit of the Rock was theirs.
Then, in accordance with Alexander's orders, they signaled their success to the troops below by waving bits of linen, and Alexander sent a crier to shout the news to the enemy's advanced posts that they might now surrender without further delay, as the men with wings had been found and were already in possession of the summit. And, as the crier gave them this information, Alexander pointed to his men, where they stood on top of the Rock.
[4.19.4] The unexpectedness of the sight was a severe shock to the natives; indeed, they were so much alarmed by the handful of Macedonian troops they could actually see, that, imagining a larger force, and fully armed at that, must be in possession, they surrendered. Many women and children were among the prisoners, notably the wife and daughters of Oxyartes.
[4.19.5] One of these daughters was named Roxane. She was a girl of marriageable age, and men who took part in the campaign used to say she was the loveliest woman they had seen in Asia, with the one exception of Darius' wife. Alexander fell in love with her at sight; but, captive though she was, he refused, for all his passion, to force her to his will, and condescended to marry her.
Mnamo 328 au 327, Aleksanda alishinda mojawapo ya ngome za milimani huko Sogdia, Jiwe la Sogdian au Jiwe la Ariomates. "Mwanzoni mwa karne ya XNUMX, mwandishi wa Kigiriki Arrian wa Nicomedia alitafsiri ""Anabasis"" (sura ya 4.18: 5.19-19) na Aubrey de Sélincourt." Habari zilikuwa zimekuja kwamba idadi kubwa ya wenyeji walikuwa wamekimbilia kwenye mwamba wa Sogdia, na miongoni mwao walikuwa mke na binti za Oxyartes wa Bactrian, ambaye mwenyewe alikuwa amekataa kujisalimisha kwa Alexander na alikuwa amechagua makazi haya kwa familia yake kwa imani kwamba mwamba huo haungeweza kushambuliwa. Lilikuwa ngome ya mwisho ya Sogdia: ikiwa lingeshuka, hakungebaki chochote kwa wale ambao bado walitumaini kupinga. Kwa hiyo, Aleksanda aliendelea kuelekea mwamba huo mwanzoni mwa majira ya kuchipua. Alexander alipata mwamba wa Sogdian, na wakati wa kukaribia, aliona kwamba mwamba huo ulikuwa umepanda kwa kila upande dhidi ya mashambulizi. Wenyeji wa eneo hilo walikuwa wameweka vifaa vya kuitunza kwa muda mrefu, na theluji nyingi zilizokuwa juu ya kilele cha mlima huo zilikuwa na madhara mawili: zilikuwa ngumu zaidi kwa Wamakedonia kupanda na zilikuwa na maji mengi kwa ajili ya walinzi. Hata hivyo, Aleksanda aliamua kushambulia. [4.18.6] Kwa kweli sababu ya azimio lake ilikuwa kitu ambacho wenyeji walikuwa wamesema, kidogo cha kujigamba cha kukasirisha ambacho kilimkasirisha na kumfanya awe na ujasiri. Aliwaita ili wazungumze juu ya masharti, na akawapa ruhusa ya kurudi nyumbani bila kusumbuliwa kwa masharti ya kujisalimisha ngome; lakini jibu lao kwa toleo hilo lilikuwa kelele ya kicheko. Kisha, kwa lugha yao ya kijinga, wakamwambia Aleksanda kuwapeleka askari wenye mabawa ili wamkamate mwamba kwa ajili yake, kwa kuwa hakuna mtu mwingine yeyote ambaye angeweza kuwafanya wawe na wasiwasi hata kidogo. "Alisema: ""Aleksandro alitangaza kwamba atampa mtu wa kwanza talanta kumi na mbili, wa pili talanta kumi na moja, wa tatu talanta kumi, na wa kumi na mbili talanta za dhahabu." Wanaume hao walikuwa tayari na hamu ya kutosha, lakini tangazo hili lilikuwa kichocheo cha ziada. [4.191] Kulikuwa na wanaume wapatao mia tatu ambao katika mapigano ya awali walikuwa na uzoefu katika kupanda miamba. Hizi sasa zimekusanywa. Walikuwa wamejipatia makucha madogo ya chuma, ambayo walipendekeza kuendesha ndani ya theluji, ambapo ilikuwa imefungia kwa nguvu, au katika sehemu yoyote ya ardhi tupu ambayo wangeweza kukutana nayo, na walikuwa wameunganisha kwenye makucha hizo mistari mikubwa ya kitani. "Walianza safari chini ya kivuli cha giza kuelekea sehemu ya mwamba iliyoinuka zaidi, ambayo walijua ilikuwa na uwezekano mdogo wa kulindwa; kisha, wakipiga magurudumu yao ama kwenye ardhi tupu au kwenye sehemu za nyasi ambazo zilionekana kuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kushikilia chini ya mvuto, walijikokota, popote ambapo kila mmoja angeweza kupata njia. """ Karibu thelathini walipoteza maisha yao wakati wa kupanda - kuanguka katika maeneo mbalimbali katika theluji, miili yao haikupatikana kwa ajili ya kuzikwa - [4.193] lakini wengine walifika juu wakati wa mapambazuko, na kilele cha mwamba kilikuwa chao. Kisha, kwa mujibu wa amri ya Aleksanda, waliwaonyesha askari waliokuwa chini ya mlima huo mafanikio yao kwa kutikisa vitambaa vya kitani, na Aleksanda akatuma mjumbe kuwapa habari wale waliokuwa mbele ya milima ya adui kwamba sasa wangeweza kujisalimisha bila kuchelewesha, kwa kuwa watu wenye mabawa walikuwa wamepatikana na tayari walikuwa wameteka kilele. Na yule mtangazaji alipowapa habari hizo, Aleksanda aliwaonyesha watu wake mahali waliposimama juu ya mwamba. [4.19.4] Jambo hilo lisilotazamiwa liliwaogopesha sana wenyeji; kwa kweli, walishtuka sana na idadi ndogo ya majeshi ya Makedonia ambayo wangeweza kuona, hivi kwamba, wakidhani kwamba jeshi kubwa zaidi, na lenye silaha kamili, lazima liwe limekuwa likimiliki, walijisalimisha. Wanawake na watoto wengi walikuwa miongoni mwa wafungwa, hasa mke na mabinti wa Oxyartes. [4.19.5] Mmoja wa mabinti hao aliitwa Roxane. "Mwanamke huyo alikuwa na umri wa kuolewa, na wanaume walioshiriki katika kampeni hiyo walisema kwamba alikuwa mwanamke mrembo zaidi waliowahi kumwona katika Asia, isipokuwa mke wa Dario.""" Alexander alimpenda mara tu alipomwona, lakini, ingawa alikuwa mfungwa, alikataa, kwa shauku yake yote, kumlazimisha kwa mapenzi yake, na akajitolea kumwoa.