Alexander at Peucelaotis *

In an excellent survey of Alexander’s campaign in western Pakistan, P. H. L. Eggermont has done a great deal to clarify local topography and toponymy and Alexander’s movements, and has improved on Sir Aurel Stein’s classic investigations and on the work of Sir Olaf Caroe on which he chiefly bases himself. ¹ However, he is less familiar with the critical use of Greek and Roman sources, and of Arrian in particular [henceforth cited as A.], ² than he so admirably is with the Indian sources. This has led to one or two errors in interpretation and especially in chronology, some of which are due to his following what specialists working on Alexander would regard as outdated scholarship. Since his work has opened up sources, and a point of view, hitherto unfamiliar to standard Alexander scholarship, and will remain of basic importance to our interpretation of Alexander, the chronology of this brief campaign, which has not received much attention from Alexander specialists, and the events surrounding the city of Peucelaotis ³ are worth a more detailed investigation in the light of his discussion.