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Cyropolis was the largest of seven towns in
the region that Alexander the Great targeted for conquest in 329. His goal was
the conquest of Sogdiana. Alexander first sent
Craterus to Cyropolis, the
largest of the Sogdianan towns holding out against Alexander's forces.
Craterus' instructions were to "take up a position close to the town,
surround it with a ditch and stockade, and then assemble such siege engines as
might suit his purpose....". The idea was to keep the inhabitants focused
on their own defences and to prevent them from sending assistance out to the
other towns.
Starting from Gazza, Alexander went on to conquer the other surrounding towns.
Five of the seven towns were taken in two days. Many of the inhabitants were
killed. Alexander then arrived at Cyropolis, which was the best fortified of
the towns and had the largest population. It also had reputedly the best
fighters of the region. Alexander battered Cyropolis' defences with the siege
engines. While the bombardment went on, Alexander ordered certain of his troops
to sneak through a dried-up water course that went under the town's wall.
Alexander also joined this mission and once inside his troops opened the town's
gate to admit his attacking force. Once the natives saw that the town was
taken, they fell violently upon the attackers. Alexander received a violent
blow from a stone that landed upon his head and neck. Craterus was wounded by
an arrow, but the defenders were driven off.
Arrian puts the defender's force at about 15,000 fighting men and claims that
8,000 of them were killed in the first phase of the operation. The rest
apparently sought refuge inside the town's central fortress, but surrendered
after one day for lack of water. Accounts of how the battle went differ among
authors. Arrian cites Ptolemy as saying Cyropolis surrendered from the start,
and Arrian also states that according to Aristobulus the place was stormed and
the town's inhabitants were massacred.
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