About Arrian: Arrian of Nicomedia was born in Greece, and a historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the Roman period.
In these circumstances they did what most of us do, and, being ignorant of the truth, persuaded themselves into believing what they wished to believe.
It is more disgraceful for a king to tell lies than anyone else.
Our enemies are Medes and Persians, men who for centuries have lived soft and luxurious lives; we of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war. Above all, we are free men, and they are slaves.
They must therefore not spoil Alexander's undertaking, especially when they were almost at the close of their toils, and were, moreover, no longer in any difficulty about provisions on their coasting cruise.
They, astounded at the flash of the armor, and the swiftness of the charge, and attacked by showers of arrows and missiles, half naked as they were, never stopped to resist but gave way.
