Γαδρωσία - Μπαλουχιστάν, Πακιστάν - Αφγανιστάν

Την πολιτική 'Συγχωνεύσεως των λαών' που θέλησε να ακολουθήσει ο Αλέξανδρος, ο Αρριανός την βλέπει μόνο ως τέχνασμα και φαίνεται ότι δεν την εγκρίνει. Η στάση του είναι η στάση του Έλληνα απέναντι στους βαρβάρους.

Αρριανού: Αλεξάνδρου Ανάβασις 6.26.1

Ἔνθα δὴ ἔργον καλὸν εἴπερ τι ἄλλο τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου οὐκ ἔδοξέ μοι ἀφανίσαι͵ ἢ ἐν τῇδε τῇ χώρᾳ πραχθὲν ἢ ἔτι ἔμπροσθεν ἐν Παραπαμισάδαις͵ ὡς μετεξέτεροι ἀνέγραψαν. ἰέναι μὲν τὴν στρατιὰν διὰ ψάμμου τε καὶ τοῦ καύματος ἤδη ἐπιφλέγοντος͵ ὅτι πρὸς ὕδωρ ἐχρῆν ἐξανύσαι· τὸ δὲ ἦν πρόσθεν τῆς ὁδοῦ· καὶ αὐτόν τε Ἀλέξανδρον δίψει κατεχόμενον μόλις μὲν καὶ χαλεπῶς͵ πεζὸν δὲ ὅμως ἡγεῖσθαι· ὣς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους στρατιώτας͵ οἷάπερ φιλεῖ ἐν τῷ τοιῷδε͵ κουφοτέρως φέρειν τοὺς πόνους ἐν ἰσότητι τῆς ταλαιπωρήσεως. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῶν ψιλῶν τινας κατὰ ζήτησιν ὕδατος ἀποτραπέντας ἀπὸ τῆς στρατιᾶς εὑρεῖν ὕδωρ συλλελεγμένον ἔν τινι χαράδρᾳ οὐ βαθείᾳ͵ ὀλίγην καὶ φαύλην πίδακα· καὶ τοῦτο οὐ χαλεπῶς συλλέξαντας σπουδῇ ἰέναι παρ΄ Ἀλέξανδρον͵ ὡς μέγα δή τι ἀγαθὸν φέροντας· ὡς δὲ ἐπέλαζον ἤδη͵ ἐμβαλόν τας ἐς κράνος τὸ ὕδωρ προσενεγκεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ. τὸν δὲ λαβεῖν μὲν καὶ ἐπαινέσαι τοὺς κομίσαντας͵ λαβόντα δὲ ἐν ὄψει πάντων ἐκχέαι· καὶ ἐπὶ τῷδε τῷ ἔργῳ ἐς τοσόνδε ἐπιρρωσθῆναι τὴν στρατιὰν ξύμπασαν ὥστε εἰκάσαι ἄν τινα πότον γενέσθαι πᾶσιν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ πρὸς Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐκχυθέν. τοῦτο ἐγώ͵ εἴπερ τι ἄλλο͵ τὸ ἔργον εἰς καρτερίαν τε καὶ ἅμα στρατηγίαν ἐπαινῶ Ἀλεξάνδρου.

HERE I have resolved not to pass over in silence the most noble deed perhaps ever performed by Alexander, which occurred either in this land or, according to the assertion of some other authors, still earlier, among the Parapamisadians.' The army was continuing its march through the sand, though the heat of the sun was already scorching, because it was necessary to reach water before halting. They were far on the journey, and Alexander himself, though oppressed with thirst, was nevertheless with great pain and difficulty leading the army on foot, so that his soldiers also, as is usual in such a case, might more patiently bear their hardships by the equalization of the distress. At this time some of the light-armed soldiers, starting away from the army in quest of water, found some collected in a shallow cleft, a small and mean spring. Collecting this water with difficulty, they came with all speed to Alexander, as if they were bringing him some great boon. As soon as they approached the king, they poured the water into a helmet and carried it to him. He took it, and commending the men who brought it, immediately poured it upon the ground in sight of all. As a result of this action, the entire army was re-invigorated to so great a degree that any one would have imagined that the water poured away by Alexander had furnished a draught to every man. This deed beyond all others I commend as evidence of Alexander's power of endurance and self-control, as well as of his skill in managing an army.
[Μετάφραση E.J. Chinnock 1893]

Gedrosia: Ηistoric region west of the Indus River, in what is now the Baluchistan region of Pakistan. In 325 BC Alexander the Great's forces suffered disastrous losses there from the effects of the desert, supply shortages, and monsoons. They captured the area, but after Alexander's death his general Seleucus Nicator was forced to make peace with Chandragupta Maurya by trading Gedrosia and all his territories east of the Hindu Kush for 500 elephants. His departure ended Greek intervention on the subcontinent of India.

Balūchistān: Westernmost province of Pakistan. It is bordered by Iran (west), by Afghanistan (northwest), by North-West Frontier and Punjab provinces (northeast and east), by Sindh province (southeast), and by the Arabian Sea (south).