Alexander Crosses the Hellespont and Visits Troy. Having settled these affairs, he returned into Macedonia. He then offered to the Olympian Zeus the sacrifice which had been instituted by Archelaüs,100 and had been customary up to that time; and he celebrated the public contest of the Olympic games at Aegae.101 It is said that he also held a public contest in honour of the Muses. At this time it was reported that the statue of Orpheus, son of Oeagrus the Thracian, which was in Pieris,102 sweated incessantly.103 Various were the explanations of this prodigy given by the soothsayers; but Aristander,104 a man of Telmissus, a soothsayer, bade Alexander take courage; for he said it was evident from this that there would be much labour for the epic and lyric poets, and for the writers of odes, to compose and sing about Alexander and his achievements.
(b.c. 334.) At the beginning of the spring he marched towards the Hellespont, entrusting the affairs of Macedonia and Greece to Antipater. He led not much above 3730,000 infantry together with light-armed troops and archers, and more than 5,000 cavalry.105 His march was past the lake Cercinitis,106 towards Amphipolis and the mouths of the river Strymon. Having crossed this river he passed by the Pangaean mountain,107 along the road leading to Abdera and Maronea, Grecian cities built on the coast. Thence he arrived at the river Hebrus,108 and easily crossed it. Thence he proceeded through Paetica to the river Melas, having crossed which he arrived at Sestus, in twenty days altogether from the time of his starting from home. When he came to Elaeūs he offered sacrifice to Protesilaus upon the tomb of that hero, both for other reasons and ............