28 HISTORY OF GREECE. marched along the bank and up the course of the Erigon, from n point near where it joins the Axius.^ On approaching Pelion, he found the lUyrians posted in front of the town and on the heights around, awaiting the arrival of Glaukias their promised ally. While Alexander was making his dispositions for attack, they offered their sacrifices to the gods : the victims being three boys, three girls, and three black rams. At first they stepped boldly forward to meet him, but before coming to close quarters, they turned and fled into the town with such haste that the slain victims were left lying on the spot.- Having thus driven in the defenders, Alexander was preparing to draw a wall of circum- vallation round the Pelion, when he was interrupted by the arri- val of Glaukias with so large a force as to compel him to aban don the project. A body of cavalry, sent out from the Macedon- ian camp under Philotas to forage, were in danger of being cut off by Glaukias, and were only rescued by the arrival of Alex- ander himself with a reinforcement. In the face of this superior force, it was necessary to bring off the INIacedonian army, through a narrow line of road along the river Eordaikus, where in some places there was only room for four abreast, with hill or marsh everywhere around. By a series of bold and skilful manoeuvres, and by effective employment of his battering-train or projectile machines to protect the rear-guard, Alexander completely baffled ' Assuming Alexander to have been in the Territory of the Triballi, the modern Scrvia, he would in this inarch follow mainly the road which is now frequented between Belgrade and Bitolia ; through the plain of Kos- 60V0, Pristina, Katschanik (rounding on the north-eastern side the Ljuba- trin, the north-eastern promontory terminating the chain of Skardus), Uschkub, Kuprili, along the higher course of the Axius or Vardar, until the point where the Erigon or Tschcrna joins that river below Kuprili. Here he would be among the Paeonians and Agrianes, on the east — and the Dardani and Autariatae, seemingly on the north and west. If he then followed the course of the Erigon, he would pass through the portions of ^Macedonia then called Deuripia and Pelagonia: he would go between the ridges of the mountains, through which the Erigon breaks, called Nidje on the south, and Babuna on the north. He would pass afterwards to Fiorina, and not to Bitolia. See Kiepert's map of these regions — a portion of his recent map of Tur- key in Europe — and Griesbach's description of the general track.
- Arrian, i. 5. 12.
