Abisares (Raja)

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Abisares (also Abhisara ; † 325 BC ) was an Indian dynast ( Raja ) ruling in Kashmir at the time of the conquest of Alexander the Great .

Life

Abisares named himself - like other Indian princes, such as Taxiles - after the area he ruled, the mountainous region of Abhisara , between the rivers Hydaspes and Akesines . Its territory was north of the kingdom of Poros . Some time before the arrival of Alexander, both princes fought the very warlike Indian tribe of the Oxydraker , without being able to achieve greater success.

On his campaign to India, Alexander the Great conquered in the second half of 327 BC. After the difficult capture of the fortified city of Massaga , Ora (Udegram) was also taken, although its inhabitants had received military support from Abisares. Subsequently, in a very arduous undertaking, he also succeeded in conquering the mountain fortress Aornos , which is located near the Indus . Then he moved in the beginning of 326 BC. BC continued over Dyrta to the Indus, where the local population sought refuge at Abisares.

After crossing the Indus (spring 326 BC), Alexander first went to the territory of the befriended Indian prince Taxiles, who had hostile relations with Poros and Abisares. Alexander's next target was now the realm of Porus, who ruled the southeastern Punjab , because the latter was not ready to submit, but instead allied himself with his neighbor Abisares, who was not much weaker in military power, against the Macedonian king. Alexander, for his part, wanted to prevent the armed forces of the two Indian rulers from being united by a rapid attack on Porus. But even before this offensive took place, Abisares sent envoy to Alexander, who was in Taxila , the capital of Taxiles, as an apparent declaration of allegiance , and also stayed out of the subsequent war between the Macedonian conqueror and Porus.

After Poros in June 326 BC BC was defeated in the Battle of the Hydaspes , Abisares again sent high-ranking delegates, including his brother, with rich gifts, including 30 elephants, to Alexander to declare his complete submission. Arsakes, who ruled a region bordering Abisares' empire, also appeared with Alexander at that time with this embassy. The ambassadors excused that Abisares did not come himself as requested with his illness. In any case, Alexander left him in possession of his empire and even made the territory of Arsakes subject to him, but he had to pay an annual tribute.

As early as 325 BC Abisares died of his illness, whereupon his rule - probably with Alexander's consent - passed to his son of the same name, about whom no further tradition exists.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Diodorus names Abisares at one point in his history (17, 87, 2) Embisares , at another point (17, 90, 4) Sasibisares .
  2. ^ Waldemar Heckel , Who's who in the age of Alexander the Great , p. 1.
  3. ↑ Arrian , Anabasis 5, 22, 2.
  4. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 4, 26, 1-4, 27, 4; Curtius Rufus 8, 10, 22-36.
  5. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 4, 27, 7.
  6. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 4, 28, 1-4, 30, 4; Curtius Rufus 8, 11, 2-25; Diodor 17, 85, 1 - 17, 86, 1, Plutarch , Moralia 181c.
  7. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 4, 30, 7.
  8. ↑ Diodorus 17, 87, 2f.
  9. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 5, 8, 3; Curtius Rufus 8, 13, 1 and 8, 14, 1; Metz epitome 55.
  10. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 5, 20, 5f .; 5, 29, 4f .; Curtius Rufus 9, 1, 7f .; Diodorus 17, 90, 4.
  11. ^ Curtius Rufus 10, 1, 20f.
personal data
SURNAME Abisares
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian prince
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 325 BC Chr.