The Problem of River Crossings in the Campaigns of Alexander the Great

Abstract

This paper will show that rivers posed serious obstacles for Alexander’s army and illustrate the methods used by the Macedonians in overcoming them. Neglect of this topic is a direct consequence o f a scarcity o f sources. Contemporaries did not pay much attention to them. From their point o f view, there was little worth noting. Crossing rivers was a routine task, so ancient authors did not write about it unless something extraordinary happened (for instance, a battle on riverbanks or if they were impressed b y the sheer size o f the river). Still, by analyzing these examples w e can extract information and paint a picture o f h ow it was done. The standard ways o f crossing large rivers were by using a pontoon bridge, b y fording (soldiers would cross holding hands in order to protect each other from a fast current) or by using rafts, made from leather tents and ha y bu t powerful enough to carry catapults and horses