Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

Alexander's bridge. 185
"whatsoever thou wishest." And when they had The people
spoken these words I commanded my soldiers toum.
bind them with links of iron, and I brought them
forth to [my] victorious soldiers. And when they
all had submitted unto me I commanded them to
build me a city which I named Samarkand.' And samarcand
I built therein a place for prayer," and I orna-
mented it with red gold, and established men in
it [to keep it], and I settled in the city certain of
my friends that they might render unto me service
and tribute.
Then I bestowed gifts upon my soldiers, and I
set out with the nobles of the city to go down to
the river that I might see how it might be passed
over. And when I had seen the great size of the Alexander
builds a
river ^ and the strength of its power, I ordered bridge,
the men of the city to bring out to me wood,
and all the artisans and carpenters which were
in all their city, and they built five hundred boats
like unto the ark of Noah—now I myself had seen
' Read tf9°d,^'i^ '•
i- e., Sli^^ In Yakut, torn. iii.
p. \rr, it is described as a well known and famous city, and
the tradition that it was built by Alexander is also mentioned
^ In the Syriac Alexander builds a temple to the goddess
Rhea, whom they call Nani; see p. 115.
3 In the Syriac (p. 204, 1. 14) the river is called Bar-
tesitos OoOjyiiSQJpTi, and its name is explained to mean
'crystal' \oieTir) i. e., j^^