In the summer of 327 BC Alexander the Great made a sacrifice to the goddess Athena, and then set out with his army to conquer India. He eventually succeeded in crossing the Hindu Kush mountains, reaching as far as the foothills of the Himalayas and the civilization of India.
Near the town of Taxila he met an old sage, Calanus, who decided to accompany him to the end of his days. A strong friendship developed between the two men – the commander who had subjugated the greater part of the ancient world and the naked, peace-loving philosopher who possessed nothing. Calanus was a calm observer of the amazing events that occurred throughout the campaign of India : the battles and conquests, the mutiny of Alexander’s army after seemingly endless campaigns, unwilling to go any further, the almost disastrous battle at Multan, which eventually won Alexander the unqualified loyalty of his troops, the intrigues and scheming among his aides and associates, the arduous march through the desert, Alexander’s passion for Roxane.
In this novel by Kostas Arkoudeas we are led into the mind of one of the greatest, yet at the same time enigmatic figures of human history.
Kastaniotis, 2004, P. 264
