Editing Nearchus (section)

== Persian Gulf Voyage ==
[[File:Indus River Delta.jpg|thumb|Delta of the Indus River]]
Nearchus began by setting out from Patala, although monsoon rains and heavy winds delayed his reaching the Arabian Sea. To wait out the adverse weather, the Macedonian fleet camped near the mouth of the Indus and [[Hub River|Arabius]] Rivers, building stone walls as fortification against hostile natives and subsisting off of briny water, [[mussel]]s, [[oyster]]s and [[Solenidae|razor-fish]]. After 24 days, Nearchus continued on to the harbor of [[Morontobara]] ([[Manora, Karachi|Manora Island]] just off the coast of modern [[Karachi]], Pakistan). About Morontobara, Arrian writes:

: Then making their way through two rocks, so close together that the oar-blades of the ships touched the rocks to port and starboard, they moored at Morontobara, after sailing some three hundred stades. The harbour is spacious, circular, deep, and calm, but its entrance is narrow. They called it, in the natives' language, 'The Ladies' Pool,' since a lady was the first sovereign of this district. When they had got safe through the rocks, they met great waves, and the sea running strong; and moreover it seemed very hazardous to sail seaward of the cliffs. For the next day, however, they sailed with an island on their port beam, so as to break the sea, so close indeed to the beach that one would have conjectured that it was a channel cut between the island and the coast. The entire passage was of some seventy stades. On the beach were many thick trees, and the island was wholly covered with shady forest. About dawn, they sailed outside the island, by a narrow and turbulent passage; for the tide was still falling. And when they had sailed some hundred and twenty stades they anchored in the mouth of the river Arabis. There was a fine large harbour by its mouth; but there was no drinking water; for the mouths of the Arabis were mixed with sea-water. However, after penetrating forty stades inland they found a water-hole, and after drawing water thence they returned back again. By the harbour was a high island, desert, and round it one could get oysters and all kinds of fish. Up to this the country of the Arabians extends; they are the last Indians settled in this direction; from here on the territory, of the [[Oreitans]] begins.

[[File:Makran Küste.jpg|thumb|Coast of the Makran region in Balochistan, Pakistan.]]
At Morontobara, [[Leonnatus]] (one of Alexander's Generals) had defeated the local Oreitans and deposited a food supply from which Nearchus' fleet subsisted. Resupplied, Nearchus reached the [[Hingol River]] (in [[Makran]], [[Balochistan]]) and destroyed the native population. Nearchus had arrived at the country of the [[Ichthyophagi|Icthyophagoi]] -- 'Fish-Eaters' -- who inhabited the barren coastal region of Makran, between the Arabian Sea and the Gedrosian Desert and found the harbor of Bagisara (modern [[Ormara]] Port).

In the next stage of the expedition, Nearchus and his fleet sheltered first at Colta, then Calima ([[Kalat, Pakistan|Kalat]]), Carnine ([[Astola Island]]), Cysa and Mosarna. At Mosarna, a Gedrosian sailor joined their fleet and directed them to [[Gwadar]], where they found [[Date palm|date-palms]] and gardens. They ransacked the city of [[Chabahar|Chah-Bahar]] and anchored the fleet at a promontory dedicated to the Sun God, called Bageia. Nearchus continued on to the Persian Gulf at the [[Strait of Hormuz|Straits of Hormuz]]. After many adventures, Nearchus arrived in [[Carmania (satrapy)|Carmania]] in Southern Iran, meeting up with Alexander after the latter's crossing of the [[Gedrosia]]n desert. Here they noted that the area was well-cultivated with corn (grain), vines and trees (apart from the olive tree cherished by Greeks). At the Straits of Hormuz, Nearchus and Onesicritus saw the [[Oman|peninsula of Oman]] in Arabia, but did not venture there. Oman was a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire before Alexander's conquest.[[File:Stele funeraria figurativa, tardo periodo di tylos, al shakhura, II-III secolo circa.JPG|thumb|Hellenistic stele from Bahrain]]
During the voyage, Nearchus was reputedly the first Greek commander to visit [[Bahrain]], which was called [[Tylos]] by the Greeks. His visit marked the start of Bahrain's inclusion within the Hellenic world, which culminated in the worship of Zeus (as the Arab sun god, Shams) and Greek being spoken as the language of the upper classes. Bahrain even hosted Greek athletic contests. Nearchus recorded that Bahrain was a prosperous commercial island, stating: <blockquote>"That in the island of Tylos, situated in the Persian Gulf, are large plantations of cotton tree, from which are manufactured clothes called ''sindones'', a very different degrees of value, some being costly, others less expensive. The use of these is not confined to India, but extends to Arabia."</blockquote>The Macedonians visited many ports in the Persian Gulf such as [[Minab|Harmozeia]], Qeshm Island, Cape Ra's-e Bostâneh, Qeys Island, Band-e Nakhîlû, Lâzeh Island (where they encountered [[Pearl hunting|pearl-hunters]]), the Bandar-e Shîû promontory, Nây Band, Kangan, the Mand River, Bûsher, the Dasht-e Palang River, Jazireh-ye Shîf and the Marun River. They finally reached the mouth of the Tigris River in 324 BCE.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/articles/person/nearchus/|title=Nearchus - Livius|website=www.livius.org|access-date=2020-04-26}}</ref>

After reaching the [[Tigris|Tigris River]], Nearchus went as far as the [[Euphrates]] before turning back to rejoin Alexander at [[Susa]], in early 324 BC. He and Onesicritus received a golden diadem for their actions. Nearchus married the daughter of [[Barsine]] and [[Mentor of Rhodes|Mentor]] (A 7.4.6), and received a crown as recognition of his exertions (A 7.5.6). He then took the fleet up to [[Babylon]], where he gave Alexander the [[Chaldea]]ns’ warning not to enter the city (P 73.1–2).