Bucephalus in the context of "Battle of the Hydaspes"

The Mares of Diomedes (Ancient Greek: Διομήδους ἵπποι, romanized: Diomēdous hippoi), also called the Mares of Thrace, were a herd of man-eating horses in Greek mythology. Magnificent, wild, and uncontrollable, they belonged to Diomedes of Thrace (not to be confused with Diomedes, son of Tydeus), king of Thrace, son of Ares and Cyrene who lived on the shores of the Black Sea. Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse, was said to be descended from these mares.

Jhelum or Jehlum (/ˈdʒiːləm/; Punjabi / Urdu: جہلم) is a city along the western bank of the Jhelum River in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in northern Punjab, it is the capital of the Jhelum District. The city is often referred to as the "City of Soldiers" or "Land of Martyrs and Warriors" due to the inclusion of many soldiers from the area in the British Indian Army and later, the Pakistan Armed Forces, owing to the categorization of the Punjabi tribes as a 'martial race'.

Jhelum is a few miles upstream from the site of the ancient Battle of the Hydaspes between the armies of Alexander III of Macedon and Porus. The location of the modern city of Jhelum could possibly have been the capital of Porus' Kingdom, Paurava. A city called Bucephala was founded nearby to commemorate the death of Alexander's horse, Bucephalus. Other notable areas nearby include the 16th-century Rohtas Fort, the Tilla Jogian complex of ancient temples, and the 16th-century Grand Trunk Road, which passes through the city. According to the 2023 Pakistani Census, the population of Jhelum was 312,426. There are a number of industries in and around Jhelum, including a tobacco factory, wood, marble, glass and flour mills.

Boukephala (Ancient Greek: Βουκεφάλα) and Nikaia (Νίκαια) were two cities founded by Alexander the Great on either side of the Hydaspes (modern-day Jhelum River, Pakistan) during his invasion of the Indian subcontinent. The cities, two of many founded by Alexander, were built shortly after his victory over the Indian king Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes in early 326 BC.

It is not certain which settlement had which name. Built on the site of the battlefield, the city on the eastern bank was most likely called Nikaia (from nike, lit. 'victory'), while its western companion was probably named after Alexander's horse Bucephalus, who died during or after the battle. Their construction was supervised by Craterus, one of Alexander's leading generals. Both cities initially suffered from the rains of the South Asian monsoon. Boukephala seems to have had a more distinguished legacy than Nikaia: mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy, it appears in the 1st-century AD Periplus Maris Erythraei manuscript and on the later Tabula Peutingeriana map. The cities' precise locations are unknown, but it is considered likely that Boukephala was located in the vicinity of modern Jalalpur and that Nikaia was across the river near present-day Mong.