a smaller history of greece-第47部分

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Having　thus　put　the　affairs　of　Greece　on　a　satisfactory　footing；　Alexander　marched　for　the　Hellespont　in　the　spring　of　B。C。　334；　leaving　Antipater　regent　of　Macedonia　in　his　absence；　with　a　force　of　12；000　foot　and　1500　horse。　　Alexander's　own　army　consisted　of　only　about　50；000　foot　and　5000　horse。　　Of　the　infantry　about　12；000　were　Macedonians；　and　these　composed　the　pith　of　the　celebrated　Macedonian　phalanx。　　Such　was　the　force　with　which　he　proposed　to　attack　the　immense　but　ill…cemented　empire　of　Persia；　which；　like　the　empires　of　Turkey　or　Austria　in　modern　times；　consisted　of　various　nations　and　races　with　different　religions　and　manners；　and　speaking　different　languages；　the　only　bond　of　union　being　the　dominant　military　power　of　the　ruling　nation；　which　itself　formed　only　a　small　numerical　portion　of　the　empire。　　The　remote　provinces；　like　those　of　Asia　Minor；　were　administered　by　satraps　and　military　governors　who　enjoyed　an　almost　independent　authority。　　Before　Alexander　departed　he　distributed　most　of　the　crown　property　among　his　friends；　and　when　Perdiccas　asked　him　what　he　had　reserved　for　himself　he　replied；　〃My　hopes。〃

A　march　of　sixteen　days　brought　Alexander　to　Sestos；　where　a　large　fleet　and　a　number　of　transports　had　been　collected　for　the　embarkation　of　his　army。　　He　steered　with　his　own　hand　the　vessel　in　which　he　sailed　towards　the　very　spot　where　the　Achaeans　were　said　to　have　landed　when　proceeding　to　the　Trojan　war。　　He　was；　as　we　have　said；　a　great　admirer　of　Homer；　a　copy　of　whose　works　he　always　carried　with　him；　and　on　landing　on　the　Asiatic　coast　he　made　it　his　first　business　to　visit　the　plain　of　Troy。　　He　then　proceeded　to　Sigeum；　where　he　crowned　with　a　garland　the　pillar　said　to　mark　the　tumulus　of　his　mythical　ancestor　Achilles；　and；　according　to　custom；　ran　round　it　naked　with　his　friends。

Alexander　then　marched　northwards　along　the　coast　of　the　Propontis。　　The　satraps　of　Lydia　and　Ionia；　together　with　other　Persian　generals；　were　encamped　on　the　river　Granicus；　with　a　force　of　20；000　Greek　mercenaries；　and　about　an　equal　number　of　native　cavalry；　with　which　they　prepared　to　dispute　the　passage　of　the　river。　　A　Rhodian；　named　Memnon；　had　the　chief　command。　The　veteran　general　Parmenio　advised　Alexander　to　delay　the　attack　till　the　following　morning；　to　which　he　replied；　that　it　would　be　a　bad　omen　at　the　beginning　of　his　expedition；　if；　after　passing　the　Hellespont；　he　should　be　stopped　by　a　paltry　stream。　Thereupon　he　directed　his　cavalry　to　cross　the　river；　and　followed　himself　at　the　head　of　the　phalanx。　　The　passage；　however；　was　by　no　means　easy。　　The　stream　was　in　many　parts　so　deep　as　to　be　hardly　fordable；　and　the　opposite　bank　was　steep　and　rugged。　　The　cavalry　had　great　difficulty　in　maintaining　their　ground　till　Alexander　came　up　to　their　relief。　　He　immediately　charged　into　the　thickest　of　the　fray；　and　exposed　himself　so　much　that　his　life　was　often　in　imminent　danger；　and　on　one　occasion　was　saved　only　by　the　interposition　of　his　friend　Clitus。　　Having　routed　the　Persians；　he　next　attacked　the　Greek　mercenaries；　2000　of　whom　were　made　prisoners；　and　the　rest　nearly　all　cut　to　pieces；　In　this　engagement　he　killed　two　Persian　officers　with　his　own　hand。

Alexander　now　marched　southwards　towards　Sardis；　which　surrendered　before　he　came　within　sight　of　its　walls。　　Having　left　a　garrison　in　that　city；　he　arrived　after　a　four　days'　march　before　Ephesus；　which　likewise　capitulated　on　his　approach。　Magnesia；　Tralles；　and　Miletus　next　fell　into　his　hands；　the　last　after　a　short　siege。　　Halicarnassus　made　more　resistance。　　It　was　obliged　to　be　regularly　approached；　but　at　length　Memnon；　finding　it　no　longer　tenable；　set　fire　to　it　in　the　night；　and　crossed　over　to　Cos。　　Alexander　caused　it　to　be　razed　to　the　ground；　and　pursued　his　march　along　the　southern　coast　of　Asia　Minor；　with　the　view　of　seizing　those　towns　which　might　afford　shelter　to　a　Persian　fleet。　　The　winter　was　now　approaching；　and　Alexander　sent　a　considerable　part　of　his　army　under　Parmenio　into　winter…　quarters　at　Sardis。　　He　also　sent　back　to　Macedonia　such　officers　and　soldiers　as　had　been　recently　married；　on　condition　that　they　should　return　in　the　spring　with　what　reinforcements　they　could　raise；　and　with　the　same　view　he　despatched　an　officer　to　recruit　in　the　Peloponnesus。　　Meanwhile　he　himself　with　a　chosen　body　proceeded　along　the　coasts　of　Lycia　and　Pamphylia；　having　instructed　Parmenio　to　rejoin　him　in　Phrygia　in　the　spring；　with　the　main　body。　　After　he　had　crossed　the　Xanthus　most　of　the　Lycian　towns　tendered　their　submission。　　On　the　borders　of　Lycia　and　Pamphylia；　Mount　Climax；　a　branch　of　the　Taurus　range；　runs　abruptly　into　the　sea；　leaving　only　a　narrow　passage　at　its　foot；　which　is　frequently　overflowed。　　This　was　the　case　at　the　time　of　Alexander's　approach。　　He　therefore　sent　his　main　body　by　a　long　and　difficult　road　across　the　mountains　to　Perge；　but　he　himself　who　loved　danger　for　its　own　sake；　proceeded　with　a　chosen　band　along　the　shore；　wading　through　water　that　was　breast…high　for　nearly　a　whole　day。　　Then　forcing　his　way　northwards　through　the　barbarous　tribes　which　inhabited　the　mountains　of　Pisidia；　he　encamped　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Gordium　in　Phrygia。　　Here　he　was　rejoined　by　Parmenio　and　by　the　new　levies　from　Greece。　　Gordium　had　been　the　capital　of　the　early　Phrygian　kings；　and　in　it　was　preserved　with　superstitious　veneration　the　chariot　or　waggon　in　which　the　celebrated　Midas；　the　son　of　Gordius；　together　with　his　parents；　had　entered　the　town；　and　in　conformity　with　an　oracle　had　been　elevated　to　the　monarchy。　　An　ancient　prophecy　promised　the　sovereignty　of　Asia　to　him　who　should　untie　the　knot　of　bark　which　fastened　the　yoke　of　the　waggon　to　the　pole。　　Alexander　repaired　to　the　Acropolis；　where　the　waggon　was　preserved；　to　attempt　this　adventure。　　Whether　he　undid　the　knot　by　drawing　out　a　peg；　or　cut　it　through　with　his　sword；　is　a　matter　of　doubt；　but　that　he　had　fulfilled　the　prediction　was　placed　beyond　dispute　that　very　night　by　a　great　storm　of　thunder　and　lightning。

In　the　spring　of　333　Alexander　pursued　his　march　eastwards；　and　on　arriving　at　Ancyra　received　the　submission　of　the　Paphlagonians。　　He　then　advanced　through　Cappadocia　without　resistance；　and　forcing　his　way　through　the　passes　of　Mount　Taurus　（the　PYLAE　CILICIAE）；　he　descended　into　the　plains　of　Cilicia。　　Hence　he　pushed　on　rapidly　to　Tarsus；　which　he　found　abandoned　by　the　enemy。　　Whilst　still　heated　with　the　march　Alexander　plunged　into　the　clear　but　cold　stream　of　the　Cydnus；　which　runs　by　the　town。　　The　result　was　a　fever；　which　soon　became　so　violent　as　to　threaten　his　life。　　An　Acarnanian　physician；　named　Philip；　who　accompanied　him；　prescribed　a　remedy；　but　at　the　same　time　Alexander　received　a　letter　informing　him　that　Philip　had　been　bribed　by　Darius；　the　Persian　king；　to　poison　him。　　He　had　however；　too　much　confidence　in　the　trusty　Philip　to　believe　the　accusation　and　handed　him　the　letter　whilst　he　drank　the　draught。　　Either　the　medicine；　or　Alexander's　youthful　constitution；　at　length　triumphed　over　the　disorder。　After　remaining　some　time　at　Tarsus；　he　continued　his　march　along　the　coast　to　Mallus；　where　he　first　received　certain　tidings　of　the　great　Persian　army；　commanded　by　Darius　in　person。　　It　is　said　to　have　consisted　of　600；000　fighting　men；　besides　all　that　train　of　attendants　which　usually　accompanied　the　march　of　a　Persian　monarch。　　Alexander　found　Darius　encamped　near　Issus　on　the　right　bank　of　the　little　river　Pinarus。　　The　Persian　king　could　hardly　have　been　caught　in　a　more　unfavourable　position；　since　the　narrow　and　rugged　plain　between　Mount　Amanus　and　the　sea　afforded　no　scope　for　the　evolutions　of　large　bodies；　and　thus　entirely　deprived　him　of　the　advantage　of　his　numerical　superiority。　　Alexander　occupied　the　pass　between　Syria　and　Cilicia　at　midnight；　and　at　daybreak　began　to　descend　into　the　plain　of　the　Pinarus；　ordering　his　troops　to　deploy　into　line　as　the　ground　expanded　and　thus　to　arrive　in　battle…array　before　the　Persians。　　Darius　had　thrown　30；000　cavalry　and　20；000　infantry　across　the　river；　to　check　the　advance　of　the　Macedonians；　whilst　on　the　right　bank　were　drawn　up　his　choicest　Persian　troops　to　the　number　of　60；000；　together　with　30；000　Greek　mercenaries；　who　formed　the　centre；　and　on　whom　he　chiefly　relied。　　These；　it　appears；　were　all　that　the　breadth　of　the　plain　allowed　to　be　drawn　up　in　line。　　The　remainder　of　the　vast　host　were　posted　in　separate　bodies　in　the　farther　parts　of　the　plain；　and　were　unable　to　take　any　share　in　the　combat。　　Darius　placed　himself　in　the　centre　of　the　line　in　a　magnificent　state　chariot。　　The　banks　of　the　Pinarus　were　in　many　parts　steep；　and　where　they　were　level　Darius　had　caused　them　to　be　intrenched。　　As　Alexander　advanced；　the　Persian　cavalry　which　had　been　thrown　across　the　river　were　recalled；　but　the　20；000　infantry　had　been　driven　into　the　mountains；　where　Alexander　held　them　in　check　with　a　small　body　of　horse。　　The　left　wing　of　the　Macedonians；　under　the　command　of　Parmenio；　was　ordered　to　keep　near　the　sea；　to　prevent　being　outflanked。　　The　right　wing　was　led　by　Alexander　in　person；　who　rushed　impetuously　into　the