a smaller history of greece-第48部分

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y　Alexander　in　person；　who　rushed　impetuously　into　the　water；　and　was　soon　engaged　in　close　combat　with　the　Persians。　　The　latter　were　immediately　routed；　but　what　chiefly　decided　the　fortune　of　the　day　was　the　timidity　of　Darius　himself；　who；　on　beholding　the　defeat　of　his　left　wing；　immediately　took　to　flight。　　His　example　was　followed　by　his　whole　army。　　One　hundred　thousand　Persians　are　said　to　have　been　left　upon　the　field。　　On　reaching　the　hills　Darius　threw　aside　his　royal　robes　his　bow　and　shield；　and；　mounting　a　fleet　courser；　was　soon　out　of　reach　of　pursuit。　　The　Persian　camp　became　the　spoil　of　the　Macedonians；　but　the　tent　of　Darius；　together　with　his　chariot；　robes；　and　arms；　was　reserved　for　Alexander　himself。　　It　was　now　that　the　Macedonian　king　first　had　ocular　proof　of　the　nature　of　Eastern　royalty。　　One　compartment　of　the　tent　of　Darius　had　been　fitted　up　as　a　bath；　which　steamed　with　the　richest　odours；　whilst　another　presented　a　magnificent　pavilion；　containing　a　table　richly　spread　for　the　banquet　of　Darius。　　But　from　an　adjoining　tent　issued　the　wail　of　female　voices；　where　Sisygambis　the　mother；　and　Statira　the　wife　of　Darius；　were　lamenting　the　supposed　death　of　the　Persian　monarch。　Alexander　sent　to　assure　them　of　his　safety；　and　ordered　them　to　be　treated　with　the　most　delicate　and　respectful　attention。

Such　was　the　memorable　battle　of　Issus；　fought　in　November；　B。C。　333。　　A　large　treasure　which　Parmenio　was　sent　forward　with　a　detachment　to　seize；　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Macedonians　at　Damascus。　　Another　favourable　result　of　the　victory　was　that　it　suppressed　some　attempts　at　revolt　from　the　Macedonian　power；　which　with　the　support　of　Persia；　had　been　manifested　in　Greece。　But；　in　order　to　put　a　complete　stop　to　all　such　intrigues；　which　chiefly　depended　on　the　assistance　of　a　Persian　fleet；　Alexander　resolved　to　seize　Phoenicia　and　Egypt；　and　thus　to　strike　at　the　root　of　the　Persian　maritime　power。

Meanwhile；　Darius；　attended　by　a　body　of　only　4000　fugitives；　had　crossed　the　Euphrates　at　Thapsacus。　　Before　he　had　set　out　from　Babylon　the　whole　forces　of　the　empire　had　been　summoned；　but　he　had　not　thought　it　worth　while　to　wait　for　what　he　deemed　a　merely　useless　encumbrance；　and　the　more　distant　levies；　which　comprised　some　of　the　best　troops　of　the　empire；　were　still　hastening　towards　Babylon。　　In　a　short　time；　therefore；　he　would　be　at　the　head　of　a　still　more　numerous　host　than　that　which　had　fought　at　Issus；　yet　he　thought　it　safer　to　open　negotiations　with　Alexander　than　to　trust　to　the　chance　of　arms。　　With　this　view　he　sent　a　letter　to　Alexander；　who　was　now　at　Marathus　in　Phoenicia；　proposing　to　become　his　friend　and　ally；　but　Alexander　rejected　all　his　overtures；　and　told　him　that　he　must　in　future　be　addressed　not　in　the　language　of　an　equal；　but　of　a　subject。

As　Alexander　advanced　southwards；　all　the　towns　of　Phoenicia　hastened　to　open　their　gates；　the　inhabitants　of　Sidon　even　hailed　him　as　their　deliverer。　　Tyre；　also；　sent　to　tender　her　submission；　but　coupled　with　reservations　by　no　means　acceptable　to　a　youthful　conqueror　in　the　full　tide　of　success。　　Alexander　affected　to　receive　their　offer　as　an　unconditional　surrender；　and　told　them　that　he　would　visit　their　city　and　offer　sacrifices　to　Melcart；　a　Tyrian　deity；　who　was　considered　as　identical　with　the　Grecian　Hercules。　　This　brought　the　matter　to　an　issue。　　The　Tyrians　now　informed　him　that　they　could　not　admit　any　foreigners　within　their　walls；　and　that；　if　he　wished　to　sacrifice　to　Melcart；　he　would　find　another　and　more　ancient　shrine　in　Old　Tyre；　on　the　mainland。　　Alexander　indignantly　dismissed　the　Tyrian　ambassadors；　and　announced　his　intention　of　laying　siege　to　their　city。　　The　Tyrians　probably　deemed　it　impregnable。　　It　was　by　nature　a　place　of　great　strength；　and　had　been　rendered　still　stronger　by　art。　　The　island　on　which　it　stood　was　half　a　mile　distant　from　the　mainland；　and　though　the　channel　was　shallow　near　the　coast；　it　deepened　to　three　fathoms　near　the　island。　　The　shores　of　the　island　were　rocky　and　precipitous；　and　the　walls　rose　from　the　cliffs　to　the　height　of　150　feet　in　solid　masonry。　　As　Alexander　possessed　no　ships；　the　only　method　by　which　he　could　approach　the　town　was　by　constructing　a　causeway；　the　materials　for　which　were　collected　from　the　forests　of　Libanus　and　the　ruins　of　Old　Tyre。　　After　overcoming　many　difficulties　the　mole　was　at　length　pushed　to　the　foot　of　the　walls；　and　as　soon　as　Alexander　had　effected　a　practicable　breach；　he　ordered　a　general　assault　both　by　land　and　sea。　　The　breach　was　stormed　under　the　immediate　inspection　of　Alexander　himself；　and　though　the　Tyrians　made　a　desperate　resistance；　they　were　at　length　overpowered；　when　the　city　became　one　wide　scene　of　indiscriminate　carnage　and　plunder。　　The　siege　had　lasted　seven　months；　and　the　Macedonians　were　so　exasperated　by　the　difficulties　and　dangers　they　had　undergone　that　they　granted　no　quarter。　　Eight　thousand　of　the　citizens　are　said　to　have　been　massacred；　and　the　remainder；　with　the　exception　of　the　king　and　some　of　the　principal　men；　who　had　taken　refuge　in　the　temple　of　Melcart；　were　sold　into　slavery　to　the　number　of　30；000。　　Tyre　was　taken　in　the　month　of　July　in　332。

Whilst　Alexander　was　engaged　in　the　siege　of　Tyre；　Darius　made　him　further　and　more　advantageous　proposals。　　He　now　offered　10；000　talents　as　the　ransom　of　his　family；　together　with　all　the　Provinces　west　of　the　Euphrates；　and　his　daughter　Barsine　in　marriage；　as　the　conditions　of　a　peace。　　When　these　offers　were　submitted　to　the　council　Parmenio　was　not　unnaturally　struck　with　their　magnificence；　and　observed；　that　were　he　Alexander　he　would　accept　them。　　〃and　so　would　I；〃　replied　the　king；　〃were　I　Parmenio。〃　　Darius；　therefore；　prepared　himself　for　a　desperate　resistance。

After　the　fall　of　Tyre；　Alexander　marched　with　his　army　towards　Egypt；　whilst　his　fleet　proceeded　along　the　coast。　　Gaza；　a　strong　fortress　on　the　sea…shore；　obstinately　held　out；　and　delayed　his　progress　three　or　four　months。　　After　the　capture　of　this　city　Alexander　met　his　fleet　at　Pelusium；　and　ordered　it　to　sail　up　the　Nile　as　far　as　Memphis；　whither　he　himself　marched　with　his　army　across　the　desert。　　He　conciliated　the　affection　of　the　Egyptians　by　the　respect　with　which　he　treated　their　national　superstitions；　whilst　the　Persians　by　an　opposite　line　of　conduct　had　incurred　their　deadliest　hatred。　　He　then　sailed　down　the　western　branch　of　the　Nile；　and　at　its　mouth　traced　the　plan　of　the　new　city　of　Alexandria；　which　for　many　centuries　continued　to　be　not　only　the　grand　emporium　of　Europe；　Africa；　and　India；　but　also　the　principal　centre　of　intellectual　life。　　Being　now　on　the　confines　of　Libya；　Alexander　resolved　to　visit　the　celebrated　oracle　of　Zeus　（Jupiter）　Ammon；　which　lay　in　the　bosom　of　the　Libyan　wilderness。　　The　conqueror　was　received　by　the　priests　with　all　the　honours　of　sacred　pomp。　　He　consulted　the　oracle　in　secret；　and　is　said　never　to　have　disclosed　the　answer　which　he　received；　though　that　it　was　an　answer　that　contented　him　appeared　from　the　magnificence　of　the　offerings　which　he　made　to　the　god。　　Some　say　that　Ammon　saluted　him　as　the　son　of　Zeus。

Alexander　returned　to　Phoenicia　in　the　spring　of　331。　　He　then　directed　his　march　through　Samaria；　and　arrived　at　Thapsacus　on　the　Euphrates　about　the　end　of　August。　　after　crossing　the　river　he　struck　to　the　north…east　through　a　fertile　and　well…supplied　country。　　On　his　march　he　was　told　that　Darius　was　posted　with　an　immense　force　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Tigris；　but　on　arriving　at　that　river　he　found　nobody　to　dispute　his　passage。　　He　then　proceeded　southwards　along　its　banks；　and　after　four　days'　march　fell　in　with　a　few　squadrons　of　the　enemy's　cavalry。　　From　some　of　these　who　were　made　prisoners　Alexander　learned　that　Darius　was　encamped　with　his　host　on　one　of　the　extensive　plains　between　the　Tigris　and　the　mountains　of　Kurdistan；　near　a　village　called　Gaugamela　（the　Camel's　House）。　　The　town　of　Arbela；　after　which　the　battle　that　ensued　is　commonly　named；　lay　at　about　twenty　miles　distance；　and　there　Darius　had　deposited　his　baggage　and　treasure。　　That　monarch　had　been　easily　persuaded　that　his　former　defeat　was　owing　solely　to　the　nature　of　the　ground；　and；　therefore；　he　now　selected　a　wide　plain　for　an　engagement；　where　there　was　abundant　room　for　his　multitudinous　infantry；　and　for　the　evolutions　of　his　horsemen　and　charioteers。　　Alexander；　after　giving　his　army　a　few　days'　rest；　set　out　to　meet　the　enemy　soon　after　midnight；　in　order　that　he　might　come　up　with　them　about　daybreak。　　On　ascending　some　sand…hills　the　whole　array　of　the　Persians　suddenly　burst　upon　the　view　of　the　Macedonians；　at　the　distance　of　three　or　four　miles。　　Darius；　as　usual；　occupied　the　centre；　surrounded　by　his　body…guard　and　chosen　troops。　　In　front　of　the　royal　position　were　ranged　the　war…chariots　and　elephants；　and　on　either　side　the　Greek　mercenaries；　to　the　number；　it　is　said；　of　50；000。　　Alexander　spent　the　first　day　in　surveying　the　ground　and　preparing　for　the　attack；　he　also　addressed　his　troops；　pointing　out　to　them　that　the　prize　of　victory　would　not　be　a　mere　province；　but　the　dominion　of　all　Asia。