113 



ALEXANDER III. 



ALEXANDER III. 



Ill 



paid a visit to Jerusalem, where he worshipped and sacrificed in the 

 Temple, and was made acquainted with an ancient prophecy, that a 

 king of Greece should conquer the king of Persia. But this long 

 episode in Josephus is not supported by any other testimony. In 

 the same autumn Alexander besieged the strong town of Gaza, near 

 the southern frontier of Syria. It was vigorously defended for two 

 months by the Persian commander Batis, and did not surrender until 

 nearly all the garrison had fallen. Alexander, who had himself been 

 severely wounded during the siege, sold the inhabitants as slaves, and 

 repeopled the town with Syrians from the neighbouring country. 



The last province of Persia on the coasts of the Mediterranean that 

 now remained was Egypt. In seven days Alexander marched with his 

 army from Gaza through the desert to the gates of Pelusium, on the 

 north-eastern frontier of Egypt, where he found the fleet at anchor, 

 with which Phoenicia and Cyprus had supplied him. The Persian 

 satrap of Egypt, having no means of defence, surrendered to Alex- 

 ander without striking a blow. The Egyptians themselves, who had 

 always hated the oppressive rule of the intolerant Persians, were little 

 inclined to take up arms, and gladly surrendered to the invader, who 

 justified their confidence in him by the restoration of several of their 

 civil and religious institutions which the Persians had suppressed. 

 The Greeks, of whom great numbers resided in Egypt, may also have 

 helped the matter. After having paid visits to Heliopolis and Memphis, 

 he sailed down the Canopic, or most western branch of the Nile, to 

 the Lake of Marea, and here he founded, on a strip of barren land, 

 the city of Alexandria, which still exists as a flourishing place of trade. 

 The place was judiciously selected for the purpose of the Mediter- 

 ranean trade on the one side, and the communication with the Red 

 Sea through the Nile ou the other. After the foundations of the new 

 city were laid, Alexander marched along the coast to Panctonium, and 

 thence in a southern direction, and through the desert to the renowned 

 oracle of Jupiter Ammon in the oasis now called Siwah. What may 

 have induced him to visit this sacred island of the desert is only matter 

 of conjecture ; but it is not improbable that it was the desire to see 

 his wishes respecting the sovereignty of the world sanctioned by the 

 oracle of Jupiter Ammon, and thus to inspire his soldiers with con- 

 fidence ; or it may be that the visit was connected with the foundation 

 of Alexandria, and had a commercial object, aa Ammonium was the 

 centre of a considerable inland trade. Whatever his wishes may have 

 been, Alexander was perfectly satisfied with the results of his visit : 

 there was a report that the oracle had declared him the son of Jupiter 

 Ammon, and promised him the sovereignty of the world ; a report 

 which mutt have been of incalculable advantage to Alexander with 

 his soldiers and the inhabitants of Asia. After having richly rewarded 

 the temple and its priests, he returned to Memphis, according to Aris- 

 tobulus, by the same road by which he had gone ; but according to 

 Ptolemicua he took the shortest way across the desert. 



In the spring of the year B.C. 331, after having received fresh rein- 

 forcemenU from Macedonia and Greece, Alexander set out on his 

 march towards the interior of Asia. He visited Tyre, from whence 

 he marched to the Euphrates, which he crossed at the ford of Thap- 

 sacus. From Thapsacus his march was in an eastern direction, across 

 the plain of Mesopotamia towards the river Tigris, in the direction of 

 Gaugamela, a distance of no less than 800 miles from Memphis. 

 Darius had again assembled an immense army, the amount of which 

 is stated at 1,000,000 infantry, 40,000 horse, 200 chariots with scythes, 

 and about 1"< elephants. He had chosen a favourable position in the 

 plains of Gaugamela, east of the Tigris, on the banks of the small 

 river Bumadus. After having allowed his soldiers four days' rest, 

 Alexander moved in the night against the enemy, whom he found 

 drawn up in battle array. On a morning of the month of October, 

 in the year n.c. 331, the battle which put an end to the Persian 

 monarchy began. Some parts of the Persian army fought courage- 

 ously, and the Macedonians sustained some loss : but when Alexander, 

 by an impetuous attack, succeeded in breaking the centre of the Persian 

 army, which was commanded by Darius himself, the king took to 

 flight, and wns followed by his army in utter confusion. Alexander 

 pursued the fugitives as far as Arbela (Erbil), about fifty miles east 

 of Gaugamela, where he found the treasures of the king, and got an 

 immense booty. Darius fled through the mountainous country to 

 Ecbatana (Hamadan). The loss of the Persians on this day is said to 

 have been enormous : that of the Macedonians is stated to have been 

 very inconsiderable. It now only remained for Alexander to subdue 

 the Persian satraps whose provinces had not yet been conquered, and 

 who continued faithful to their king. In accomplishing this he was 

 greatly assisted by the policy that he adopted ; he promised to leave 

 the satraps who would submit in possession of their former power, 

 with the exception of the military command, which was given to 

 Macedonians. The attachment of the people was gained in another 

 way. Alexander, elated by his success, began to surround himself 

 with all the pomp and splendour of an eastern king ; ho respected 

 the religion and customs of his new subjects, and protected them from 

 the oppression to which they had long been subjected. From this time 

 a great change is manifest in the character and conduct of Alexander. 

 ll-j exercised no control over his passions; he commited acts of 

 cruelty and excess such as are common with eastern despots. But he 

 did not sink into indolence : active occupation, both mental and physical, 

 remained now as before the only element in which he cotdd exist. 



Bioa DIV. VOL. i. 



From Arbela, Alexander marched southward to the ancient city of 

 Babylon, which opened its gates without resistance ; and he gained 

 the good-will of the people by ordering the temple of Belus, which 

 had been damaged by the Persians, to be restored, and by sacrificing 

 to the god according to the rites of the Chaldtcans. After a short stay 

 there he set out for Susa (Sus) on the Choaspes (Kerah, or more pro- 

 perly Kerkhah), which he reached after a march of twenty days, and 

 where he found immense treasures, which had been accumulated in 

 this ancient capital. The Macedonians, following the example of their 

 master, plunged into the enjoyment of the pleasures of this wealthy 

 city ; and the more readily, as they had hitherto been exposed to all 

 kinds of hardship, with scarcely any interval of repose. Towards the 

 end of the year Alexander left Susa for Persepolis, the original seat of 

 the Persian kings, and where many of them were buried. The road 

 which he took is described thus : He first marched towards the river 

 Pasitigris (Karoon), and thence along the valley of Ram-Hormuz to 

 the mountain pass now called Kala-i-Sifid, which forms the entrance 

 into Persia Proper. After having met with some resistance at this 

 spot, he took Persepolis by surprise, so that none of the treasures were 

 carried away before his arrival. To avenge the destruction of the 

 Greek temples by the Persians, Alexander, contrary to the advice of 

 his friend Parmenio, set fire to the palace of Persepolis, and part of 

 it was burnt down. According to another account he was instigated 

 to this act of madness by Thais, an Athenian courtezan, duriug tho 

 revelry of a banquet. Immense ruins (Tchil-Minar) still point out 

 the site of this ancient city ; but its complete destruction, which is 

 usually ascribed to Alexander, belongs most probably to a much later 

 period. After a stay of four months, during which he subdued Persis 

 and several of the neighbouring mountain tribes, he left, as he had 

 done at Babylon and Susa, the country under the administration of 

 a Persian satrap. Early in the year B.C. 330 he began his march on 

 Ecbatana, where Darius, on seeing that Alexander after the battle of 

 Gaugamela turned to the south, had collected a new force with which 

 he hoped to maintain himself in Media. But while he was expecting 

 reinforcements from the Scythians and Cadusians, he was surprised by 

 the tidings of Alexander's arrival on the frontiers of Media. Unable 

 to maintain his ground, Darius fled through Rhagse (Rey, near Tehran), 

 and the mountain pass, called the Caspian gates (the Elburz moun- 

 tains), to his Bactrian provinces. After a short stay at Ecbatana, 

 where he dismissed his Thessalian horse and other allies who had 

 served their time, with rich presents, Alexander hastened after the 

 fugitive king ; but on reaching the Caspian gates he was informed that 

 Darius had been made a prisoner by his own satrap, Bessus. Tho 

 Macedonians continued their pursuit with great rapidity through tho 

 arid deserts of Parthia, and when they were near upon Bessus and his 

 associates, who were unable either to make a stand against Alexander 

 or to carry their victim any further, the traitors wounded the king 

 mortally, left him near a place called Hecatompylos, and dispersed in 

 various directions. Darius died before Alexander came up to the spot. 

 Moved by the misfortunes of the Persian king, Alexander covered the 

 body with his own cloak, and sent it to Persepolis to be buried in the 

 tomb of his ancestors. 



From this moment Alexander was in the undisputed possession of 

 the Persian empire : all the satraps, who had hitherto been faithful to 

 their king, now seeing that resistance had become hopeless, submitted 

 to Alexander, who knew how to value their fidelity, and he rewarded 

 them for it. Bessus, who had escaped to Bactria, assumed under the 

 name of Artaxerxes the title of king, and endeavoured to get together 

 an army. Alexander marched into Hyrcania, where the Greeks who 

 had served in the army of Darius were assembled. After some nego- 

 ciation Alexander induced them to surrender ; he pardoned them for 

 what was past, and engaged a great number of them in his service ; 

 but some Lacedccmonians who had been sent as ambassadors to Darius 

 by their government were put into chains. At Zadracarta, tho capital 

 of the Piirthians, the site of which is unknown, Alexander spent fifteen 

 days; after which he proceeded along the northern extremity of tho 

 great salt desert towards the frontier of Aria, which submitted to him. 

 He left this province in the hands of its former satrap, Satibarzaues, 

 and marched farther east towards Bactria; but he was soon called 

 back by the news that Satibarznnes had revolted, had formed an alli- 

 ance with Bessus, and had destroyed the Macedonians who had been 

 left in his province. In order to secure his rear, Alexander hastened 

 back with almost incredible speed, and in two days surprised the 

 faithless rebel in his capital of Artacoana. The satrap took to flight, 

 and Alexander, after having appointed a new governor, instead of 

 returning on his former road to Bactria, thought it more expedient to 

 secure the south-eastern part of Aria. After a march through an 

 almost impassable country to ascertain the precise road is impossible 

 he took possession of the countries of the Zarangje, Drangto, Dragogic, 

 and other tribes on the banks of the river Etymandrus (Helmuud), 

 which flows into the Lake of Aria (Zerrah). During his stay at 

 Prophthasia, the capital of the Drangso, things occurred which showed 

 the altered character of Alexander in the light in which we are only 

 accustomed to see" an oriental despot. Philotas, the son of Alexander's 

 friend Parmenio, was charged with having formed a conspiracy against 

 the life of the king. He wns accused by Alexander before a court of 

 Macedonians : distinct proof was not produced, though circumstantial 

 evidence seemed to warrant tho truth of the charge. Philotas was. 



