ALEXANDER THE GREAT 176 



fronted by conditions that would have dis- 

 heartened a less resolute prince. The Greek 

 states, restless under Macedonian authority, 

 were but waiting for an opportunity to revolt, 

 and when the new king was away campaigning 

 against some barbarian tribes on the northern 

 border of Macedon, the Thebans rose in rebel- 

 lion and persuaded the Athenians to become 

 their allies. To this appeal the Athenians were 

 not slow in responding, for the report had been 

 circulated that Alexander was dead. But before 

 the Greek cities had an opportunity to work 

 out a plan of action, the king and his army 

 appeared before Thebes. The city was stormed 

 and every building within it destroyed, save 



ALEXANDER THE GREAT 



turned southward to Phoenicia, and after a 

 memorable siege of seven months he captured 

 the island-city of Tyre perhaps his greatest 

 military achievement. To accomplish this ho 

 was forced to build a causeway through the sea 

 to the city, and the ancient structure may still 

 be seen. A terrible punishment was meted out 

 to the brave Tyrians, for 8,000 of the people 

 were slain, and the survivors, to the number 

 of 30,000, were sold into slavery. All of the 

 cities of Palestine and Philistia then submitted 

 to the conqueror, except the city of Gaza. 

 After resisting a siege for three months, its 

 people, too, were obliged to yield, and they 

 suffered the same cruel fate as the Tyrians. 



ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE 

 His possessions at the height of his career. 



only the house of Pindar, while the inhabitants, 

 30,000 in number, were sold into slavery. This 

 summary action quelled the spirit of rebellion, 

 and all Greece submitted to the new ruler. 



Conquest of the World. The next great 

 project of the ambitious young monarch was 

 the conquest of the Persian Empire. In the 

 spring of 334 B.C., he crossed the Hellespont 

 (see DARDANELLES) with an army of 35,000, and 

 on the River Granicus won a victory over the 

 Persians that opened the gate to all Asia 

 Minor. The following year, 333 B.C., he was 

 opposed on the plain of Issus, on the north- 

 eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, by a 

 huge army of 600,000 commanded by Darius 

 III, and again he was victorious. He then 



Alexander now was free to turn his attention 

 to Egypt. In that country, however, he met 

 with no resistance, for the Egyptians welcomed 

 him as one who would deliver them from 

 Persian tryanny. At one of the mouths of 

 the Nile he founded a city which he named 

 Alexandria, and which was destined to become 

 a world center of commerce and of learning 

 (see ALEXANDRIA). While in Egypt he visited 

 the famous temple and oracle of Jupiter Am- 

 mon, in the Libyan desert. There he heard 

 from the oracle that he was the son of Jupiter 

 and was destined to be the conqueror of the 

 world. 



In 331 B.C. Alexander began his march 

 toward the heart of the Persian Empire. 



