Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 221 



curved ships. Then verily I bade my dear companions to 

 abide there by the ships, and to guard them, and I sent forth 

 scouts to range the points of outlook. But my men gave place 

 to wantonness, being the fools of their own force, and soon they 

 fell to wasting the fields of the Egyptians, exceeding fair, and 

 led away their wives and infant children and slew the men. 

 And the cry came quickly to the city, and the people hearing the 

 shout came forth at the breaking of the day, and all the plain 

 was filled with footmen and horsemen and with the glitter 

 of bronze. And Zeus whose joy is in the thunder, sent an 

 evil panic upon my company, and none durst stand and face the 

 foe, for danger encompassed us on every side. There they slew 

 many of us with the edge of the sword, and others they led up 

 with them alive to work for them perforce. But as for me Zeus 

 himself put a thought into my heart ; would to God that I had 

 rather died, and met my fate there in Egypt, for sorrow was 

 still mine host. Straightway I put off my well-wrought helmet 

 from my head, and the shield from off my shoulders, and I cast 

 away my spear from my hand, and I came over against the 

 horses of the king, and clasped and kissed his knee, and he 

 saved me and delivered me, and setting me on his own chariot 

 took me weeping to his home 1 ." 



There can be no doubt that the place where the Greeks are 

 supposed to land was the western mouth of the Nile, that 

 nearest to Crete. The natural advantages of this spot led 

 Alexander to plant there the famous city called after himself, 

 to this hour a witness to his political as well as military 

 genius. The city was built close to the village of Rhacotis, 

 which later on became part of Alexandria. Strabo 2 , who had 

 long studied in the great library of Alexandria, tells us that the 

 ancient kings of Egypt had kept a guard at Rhacotis to check 

 the descents of the Greeks : " The country about the village 

 was given up to herdsmen, who were also able frotfi their 

 numbers to prevent strangers from entering the country." 



1 Od. xiv. 267 : 



TT\TJTO d Trav irediov Treffiv re Kal 'itnruv 

 XctX/coO re 

 779. 



