INFLUENCE OF THE iVTACCDONIAN CAMPAIGNS. 158 



Gadeira, compared his observations with the facts of which he 

 was informed by the experienced Phoenicians concerning the 

 influence supposed to be exercised by the moon.* 



EXPEDITIONS OF THE MACEDONIANS UNDER ALEXANDER THE GREAT. 

 —CHANGES IN THE RELATIONS OF THE WORLD.— FUSION OF THE 

 WEST WITH THE EAST.— THE GREEKS PROMOTE THE INTERMIX- 

 TURE OF RACES FROM THE NILE TO THE EUPHRATES, THE JAX- 

 ARTES, AND THE INDUS.— SUDDEN EXTENSION OF COSMICAL VIEWS, 

 BOTH BY MEANS OF DIRECT OBSERVATION OF NATURE, AND BY THE 

 RECIPROCAL INTERCOURSE C^ ANCIENT CIVILIZED AND INDUSTRIAL 

 NATIONS. 



The campaigns of the Macedonians under Alexander the 

 Great, the downfall of the Persian dominion, the rising inter- 

 course with Western India, and the action of the Grseco-Bac- 

 trian empire, which continued to prevail for one hundred and 

 sixteen years, may be regarded as among the most important 

 social epochs in the process of the development of the history 

 of mankind, as far as it indicates a closer connection of South- 

 ern Europe with the southwest of Asia, the Nile, and Libya. 

 Independently of the almost immeasurable extension opened 

 to the sphere of development by the advance of the Macedo- 

 nians, their campaigns acquired a character of profound moral 

 greatness by the incessant efforts of the conqueror to amalga- 

 mate all races, and to establish, under the noble influence of 

 Hellenism, a unity throughout the world.t The foundation 

 of many new cities at points, the selection of which indicates 

 higher aims, the arrangement and classification of an inde- 

 pendently responsible form of government for these cities, and 

 the tender forbearance evinced by Alexander for national cus- 

 toms and national forms of worship, all testify that the plan 

 of one great and organic whole had been laid. That which 

 was perhaps originally foreign to a scheme of this kind devel- 

 oped itself subsequently from the nature of the relations, as is 

 always the case under the influence of comprehensive events. 

 If we remember that only fifty-two Olympiads intervened 

 from the battle of the Granicus to the destructive irruption 

 into Bactria of the Sacae and Tochi, we shall be astonished 

 at the permanence and the magical influence exercised by the 



* Strabo, lib. iii., p. 173 (Examen Crit., t. iii., p. 98). 



t Droysen, Gesch. Alexanders des Grossen, s. 544 ; the same in hi« 

 Oesch. der Bildung des Hellenistischen Staatensy stems, s. 23-34, 588- 

 592, 748-755. 



G 2 



