130 TRANSFER OF THE C HAP. in. 



the accumulations of the state and of indivi- 

 dual citizens at a correspondent degree of mag- 

 nitude. 



Though Alexander might have carried with 

 him to Europe a larg^ portion of the precious 

 metals seized in Persia, yet much of it would 

 remain in that country after its conquest. The 

 rewards given to his soldiers, and the payments 

 to his allies, the funeral of Hephsestion, the gra- 

 tuities to Harpalus and others of his satraps, 

 would dissipate a third of his spoil ; the expense 

 of maintaining his court and his army till his 

 return would absorb a large portion of the re- 

 mainder ; and hence we can see no difficulty in 

 reconciling the accounts of the vast mass of trea- 

 sure collected in Persia, with the comparative 

 small amount of that wealth which Alexander 

 left behind him at his death. As the treasure 

 distributed among his followers would, accord- 

 ing to the practice of soldiers in all ages, be ex- 

 pended where it was received, and would remain 

 . in that country, there seems no difficulty in 

 crediting the account in Arrian of the treasure 

 extracted by Ptolemy Euergetes from the pro- 

 vinces left to the successors of Alexander about 

 240 years after Christ, in believing in the truth 

 of the terms which the Romans extorted from 

 the same people, or in yielding faith to the re- 

 ports of the treasure which Paulus ./Emilius ex- 



