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remarkable instance of which occurred at the battle of Issus between 

 Darius and Alexander ; for, when the Persian legions had given way 

 in every quarter, the Greek mercenaries alone stood their ground, 

 even against the attacks of their invading countrymen; and, by 

 their determined bravery, were nearly rescuing the Persian empire 

 from that gulph of destruction on which it then verged. It must be 

 owned, however, that this perpetual recruiting of the Persian army 

 with Greek mercenaries, and this constant dependance upon them, 

 in all important engagements, were the extreme of impolicy, and 

 gradually paved the way to the Grecian irruption in the reign of 

 their last ill-fated monarch. The mercenaries retained, indeed, per- 

 formed with fidelity their task ; but those, that were discharged at 

 the expiration of the period for which they had enlisted, returned 

 to their native country, impressed with a perfect knowledge of the 

 vices and luxury, and a rooted contempt for the imbecility, of the 

 Persian government. They diffused these sentiments widely through 

 the Grecian states, and thus kept alive the favourite idea, secretly, 

 but warmly, cherished among them, of repaying some time or other 

 the visit of Xerxes, intended to crush them collectively. The 

 Persians on the other hand, while they saw and admired the steady 

 bravery and exact discipline of the Grecian legions, neglected to 

 improve their own by the brilliant example ; but, on the contrary, 

 knowing that their overflowing treasures could always procure them 

 foreign soldiers, suffered the vigour of their native troops to languish 

 in inaction . 



On the decease of Artaxerxes Mnemon, according to the Greeks, 

 his youngest son, Ochus, ascended the throne through a torrent of 

 kindred blood. This Ochus, as has been before observed, is un- 

 known in the Persian records; for, he is not even mentioned by 

 Mirkhond ; and Sir William Jones, in this period of his concise 

 Memoir, has the following observation: "There seems, in this 



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