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body of troops, principally Greek infantry and Bac'trian horse, who 

 yet remained faithful to him, five days before ; and had passed the 

 Caspian Streights with intent to seek protection or to raise fresh 

 forces in the most distant provinces of his empire. Nothing, how- 

 ever, could damp the ardour of his pursuit, and he resolved to follow 

 him, if necessary, even to the pole. 



In the strong and remote fortress of Ecbatana, Alexander de- 

 posited, under the care of Harpalus, his treasurer, the accumulated 

 wealth obtained in the plunder of the great cities of Persia, amount- 

 ing, in the whole, according to Strabo, to a hundred and eighty 

 thousand talents, thirty millions sterling*; and he left with him a 

 guard of six thousand Macedonian foot and a proportionate body of 

 horse. He had scarcely passed the Caspian Streights, when tidings 

 reached him of the seizure of Darius by the traitor Bessus and his 

 comrades, who had bound him in chains (of gold, says Curtius), and 

 were hurrying away the royal prisoner, closely confined in a chariot, 

 covered with the skins of beasts, to his government of Bactria. On 

 this affecting intelligence, Alexander urged on the pursuit day and 

 night with such precipitation, that many of the men and horses 

 perished through the severity of the fatigue they underwent. As 

 he approached nearer the ruffians, he learned that Bessus affected to 

 wear the imperial purple, and had been hailed the sovereign of 

 Persia by the whole army, except the Greek mercenaries and a 

 few faithful Persian battalions. 



The ardour and impatience of Alexander's mind prevented him 

 from sinking under the incessant fatigue he had endured ; and, at 

 length, arriving at a village in which Bessus and his Bactrian ad- 

 herents had encamped the preceding day ; fearful, also, that their 

 treason might even attempt the life of Darius, he pressed on with 



* Strabo, lib. xv. p. 741. 

 2 G 2 



