70 MAJOR-GEyERAL SIR GEORGE K. SCOTT-MOXCRIEFF, ON THE 



the Athenians and Thebans at Chaeronaea, and had shown then 

 his splendid qualities as a c-avalry leader. So when he came to 

 the throne he had already served his apprenticeship both in 

 civil and niihtary rule. He had been, also, carefully educated. 

 His tutor from his thirteenth year was Aristotle. He had a great 

 delight in the classic writers of Greece, and he had the great 

 advantage of recent Greek miHtary experience and authors — 

 3L'ltiades, Xenophon. and Epaniinondas — to stimulate his military 

 education. This breadth of training enabled him to utihse the 

 lessons of the past in the conditions of the ever varving present. 



Before he could engage on his great task the yoimg king had 

 to face gigantic difficulties at home. For the Greek States, on 

 Philip's death, considered themselves absolved from Macedonian 

 jurisdiction, the tribes to the north and west rose in revolt, so 

 that from all Cjuarters danger threatened. In one year, in a 

 series of briUiant and original operations, he made himself master 

 of Greece, utterly defeated the Danubian tribes, had reduced 

 the nivrians to obedience, and had welded the shackles on 

 Hellas. He was now free to turn his attention to the vast 

 2)roblem before him. 



The resources at his disposal were ridiculously inadequate. He 

 had only 30,000 infantry and 5000 cavalry, one month's supplies, 

 no fleet worth mentioning, and a heavy load of debt, to cope 

 with the mighty forces of Persia with untold resources and the 

 command of the seas. But morally Persia was rotten to the 

 core and torn by petty factions and jealousies, moreover without 

 any leader of merit. 



Alexander marched along the coast to the Galhpoh Peninsula, 

 and unmolested crossed at Abydos and opposite Troy from ground 

 in our own time- the scene of terrific fighting. On the Asiatic shore 

 he f ound the Persian army drawn up to await him, in numbers, 

 especially in cavalrv, far superior to the Macedonians and with the 

 advantage of position covering the fords of the Granicu5. The 

 result was, thanks to skilful tactical handhng and great personal 

 leadership on the j^art of Alexander, an overwhelming ^'ictory, 

 which opened for him the whole of the southern provinces of 

 Asia Minor. He pushed on at once through these, securing the 

 principal towns and lea^-ing representative governors to assist 

 him in his magazines and lines of commimication. He behaved 

 towards these cities and provinces with generosity, restoring 

 ancient rights and reducing taxation. Later on he turned 

 towards the upland plateau of Asia !Minor where, not without 



