040 G R E 
enci’.mbfred by the narrownefs of the roads, and their 
own terror. Ptolemy, the fon of Lagiis, faySj that the 
purfners fiiled up the ditcltes witli dead bodies. The 
number of tlie ilain was computed at an hundred and 
ten thoufand, among whom were many fatraps and no¬ 
bles. The great king hinifeif difrovered I'ittle magna¬ 
nimity in defanding the important objedts at hake. Kis 
left wing was no I'ooner repelled by Alexander, than he 
drove away in his chariot, accompanied by his courtiers. 
Vv^'Iien the road grew rough and mountainous, he con¬ 
tinued his flight on horfeback, leaving his fliield, his 
mantle, and his bow, which were found by the Mace¬ 
donians. Alexander, who had received a dangerous 
wound on the thigh, judged it improper to purfue him, 
till tlte Greek mercenaries were difperfed, and hence 
the approach of night facilitated h.is efcape. This me¬ 
morable battle took place in the year before Chriff 333. 
The Perfian camp afforded abundant proof of Afiatic 
luxury and opulence. It contained liow'ever in money 
but tliree thoufand talents; the magnificent treafures, 
which accompanied the great king, being depofited, 
previous to the battle, in the neiglibouring city of Da- 
mafcus. Thus inelfimable booty was afterwards feixed 
by order of Alexander, vvlto found in the camp a booty 
more precious, the w'ifc and daughters of Darius, his 
mother Syfigambis, and his infant fon. In an age wl'.en 
prifoners of war were fynonynious with flaves, Alexan¬ 
der behaved to his royal captives with the tendernefs 
of a parent, blended with the refpecl: of a fon. In Iiis 
chalfe attention to Statira, th^ fairelf beauty of th.e ealf, 
his conduct forms a remarkable contraff with that of 
Acliilles, whom lie equalled in valour, hut far furpalfed 
in liumanity. Thefe illullrioiis princefl'es bore their 
own misfortunes with patience, but burfl into dreadful 
lamentations, when informed by an eunuch that he had 
feen the.mantle of Darius in the iiands of a Macedonian 
loldier. Alexander lent to afl'ure them that Darius yet 
lived ; and next day vilited tliem in perfon, accompa¬ 
nied by Hepheftion, the moft aff'ettionate of his friends. 
Syligambis approached to proftrate herfelf before the 
conqueror; but not knowing tlie king, as tiieir drefs 
was alike, fhe turned to Hcphelfion. Hepheffion fud- 
denly flepping back, Syfigambis faw her miftake, and 
was covered with confulion. “You miftook not, ma¬ 
dam, (faid the king,) Hepheffion is likewife Alexander.” 
The virtues of Alexander long continued to expand 
with his profperity ; but he was never more inimitably 
great, titan after the battle of HI'us. The city of Soli, 
in Cilicia, though inhabited by a Grecian colony, bad 
difcovered uncommon zeal in the caufe of Darius. To 
punifii this unnatural apoffacy, Alexander demanded a 
heavy contribution from Soli ; but, after the vidfory, 
he remitted this'fine. Impelled by the fame generous 
fpirit, he releafed the Athenian captives taken at the 
battle of the Granicus ; a favour which he. jiad ffernly 
refufed at the opening of the campaign. In Damafcus, 
feveral Grecian-ambalfadors were found among the cap¬ 
tives. Alexander ordered them to.be brought into his 
prefence. 'I'lieffali^cus and Dionyrodorus, the The¬ 
bans, lie inffaiitly declared free, obferving, that the 
misfortunes of their country julfly entitled them to ap¬ 
ply to Darius, and to every prince from whom liiey 
might hope for relief. Ipliicrates, the Athenian, he 
treated with the refpedl: whicli appeared due both to 
his country and to his father, ftuthycles, the Spartan, 
alone, he detained in cuflody, becaufe Sparta lullenly 
rejedfed fhe friendfliip of Macedon. But as his for- 
givenefs Hill increaftd with liis power, he afterwards 
liberated Euthycles, with a princely condefcenlion. 
Baiius, in his flight, was gradually joined by about 
'four tiiouland men, diiefly Gieeks. Under this efcort 
he departed hallily from Sochos, purfued his march 
eaftward, and crolied the Euphrates at Thapfachns, ea¬ 
ger to interpofe that rapid dream between liiuifelf and 
{he conqueror. Alexander’s inclination to I'eize the 
E C E. 
perfon of his adverfary could not divert him from the 
judicious phin of war to.wliicli he iinnioveably adhered. 
In a council of liis generals, he declared his opinion, 
tiiat it would be highly imprudent to attempt the con- 
queft of Babylon, until he liad thoroughly fubdued the 
maritime provinces ; becaufe, fnould lie be carried with 
-an unfealonable celerity into Upper Alia, while the 
enemy commanded the fen, the war niigiit be removed 
to Europe, wiiere the Lacedaemonians were open ene¬ 
mies, and the Atlienians doubtful friends. Having 
therefore appointed governors of Cilicia and Coelo-Sy- 
ria, he directed his march foutliward alcng the Phoeni¬ 
cian’ coaft. Aradiis, Marathus, and Sidoii, readily 
opened their g.ites. The Tyrians fent a fubmifllve eni- 
baffy of their moft illuftrious . citizens, among vvlioin 
was the fon of Azelmicus, their king, who had himfeif 
embarked with Autopliradates in the Perfian fleet. 
They liumbly informed Alexander, tliat the commu¬ 
nity from which they came, was prepared to obey his 
commands.. Having complimented the city and the 
anibafl'adors, he deftred them to acquaint their country¬ 
men, that he intended fliortly to enter Tyre, and to 
perform facrifice there to Hercules. Upon tliis intelli¬ 
gence, tlie Tyrians difcovered equal firnlnefs and refo- 
lution. A fecund enibaffy affured Alexander of their 
unalterable relpect, but at the fame-lime communicated 
to liini tlieir determination, that neither the Perfians nor 
tlie Macedonians fhonld ever enter their walls. This 
magnanimity appears remarkable in a nation of mei- 
cliants, long unaccuflonied to war. But the refources 
of tlieir wealth and commerce feemed to liave elevated 
the courage, infread of Ibftening the charadler, of. the 
Tyrians. Their city, which, in the language of the 
eaft, w'as flyled the eldefi: daughter of Sidon, Jiad long- 
reigned queen of the fea. It was feparated from tlie 
continent by a frith half a mile broad ; its walls ex¬ 
ceeded an hundred feet in height, and extended eigh¬ 
teen miles in circumference. The convenience of its 
filnatioii, the capacioufaefs of its harbour, and the in¬ 
genuity of its inhabitants, rendered it the commercial 
capital of the world. 
Notwitliflanding the flrength of the city, Alexander 
determined on tlie fiege of Tyre. The prfl operation 
whicli lie diredted, was to run a mole from the conti¬ 
nent to the walls of that city, where tlte fea was about 
tliree fathoms deep. The neceflity of this ineafilre 
arole from the imperfection of the battering engines of 
antiquity, which had little power, except at fniall dif- 
tances. On the fide of the continent, tiie work was 
carried on witli great alacrity; while the combined 
fleets effedtually co-operated by fea. The ilfue of thefe 
operations, in the year before Clirifl; 332, decided the 
fate of Tyre. Arnidlt repeated affaults, tlie'befiegers 
difplayed the ardour of entliufiafni, the belieged the, 
fury of defpair. From wooden towers, eredfed equal 
in height to the walls, the Greeks and Macedonians 
fought hand to hand with the enemy. By throwing 
fpontoons acrofs, the bravefl; fometiines pafled over, 
even to the battlements. In other parts, the Tyrians 
fuccefsfully employed hooks and grappling-irons to re¬ 
move the ad'ailants. On thofe who attempted fealing- 
ladders, they poured velTels of burning fand, which pe¬ 
netrated ro the bone.- The vigour of the attack was 
oppofed by as vigorous a refinance. The flioek of tiie 
battering engines was deadened by green hides and co¬ 
verlets of wool, and wlienever an opening was efl'edted, 
the bravefl: combatants advanced to defend the breach. 
But time and fatigue, which exliaufied the vigour of 
the enemy, only confirmed the perfeverance of Alexan¬ 
der. While the engines alfailed the walls, the fleer, di¬ 
vided into two fqiiadrons, attacked the oppofite har¬ 
bours. A wide breach being elfefted, Alexander com¬ 
manded the hulks, which carried the engines, to retire, 
and others, bearing the fcaling-ladders, to advance, 
that his I'oldiers might enter the town over the ruins. 
The 
