is most likely, the Saracens of Spain first brought it out of the East into that country; of which Galicia being a province, it might from thence, according to Mr Ray, have been firft brought into Germany: but it muft have been much earlier than the time he says. Ptolemy the aftronomer being an Egyptian, and a native of Alexandria, begins the reign of Alexander over the Eaft from the building of this city. And here ends the reign of Darius and the Perfian empire; and therefore I will here also end this book. THE THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT CONNECTED, IN THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS AND NEIGHBOURING NATIONS, FROM The Declenfion of the Kingdoms of ISRAEL and JUDAH, BOOK VIII. LEXANDER, while he wintered at Memphis, fettled the affairs of Egypt. The a military com Anno 331. Alexander 1. mand he entrusted only with his Macedonians, dividing the country into feveral districts, under each of which he placed lieutenants, independent of each other, not thinking it safe to commit the whole military power of that large and populous country into one man's hands. But the civil government he placed wholly in Doloafpes an Egyptian for his intentions being, that the country should still be governed by its own laws and usages, he thought a native, who was best acquainted with them, the propereft for this charge. And that the finishing of his new city Alexandria (fo called from his name) might be carried on with the more expedition and fuccefs, he appointed Cleomenes to be his supervisor in that work, who continued many years in this charge; and hence it is, that R 2 Arrian. lib. 3. Q. Curtius, lib. 4. c. 8. Arrian, & Q. Curtius, ibidem. Ariftotelis Oeconom, lib. 2. in d in a Juftin he is faid to be the founder of that city. He was of Naucratis, a Grecian city in Egypt, there built by a colony of the Milefians in times long before paft. Alexander alfo did fet him over the tribute of Arabia; but, being a very wicked man, he abused both these trufts, to the great oppreffion of all that were under him, till at length he received the just reward of all his evil deeds in an ignominious death: for Ptolemy, after he had poffeffed himself of Egypt, finding him plotting againft him for the intereft of Perdiccas, caufed him to be executed for it. There is extant a letter of Alexander's to him of a very odd na ture: for therein commanding him, on the death of Hepheftion, to build two temples to that favourite, one in Alexandria, and the other in the island of Pharus adjoining, to excite his dili gence herein, he promifeth him fuch a pardon, as the pope of ten gives to his deluded votaries, that is, of all his evil deeds, past, present, and to come. But this did not fave him from the juft vengeance which Providence at length, by the hand of Ptolemy, brought upon him for all his wicked and unjuft actions. с When Alexander had thus difpofed of all matters in Egypt, the fpring drawing on, he haftened towards the Eaft to find out Darius. In the way, on his returning to Paleftine, he had an account from thence which very much difpleafed him. On his going from that country into Egypt, he had made Andromachus, a fpecial favourite of his, governor of Syria and Palestine; fon whofe coming to Samaria, to fettle fome matters there, the Samaritans mutinied against him, and, rifing in a tumult, fet fire to the house in which he was, and burnt him to death. This, it is fuppofed, they did out of a rage and difcontent that thofe privileges fhould be denied them which were granted to their enemies the Jews; whereas, by their fervices to Alexander, efpecially at the fiege of Tyre, they thought they had merited much more from him than the other, who had then denied him their affiftance. Alexander, being exceedingly exafperated hereby against that people, as the fact fufficiently deferved, caused all that had acted any part in this murder to be put to death, and drove all the reft out of the city of Samaria, planting there, instead of them, a colony of his Macedonians, and giving their other territories to the Jews. Thofe that furvi ved this calamity retired to Shechem, under Mount Gerizim; and from this time that place became the head feat of this people, Juftin. lib. 13. C. 4. d Paufanias in Atticis. e Arrian. lib. 7. 6 Arrian. lib. 3. f Q. Curtius, lib. 4. c. 8. Eufebii Chron. p. 177. Cedrenus. Jofephus contra Apionem, lib. 2. people, and the metropolis of the Samaritan fect, and fo continues even to this day. And whereas 8000 Samaritans had joined him at Tyre, and followed his camp ever fince, that they might not, on their return, revive this mutirous temper of their countrymen, to the creating of new difturbances, a he fent them into Thebais, the remoteft province of Egypt, and fettled them on fuch lands as he there caused to be divided unto them. On Alexander's return into Phoenicia, he ftaid some time at Tyre, that he might there fettle the affairs of those countries which he was to leave behind him before he did fet forward to acquire more. And, when he had there ordered all matters as he thought fit, he marched with his whole army to Thapfacus, and, having there paffed the Euphrates, directed his courfe towards the Tigris, in queft of the enemy. Darius, in the interim, having folicited Alexander for peace three feveral times, and finding, by his anfwers, that none was to be expected from him but on the terms of yielding to him the whole empire, applied himself to provide for another battle; in order whereto, he got together at Babylon a numerous army, it being by one half bigger than that with which he fought at Iffus, and from thence took the field with it, and marched towards Nineveh. Thither Alexander followed after him, and, having paffed the Tigris, got up with him at a small village called Gaugamela; where it came to a decifive battle between them; in which Alexander, with 50,000 men (for that was the utmost of his number at that battle), vanquished the vast army of the Perfians, which was above 20 times as big, and this in an open plain country, without having the advantage of ftraits to fecure his flanks, as in the battle of Iffus: and hereby the fate of the Perfian empire was determined; for none after this could to any purpose inake head against him, but all were forced to submit to the conqueror; and he thenceforth became abfolute lord of that empire in the utmost extent in which it was ever poffeffed by any of the Perfian kings. And hereby was fully accomplished all that which, in the prophecies of Daniel, was foretold concerning him. This battle happened in the month of October, much about the fame time of the year in which was fought the battle of Iffus two years before; and the place where it was fought was Gaugamela in Affyria; but that being a finall village, and of no note, they would not denominate fo famous a battle from fo contemptible a place, but called it the battle of Arbela, because that was the R 3 next Jofeph. Antiq. lib. 11. c. 8. b Plutarch. in Alexandro. Q. Curtius, lib. 4. c. 8. Arrian. lib. 3Diodor. Sic. lib. 17. Darius had in this battle about 1,100,000. ₫ Daniel vii. 6. & viii. 5. 6. 7. 20. 21. & x. 20. & xi. 3. next town of any note, though it were at the distance of above twelve miles from the field where the blow was ftruck.. Darius, after this defeat, a fled into Media, intending from thence, and the reft of the northern provinces of his empire, to draw together other forces for the farther trial of his fortune in another battle. Alexander pursued him as far as Arbela; but, before his arrival thither, he was, by the quickness of his flight, got out of his reach. However, he there took his treafure, and his royal equipage and furniture, which was of vaft value, and then returned to his camp; where, having allowed his army fuch time of reft as was neceffary for their refreshment after the fatigue of the battle, he marched towards Babylon. Mazæus was governor of that city and the province belonging to it, and had been one of Darius's generals in the late battle; where, after the defeat, having gathered together as many of the fcattered forces of the Perfians as he could, he retreated with them to that place. But, on Alexander's approach with his victorious army, he had not the courage to ftand out against him; but, going forth to meet him, furrendered himself and all under his charge to him; and Bagaphanes, the governor of the castle, where the greatest part of Darius's treasure was kept, did the fame; and both acted herein as if they were at ftrife which of them fhould be moft forward to caft off their old master and receive the new. After 30 days tarrying in that city, he continued Mazæus, for the reward of his treachery, in the government of the province; but, placing a Macedonian in the command of the caftle, he took Bagaphanes along with him, and marched to Sufa, and from thence, after the taking of that city, to Persepolis, the capital of the empire, carrying victory with him over all the provinces and places in the way. Arriving at Pertepolis about the middle of December, he gave the city to be facked by his army, referving only the caftle and palace to hin.felf. Hence followed a vaft flaughter upon the inhabitants, and all other barbarities which in this cafe ufe to be acted by foldiers let loofe to their rage and licentioufnefs. This city being the metropolis of the Perfian empire, and that which of all others bore the greatest enmity to Greece, he did this, he said, to execute the revenge of Greece upon it. After the cruelty of this execution was over, leaving Parmenio and Craterus in the place with the greateft part of his forces, he made a range with the reft over the neighbouring countries, and, having reduced them all to a fubmiffion to him, returned again to Perfepolis, after 30 days, and there took up his winter quarters. While a Plutarch. in Alexandro. Q. Curtius, lib. 5. Arrian. lib. 3. Diodor Sic. lib. 17. |