*This lady, as a testimony of the deep sense she had of the favours received from Alexander, sent him every day meats dressed in the most exquisite manner; delicious pies of all sorts, and the most excellent cooks of every kind. Alexander answered the queen' on this occasion, "that all this "train was of no service to him, for that he was possessed of much better cooks, whom Leonidas his governor had "given him; one of whom prepared him a good dinner, "and that was by walking a great deal in the morning very "early and the other prepared him an excellent supper, "and that was dining very moderately?

Several kings of Asia Minor submitted voluntarily to Alexander. Mithridates, king of Pontus, was one of these who afterwards adhered to this prince, and followed him in his expeditions. He was son to Ariobarzanes, governor of Phrygia, and king of Pontus, of whom mention has been made elsewhere. He is computed to be the 16th king from Artabazus, who is considered as the founder of that kingdom, of which he was put in possession by Darius, son of Hystaspes his father. The famous Mithridates, who so long employed the Roman armies, was one of his successors.

Alexander, before he went into winter-quarters, permitted all such of his soldiers as had married that year, to return into Macedonia, there to spend the winter with their wives, upon condition that they would return in the spring. He appointed three officers to march them thither and back again. This agrees exactly with the law of Moses; and, as we do not find that this law or custom was used by any other nation, it is very probable that Aristotle had learned it from some Jew with whom he became acquainted in Asia, and that approving it as a very wise and just custom, he therefore had recommended it to his pupil, who remem bered it on this occasion:

The next year Alexander began the campaign very early. He had debated whether it would be proper for him to march directly against Darius, or should first subdue the rest of the maritime provinces. The latter opinion appeared the safest, since he thereby would not be molested by such nations as he should leave behind him. His progress was a little interrupted at first. Near Phaselis, a city situated between Lycia and Pamphylia, is a defile along the sea shore, which is always dry at low water, so that travellers may pass it that time; but when the sea rises, it is all under water. As it was now winter, Alexander, whom nothing could daunt, was desirous of passing it before the waters fell. His forces *Plat. in Alex. p. 67, Florus. I. iii. c. s. Deut, xxiv, 5 5 Strab le xiv. p. 6661

Alexander, after having settled affairs in Cilicia and Pamphylia, marched his army to Celana, a city of Phrygia, watered by the river Marsyas, which the fictions of poets have made so famous. He summoned the garrison of the citadel, whither the inhabitants were retired, to surrender; but these believing it impregnable, answered haughtily that they would first die. However, finding the attack carried on with great vigour, they desired a truce of 60 days, at the expiration of which they promised to open their gates, in case they were not succoured. And accordingly no aid arriving, they surrendered themselves upon the day fixed..

From thence the king marched into Phrygia, the capital t of which was called Gordion, the ancient and famous residence of king Midas, situated on the river Sangatius. Hav. ing taken the city, he was desirous of seeing the famous

This knot,

charriot to which the Gordion knot was tied. which fastened the yoke to the beam, was tied with so much art, and the strings were twisted in so wonderful a manner, that it was impossible to discover where it began or ended. According to an ancient traditions of the country, an oracle had foretold, that the man who could untie it should possess the empire of Asia. Now Alexander was firmly persuaded that this promise related to himself. After niany fruitless trials, he cried, "it is no matter which way it be untied," and thereupon he cut it with his sword, and by that means, says the historian, either eluded or fulfilled the oracle.*

In the mean time Darius was setting every engine at work, in order to make a vigorous defence. Memnon, the Rhodian, advised him to carry the war into Macedonia, which comsel seemed the most proper to extricate him from present danger; for the Lacedemonians, and several other Greek nations, who had no affection for the Macedonians, would have been rendy to join him; by which nieans Alexander must have been forced to leave Asia, and return' suddenly over-sea to defend his own country. Darius ap-proved this counsel, and having determined to follow it, charged Memnon to put it in execution. Accordingly, he was declared adnival of the fleet, and captain general of all the forces designed for that expedition.

That prisce could not possibly have made a better choice. Memnon was the ablest general in his service, and had fought a great many years under the Persian standards with the utmost fidelity. Had his advice been taken, the battle of the Granicus had not been fought. He did not abandon his master's interests after that misfortune, but had assem bled the scattered remains of the ariny, and immediately. went first to Miletos, from thence to Halicarnassus, and lastly into the island of Cos, where he was when he receiv ed his new commission. This place was the rendezvous of the fleets; and lemon was now meditating' wholly upon the manner how to put his design in execution. He made himself master of the Island of Chios, and all Lesbos," the city of Mitylene excepted. From thence he was preparing to pass over into Euboea, and to make Greece and Macedo nia the seat of the war, but died before Mitylene, which city he hadbeen forced to besiege. His death was the greatest misfortune that could possibly have happened to Persia. We see on this occasion the inestimable worth of a man of merit, whose death is sometimes tlie rum of a state. The loss of Memnon frustrated the execution of the plant he had formeds

• Sortem praculi vel elußt, vel implevit. Quint. Curt.

for Darius not having one general in his army who was able to supply Memnon's place, abandoned entirely the only enterprise which could have saved his empire. His whole refuge therefore now lay in the armies of the east. Darius, dissatisfied with all his generals, resolved to command in person, and appointed Babylon for the rendezvous of his ar my; where, upon being mustered, they were found to be about 4, 5, or 600,000 men, for historians differ very much on this head.

Alexander having left Gordion, marched into Paphlagonia and Cappadocia, which he subdued. It was there he heard of Memnon's death, the news whereof confirmed him in the resolution he had taken of marching immediately into the provinces of Upper Asia. Accordingly he advanced by hasty marches into Cilicia, and arrived in the country called *Cyrus' Camp. From thence there is no more than 50 stadia (two leagues and an half each) to the pass of Cilicia, which is a very narrow strait, through which travellers are obliged to go from Cappadocia to Tarsus. The officer

who guarded it in Darius' name had left but few soldiers in it, and those fled the instant they heard of the enemy's arival. Upon this Alexander entered the pass, and after viewing very attentively the situation of the place, he admired his own good fortune; and confessed, that he might have been very easily stopped and defeated there, merely by the throwing of stones: for, not to mention that this pass was so narrow, that four men compleatly armed could scarcely walk a-breast in it, the top of the mountain hung over the road, which was not only strait, but broke in several places by the torrents from the mountains.

Alexander marched his whole army to the city of Tarsus, where it arrived the instant the Persians, were setting fire to that place, to prevent his plundering the. great riches of so flourishing a city. But Parmenio, whom the king had sent thither with a detachment of horse, arrived very sear sonably to stop the progress of the fire, and marched into the city which he saved; the barbarians having fied the moment they heard of his arrival..

Through this city the Cydnus runs, a river not so remarkable for the breadth of the channel, as for the beauty of its waters, which were vastly limpid, but at the same time excessively cold, because of the tufted trees banks are overshadowed. It was how about with which, its

end of sum

Quintus Curtius supposes it to be so called from Cyrus the Great and Arrian from the younger Cyrus, which opinion appears the must probable,

mer, which is excessively hot in Cilicia, and in the hottest part of the day, when the king, who was quite covered with sweat and dirt, arriving on its banks, had a mind to bathe in that river, invited the by beauty and clearness of the stream. However, the instant he plunged into it, he was seized with so violent a shivering, that all the standers-by fancied he was dying. Upon this he was carried to his tent, after fainting away. The news of this sad disaster threw the whole army into the utmost consternation. They all burst into tears,and breathed their plaints in the following words: "The greatest prince that ever lived is torn from us in the "midst of his prosperities and conquests; not in a battle, or at the storming of a city; but dies by his bathing in a river. "Darius, who is coming up with us, will conquer before he "has seen his enemy. We shall be forced to retire like so many fugitives, through those very countries which we en"tered with triumph. As the places through which we

must pass are either desert or depopulated, hunger only, “should we meet no other enemy, will itself destroy us. But "who shall guide us in our flight, or dare to set himself up in "Alexander's stead? And should we be so happy as to ar

rive at the Hellespont, how shall we furnish ourselves with "vessels to cross it?" After this, directing their whole thoughts to the prince, and forgetting themselves, they cried aloud, "alas! how sad is it that he who was our king, and the champion of our toils; a king in the flower of his youth, and in the course of his greatest prosperities, should "be taken off, and in a manner torn from our arms

At last the king recovered his senses by degrees, and began to know the persons who stood round him; though the only symptoms he gave of his recovery was, his being sen sible of his illness. But he was more indisposed in mind than in body, for news was brought that Darius might soon arrive. Alexander bewailing perpetually his hard fate, in being thus exposed, naked and defenceless to his enemy, and robbed of so noble a victory, since he was now reduced to the melancholy condition of dying obscurely in his tent, and far from having attained the glory he had promised himself. Having ordered his confidents and physicians to come into his tent, "you see,said he, my friends, the sad extremity to which "fortune reduces me. Methinks I already hear the sound of "the enemy's arms, and see Dariùs advancing. He un

doubtedly held intelligence with my evil genius, when he

Darius, who imagined himself sure of overcoming Alexander, had writ to his lieutenants, that they should chastise this young fool; and after clothing him in purple out of derision, should send him Bouad hand and foot to the court. Freinsham in Quint. Curt.