washed him, and threw over his shoulders a purple robe, richly embroidered with gold; then, after repeated oaths of their being in earnest, they conducted him to the palace.

The news of this was immediately spread over the whole city. Most of the inhabitants were overjoyed at it, but some mur mured, especially the rich, who despising Abdolonymus's former abject state, could not forbear showing their resentments upon that account in the king's court. Alexander commanded the new-elected prince to be sent for and, after surveying him attentively a long time, spoke thus: "Thy † air and mien do not contradict what is related of "thy extraction; but I should be glad to know with what "frame of mind thou didst bear thy poverty."—"Would to the gods, replied he, "that I may bear this crown with equal patience. These hands have procured me all I desired; and whilst I possessed nothing, I wanted nothing." This answer gave Alexander an high idea of Abdolcnymus's Virtue; so that he presented him not only with all the rich furniture which had belonged to Strato, and part of the Persian plunder, but likewise annexed one of the neighbouring provinces to his dominions.

*Syria and Phoenicia were already subdued by the Macedonians, the city of Tyre excepted. This city was justly entitled the Queen of the Sea, that element bringing to it the tribute of all nations. She boasted her having first invented navigation, and taught mankind the art of braving the wind and waves by the assistance of a frail bark. The happy situation of Tyre, the conveniency and extent of its ports, the character of its inhabitants, who were industrious, laborious, patient, and extremely courteous to strangers, invited thither merchants from all parts of the globe; so that it might be considered, not so much as a city belonging to any particular nation, as the common city of all nations, and the centre of their commerce.

Upon Alexander's advancing towards it, the Tyrians sent him an embassy with presents for himself, and refreshments for his army. They were willing to have him for their friend, but not for their master; so that when he discovered

+ Corporis, inquit, habitus, famæ generis non repugnat. Sed libet fcire, inopiam qua paticntia tuleris. Tum ille; utinam, inquit, eodem animo regnum pati poffim! He manus fuffecere defiderio Nihil habenti, nihil defuit. Q. Curt.

meo.

The thought is beautiful and juft. He confiders the regal power as a burden more difficult to be borne than poverty; regnum paci." Diod. L. xvii. p. 518, 525---Arrian, 1. ii. p. 8---100. Plut. in Alex. p. 678, 679, Q. Curt. 1. iv. c. 2, 3, 4. Juftin, 1. xi. c. 10.

a desire of entering their city, in order to offer a sacrifice to Hercules, its tutelar god, they refused him admission. But this conqueror, after gaining so many victories, had too high an heart to put up such an affront, and thereupon was resolved to force them to it by a siege, which they, on the other side, were determined to sustain with the utmost vigour. The spring was now coming on. Tyre was at that time seated in an island of the sea, about a quarter of a t league from the continent. It was surrounded with a strong wall 150 feet high, which the waves of the sea washed; and the Carthaginians, a colony from Tyre, a mighty people, and sovereigns of the ocean, whose ambassadors were at that time in the city offering to Hercules, according to ancient custom, an annual sacrifice, had engaged themselves to succour the Tyrians. It was this made them so haughty. Firmly determined not to surrender, they fix machines on the ramparts and on the towers, arm their young men, and build workhouses for the artificers, of whom there were great numbers in the city; so that every part resounded with the noise of warlike preparations. They likewise cast iron grapples, to throw on the enemy's works, and tear them away; as also cramp irons, and such like instruments, invented for the defence of cities.

Alexander imagined that there were essential reasons why he should possess himself of Tyre. He was sensible that he could not invade Egyt easily, so long as the Persians should be masters of the sea; nor pursue Darius with safety, in case he should leave behind him so large an extent of country, the inhabitants of which were either enemies, or suspected to be so. He likewise was afraid, least some insurrection should break out in Greece; and that his enemies, after having retaken in his absence the maritime cities of Asia Minor, and increased their fleet, would make his country the seat of war, during his being employed in pursuing Darius in the plains of Babylon. These apprehensions were the more justly grounded, as the Lacedæmonians had declared openly against him, and the Athenians sided with him more out of fear than affection. But, that in case he should conquer Tyre, all Phoenicia being then subject to him, he would be able to dispossess the Persians of half their naval army, which consisted of the fleet of that province, and would soon make himself master of the island of Cyprus and of Egypt, which could not resist him the instant he was become master at sea.

On the other side, one would have imagined that, according to all the rules of war, Alexander, after the battle of Is+ Four furlongs.

sns, ought to have pursued Darius vigorously, and neither given him an opportunity of recovering from the fright into which his defeat had thrown him, nor allowed him time to raise a new army; the success of the enterprise, which ap-` peared infallible, being the only thing that could make him formidable and superior to all his enemies. Add to this, that in case Alexander should not be able to take this city, which was not very unlikely, he would discredit his own arms,would lose the fruit of his victories, and prove to the enemy that he was net invincible. But God, who had appointed this monarch to chastise the pride of Tyre, as will be seen hereafter, did not once permit these thoughts to enter his mind, but determined him to lay siege to the place, in spite of all the difficulties which opposed so hazardous a design, and the many reasons which should have prompted him to pursue quite different measures.

It was impossible to come near this city in order to storm it, without making a bank which should reach from the continent to the island; and an attempt of this kind would be attended with difficulties that were seemingly insurmountable. The little arm of the sea, which separated the island from the continent, was exposed to the west wind, which often raised such dreadful storms there, that the waves would in an instant sweep away all works. Besides, as the city was surrounded on all sides by the sea, there was no fixing scaling-ladders, nor throwing up batteries, but at a distance in the ships; and the wall, which projected into the sea towards the lower part, prevented people from landing; not to mention that the military engines, which might have been put on board the galleys, could not do much execution, the waves were so very tumultuous..

But nothing was capable of checking or vanquishing the resolution of Alexander, who was determined to carry the city at any rate. However, as the few vessels he possessed lay at a great distance from him, and the siege of so strong a place might possibly last a long time, and so retard his other enterprises; he thought proper to endeavour an accommodation. Accordingly he sent heralds, who proposed a peace between Alexander and their city; but these the Tyrians killed, contrary to the law of nations and threw them from the top of the walls into the sea. Alexander, exasperated at so cruel an outrage formed a resolution at once, and employed his whole attention in raising a dyke. He found in the ruins of old Tyre, which stood on the continent, and was called PalaTyros, materials to make piers, taking all the stones and rubbish from it. Mount Libanus, which was not far dis

tant from it, so famous in scripture for its cedars, furnished him with wood for piles, and other timber-work.

The soldiers began the pier with great alacrity, being animated by the presence of their sovereign, who himself gave out all the cedars; and who,* knowing perfectly how to in sinuate himself into, and gain the affections of his troops, excited some by praises, and others by slight reprimands, intermixed with kind expressions, and softened by promises. At first they advanced with pretty great speed, the piles being easily drove into the slime, which served as mortar for the stones; and as the place where these works were carrying on was at some distance from the city, they went on without interruption. But the farther they went from the shore, the greater difficulties they met with; because the sea was deeper, and the workmen were very much annoyed by the darts discharged from the top of the walls. The enemy, who were masters of the sea, coming forward in great boats, and razing every part of the dyke, prevented the Macedonians from carrying it on with vigour. Then adding insults to their attacks, they cried aloud to Alexander's soldiers, "that it was a noble sight to see those conquerors "whose names were so renowned all the world over, carry ing burdens on their backs like so many beasts.". And they would afterwards ask them, in a contemptuous tone of voice, "whether Alexander were greater than Neptune; "and if they pretended to prevail over that god?"

But these taunts did but inflame the courage of the soldiers. At last the bank appeared above water, began to show a level of a considerable breadth, and to approach the city. Then the besieged perceiving with terror the vastness of the work, which the sea had till then kept from their sight, came in their ship-boats in order to view the bank, which was not yet very firm. These boats were full of slingers, bowmen, and others who hurled javelins, and even fire, and being spread to the right and left about the bank, they shot on all sides upon the workmen, several of whom were wounded; it not being possible for them to ward off the blows, because of the great ease and swiftness with which the boats moved backwards and forwards; so that they were obliged to leave the work to defend themselves. It was therefore resolved, that skins and sails should be spread to cover the workmen ; and that two wooden towers should be raised at the head of the bank, to prevent the approaches of the enemy.

On the other side, the Tyrians made a descent on the *Haud quaquam rudis tractandi militares animos. Q. Curt.

shore, out of the view of the camp, where they landed some soldiers, who cut to pieces those that carried the stones; and on Mount Libanus there also. were some Arabian peasants, who meeting the Macedonians straggling up and down killed near thirty of them, and took very near the same number. These small losses obliged Alexander to separate his troops into differens bodies.

The besieged, in the mean time, employed every inven tion, every stratagem that could be found, to ruin the enemy's works. They took a transport-vessel, and filling it with brushes, and such like dry materials, made a large inclosure near the prow, wherein they threw all these things, with sulphur, and pitch, and other combustible matters. In the middle of this inclosure they set up two masts, to each of which they fixed two sail-yards, on which were hung kettles full ofeil, and such like unctuous substances. They afterwards loaded the hinder part of the vessel with stones and sand, in order to raise the prow; and taking advantage of a favourable wind, they towed it to sea by the assistance of their galleys. As soon as they were come near the towers, they set fire to the vessel in question, and drew it towards the point or extremity of the bank. In the mean time the sailors, who were in it, leaped into the sea, and swam away. Immediately the fire catched, with great violence, the towers, and the rest of the works which were at the head of the bank; and then the sail-yards being drove backwards and forwards, threw oil upon the fire, which very much increased the flame. But to prevent the Macedonians from extinguishing it, the Tyrians, who were in their galleys, were perpetually hurling at the towers fiery darts and burning torches, insomuch that there was no approaching them. Several Macedonians lost their lives in a miserable manner on the bank; being either shot through with arrows, or burned to death; whilst others, throwing down their arms, leaped into the sea. But as they were swimming away, the Tyrians, choosing to take them alive rather than kill them, maimed their hands with clubs and stones; and after disabling them, carried them off. At the same time the besieged, coming out of the city in little boats, beat down the edges of the bank, tore up its stakes, and burned the rest of the engines.

Alexander, though he saw most of his designs defeated, and his works demolished, was not at all dejected upon that account. His soldiers endeavoured, with redoubled vigour, to repair the ruins of the bank; and made and planted new machines with so prodigious a speed, as quite astonished the enemy. Alexander himself was present on all occasions