66

"sudden a change, you will teach posterity, that, when once men abandon themselves to the delusion of fortune, "she erases from their minds all the seeds of goodness implanted in them by nature." Darius soon repented his having put to death so valuable a person; and experienced, but too late, the truth of all he had told him.

The king advanced with his troops towards the Euphrates. It was a custom, long used by the Persians, never to set out upon a march till after sunrise, at which time the trumpet was sounded for that purpose from the king's tent. Over this tent was exhibited to the view of the whole army the image of the sun set in crystal. The order they observed in their march was this.

First, were carried silver altars, on which there lay the fire, called by them sacred and eternal; and these were followed by the Magi, singing hymns, after the manner of their country. They were accompanied by 365 youths, (agreeably to the number of days in a year,) clothed in purple robes. Afterwards came a car consecrated to a Jupiter, drawn by white horses, and followed by a courser of a prodigious size, to which they gave the name of the sun's horse; and the equerries were dressed in white, each having a golden rod in his hand.

Ten chariots, adorned with sculptures in gold and silver, followed after. Then marched a body of horse, composed of 12 nations, whose manners and customs were various, and all armed in a different manner. Next advanced those whom the Persians called The immortals, amounting to 10, 000, who surpassed the rest of the Barbarians in the sumptuousness of their apparel. They all wore golden collars, were clothed in robes of gold tissue, with surtouts (having sleeves to them) quite covered with precious stones.

Thirty paces from them followed those called the king's cousins, or relations, to the number of 15,000, in habits very much resembling those of women, and more remarkable for the vain pomp of their dress than the glitter of their arms.

Those called the c Doryphori came after; they carried the king's cloak, and walked before his chariot, in which he appeared seated as on a high throne. This chariot was enriched on both sides with images of the gods in gold and silver; and, from the middle of the yoke, which was covered with jewels, rose two statues, a cubit in height, the one representing War, the other Peace, having a golden eagle between them with wings extended, as ready to take its flight,

a Jupiter was a god unknown to the Persians. Quintus Curtius, therefore, in all probability, calls the first and greatest of their gods by that name

6 This was a title of dignity. Possibly a great number of the king's relations, were in this body.

These were guards who carried half a pike.

a

But nothing could equal the magnificence of the king. He was clothed in a vest of purple, striped with silver, and over it a long robe glittering all over with gold and precious stones, that represented two falcons rushing from the clouds, and pecking at one another. Around his waist he wore a a golden girdle, after the manner of women, whence his scimetar hung, the scabbard of which flamed all over with gems. On his head he wore a tiara, or mitre, round which was a fillet of blue mixed with white.

On each side of him walked 200 of his nearest relations, followed by 10,000 pike men, whose pikes were adorned with silver, and tipped with gold; and lastly, 30,000 infantry, who composed the rear-guard. These were followed by the king's horses, (400 in number), all which were led.

About 100 or 120 paces from thence came Sysigambis, Darius's mother, seated on a chariot, and his consort on ano ther, with the several female attendants of both queens riding on horseback. Afterwards came 15 large chariots, in which were the king's children, and those who had the care of their education, with a band of eunuchs, who are to this day in great esteem with those nations. Then marched the concubines, to the number of 360, in the equipage of queens, followed by 600 mules and 300 camels, which carried the king's treasure, and were guarded by a great body of archers. After these came the wives of the crown-officers, and of the greatest lords of the court; then the sutlers and servants of the army, seated also in chariots.

In the rear was a body of light-armed troops, with their commanders, who closed the whole march.

Would not the reader believe, that he had been reading the description of a tournament, not the march of an army? Could he imagine that princes of the least reason would have been so stupid as to incorporate with their forces so cumbersome a train of women, princesses, concubines, eunuchs, and domestics of both sexes? But the custom of the country was reason sufficient. Darius, at the head of 600,000 men, and surrounded with this mighty pomp, prepared for himself only, fancied he was great, and formed still higher notions of himself. Yet should we reduce him to his just proportion and his personal worth, how little would he appear! But he is not the only one in this way of thinking and of whom we may form the same judgment. But it is time for us to bring the two monarchs to blows.

a Cidaris,

SECT. V.

Alexander gains a famous victory over Darius, near the city of Issus. The consequences of that victory.

a

For the clearer understanding of Alexander's march and that of Darius, and the better fixing the situation of the spot where the second battle was fought, we must distinguish three defiles, or passes. The first of these is immediately at the descent from mount Taurus, in the way to the city of Tarsus, through which, as has been already seen, Alexander marched from Cappadocia into Cilicia. The second is the pass of Cilicia, or Syria, leading from Cilicia into Syria; and the third is the pass of Amanus, so called from that mountain. This pass, which leads into Cilicia from Assyria, is much higher than the pass of Syria northward.

Alexander had detached Parmenio, with part of the army, to seize the pass of Syria, in order to secure a free passage for his army. As for himself, after marching from Tarsus, he arrived, the next day, at Anchiala, a city which Sardanapalus is said to have built. His tomb was still to be seen in that city, with this inscription, Sardanapalus built Anchiala and Tarsus in one day: GO PASSENGER, EAT, DRINK, AND REJOICE, FOR THE REST IS NOTHING. From hence he came to Sola, where he offered sacrifices to Esculapius in gratitude for the recovery of his health. Alexander himself headed the ceremony with lighted tapers, followed by the whole army, and he there solemnized games; after which he returned to Tarsus. Having commanded Philotas to march the cavalry through the plains of Aleius, towards the river Pyramus, he himself went with the infantry and his life-guards to Magarsus, whence he arrived at Malles, and afterwards at Castabala. Advice had been brought him, that Darius, with his whole army, was encamped at Sochus, in Assyria, two days journey from Cilicia. Alexander held a council of war upon that news; when all his generals and officers entreating him to march towards Darius, he set out the next day to give him battle. Parmenio had taken the little city of Issus, and, after possessing himself of the pass of Syria, had left a body of forces to secure it. The king left the sick in Issus, marched his whole army through the pass, and encamped near the city of Myriandrus, where the badness of the weather obliged him to halt.

In the mean time Darius was in the plains of Assyria, of great extent. The Grecian commanders who were in his

a A. M. 3671. Ant. J. C. 333.

b Diod. I. xvii. p. 512-518. Arrian. 1. f. p. 66-82. Plut. in Alex. p- 675, 676. Q. Curt. 1. iij. c. 4–12. Justin, I. xi. c. 9 et 10.

service, and formed the chief strength of his army, advised him to wait there the coming up of the enemy. For, besides that this spot was open on all sides and very advantagecus for his horse, it was spacious enough to contain his vastly numerous host with all the baggage and other things belonging to the army. However, if he should not approve of their counsel, they then advised him to separate this multitude, and select such only as were the flower of his troops, and, consequently, not venture his whole army upon a single battle, which, perhaps, might be decisive. However, the courtiers, with whom the courts of monarchs, as Arrian ob-` serves, for ever abound, called these Greeks an unfaithful nation and venal wretches; and hinted to Darius, that the only motive of their counselling the king to divide his troops was, that, after they should once be separated from the rest, they might have an easier opportunity of delivering up. into the enemy's hands whatever might be in their power; but that the safest way would be to surround them with the whole army and cut them to pieces, as an illustrious example of the punishment due to traitors. This proposal was shocking to Darius, who was naturally of a very mild and humane disposition. He therefore answered, "That he was far from ever designing to commit so horrible a crime; that, should he be guilty of it, no nation would afterwards give the least credit to his promises; that it was never "known that a person had been put to death for giving imprudent counsel; that no man would ever venture to give "his opinion if it were attended with such danger, a circum<6 stance that would be of the most fatal consequence to princes." He then thanked the Greeks for their zeal and good-will, and condescended to lay before them the reasons. which prompted him not to follow their advice.

The courtiers had persuaded Darius, that Alexander's. long delay in coming up with them was a proof and an effect of the terror with which the approach of the Persian army had filled him (for they had not heard a word of his. indisposition;) that fortune, merely for their sake, had led Alexander into defiles and narrow passes, whence it would be impossible for him to get out in case they should fall upon him immediately; that they ought to sieze this favourable. opportunity for fear the enemy should fly, by which means Alexander would escape them. Upon this it was resolved, in council, that the army should march in search of him; the gods, says a "historian, blinding the eyes of that prince, that he might rush down the precipice they had prepared

Neminem stolidum consilium capite luere debere; defuturos enim qui su nt si suasisse periculum esset. Q. Curt.

b Arrian.

for him, and thereby make way for the destruction of the Persian monarchy.

Darius, having sent his treasure, with his most precious effects, to Damascus, a city of Syria, under a small convoy, marched the main body of the army towards Cilicia and entered it by the pass of Amanus, which lies far above the passes of Syria. His queen and mother, with the princesses, his daughters, and the little prince, his son, followed the army, according to the custom of the Persians, but were in the camp during the battle. When he had advanced a little way into Cilicia from east westward he turned short towards Issus, not knowing that Alexander was behind; for he had been assured that this prince fled before him and was retired in great disorder into Syria, and therefore Darius was now considering how he might best pursue him. He barbarously put to death all the sick who were in the city of Issus, a few soldiers excepted, whom he dismissed after making them view every part of his camp in order that they might be spectators of the prodigious multitude of his forces. These soldiers accordingly brought Alexander word of Darius's approach, which he could scarcely believe, from its great improbability, though there was nothing he desired more earnestly. But he himself was soon an eye-witness to the truth of it upon which he began to think seriously of preparing for battle.

Alexander, fearing as the Barbarians were so numerous, that they would attack him in his camp, fortified it with ditches and palisadoes, discovering an incredible joy to see his desire fulfilled, which was to engage in those passes, whither the gods seemed to have led Darius expressly to deli

ver him into his hands.

And, indeed, this spot of ground, which was but wide enough for a small army to act and move at liberty in, reduced in some measure the two armies to an equality. By this means the Macedonians had space sufficient to employ their whole army; whereas the Persians had not room for the twentieth part of theirs.

Nevertheless, Alexander, as frequently happens even to the greatest captains, felt some emotion when he saw that he was going to hazard all at one blow. The more fortune had favoured him hitherto the more he now dreaded her frowns, the moment approaching which was to determine his fate. But, on the other side, his courage revived from the reflection that the rewards of his toils exceeded the dangers of them; and, though he was uncertain with regard to the victory, he, at least, hoped to die gloriously and like Alexander. However, he did not divulge these thoughts to any one, well knowing, that upon the approach of a battle a ge