places, he mounted on horseback, throwing down his bow, shield, and royal mantle. Alexander, however, did not attempt to pursue him till he saw his phalanx had conquered the Greeks and the Persian horse put to flight; and this allowed the fugitive monarch to gain the start of his pursuers considerably. About 8000 of the Greeks that were in Darius's service (with their officers at their head, who were very brave) retired over the mountains, towards Tripoli, in Syria, where, finding the transports which had brought them from Lesbos upon dry ground, they fitted out as many of them as suited their purpose, and burnt the rest, to prevent their being pur sued. As for the Barbarians, having exerted themselves with bravery enough in the first attack, they afterwards gave way in the most shameful manner; and, being intent upon nothing but saving themselves, they took different ways. Some struck into the high road which led directly to Persia; others ran into woods and lonely mountains, and a small number returned to their camp, which the victorious enemy had al ready taken and plundered. Sysigambis, Darius's mother, and that monarch's queen, who also was her sister, had remained in it, with two of the king's daughters, a son of his (a child), and some Persian ladies. For the rest of the women had been carried to Damascus, with part of Darius's treasure, and all such things as contributed only to the luxury and magnificence of his court. No more than 3000 talents a were found in his camp; but the rest of the treasure fell afterwards into the hands of Parmenio, at his taking the city of Damascus. Alexander, weary of pursuing Darius, seeing night draw on, and that it would be impossible for him to overtake that monarch, returned to the enemy's camp, which his soldiers had just before plundered. Such was the end of this memorable battle, fought the fourth year of Alexander's reign. The Persians, either in the engagement or the rout, lost a great number of their forces, both horse and foot, but very few were killed on Alexander's side. That very evening he invited the grandees of his court and his chief officers to a feast, at which he himself was present, notwithstanding the wound he had received, it having only grazed the skin. But they were no sooner set down at table than they heard, from a neighbouring tent, a great noise, intermixed with groans, which frighted all the company; insomuch that the soldiers who were upon guard be az About 440,000. sterling. b A. M. 3672. Ant. J. C. 332 c According to Quintus Curtius and Arrian, the Persians lost 100,000 foot, and 10,000 horse. And the former historian relates that no more than 150 horse, and 300 foot, were lost on Alexander's side; which does not seem very probable. fore the king's tent ran to their arms, being afraid of an insurrection. But it was found, that the persons who made this clamour were the mother and wife of Darius, and the rest of the captive ladies, who, supposing that prince dead, bewailed his loss, according to the custom of the Barbarians, with dreadful cries and howlings. A eunuch, who had seen Darius's cloak in the hands of a soldier, imagining he had killed him and afterwards stripped him of that garment, had carried them that false account. It is said that Alexander, upon being told the reason of this false alarm, could not refrain from tears, when he considered the sad calamity of Darius, and the tender disposition of those princesses, whom his misfortunes only affected. He thereupon sent Leonatus, one of his chief courtiers, to assure them, that the man whose death they bewailed was alive. Leonatus, taking some soldiers with him, came to the tent of the princesses, and sent word, that he was come to pay them a visit in the king's name. The persons who were at the entrance of the tent, seeing a band of armed men, imagined that their mistresses were undone; and accordingly ran into the tent, crying aloud, that their last hour was come, and that soldiers were despatched to murder them, so that these princesses, being seized with the utmost distraction, did not make the least answer, but waited in deep silence for the orders of the conqueror. At last, Leonatus, having staid a long time, and seeing no one appear, left his soldiers at the door, and came into the tent: but their terror increased, when they saw a man enter among them without being introduced. They thereupon threw themselves at his feet, and intreated, that, before he put them to death, they might be "allowed to bury Darius after the manner of their country; "and that, when they had paid this last duty to their king, they should die contented." Leonatus answered, "That "Darius was living; and that, so far from giving them any offence, they should be treated as queens, and live in their "former splendour." Sysigambis, hearing this, began to recover her spirits, and permitted Leonatus to give her his hand, to raise her from the ground. 66 66 The next day Alexander, after visiting the wounded, caused, the last honours to be paid to the dead, in presence of the whole army, drawn up in order of battle, in their richest accoutrements. He treated the Persians of distinction in the same manner, and permitted Darius's mother to bury whatever persons she pleased, according to the customs and ceremonies practised in her country. However, this prudent princess used that permission in regard only to a few who were her near relations; and that with such a modesty and reserve as she thought suited her present condition. The king testified his joy and gratitude to the whole army, especially to the chief officers, whose actions he applauded in the strongest terms, as well those of which he himself had been an eye-witness as those which had been only related to him; and he made presents to all, according to their merit and rank. After Alexander had performed these several duties, truly worthy a great monarch, he sent a message to the queens, to inform them that he was coming to pay them a visit; and, accordingly, commanding all his train to withdraw, he entered the tent, accompanied only by Hephæstion. He was his favourite; and, as they had been brought up together, the king revealed all his secrets to him, and a nobody else dared to speak so freely to him; but even Hephæstion made so cautious and discreet an use of that liberty, that he seemed to take it not so much out of inclination as from a desire to obey the king, who would have it so. They were of the same age, but Hephæstion was taller, so that the queens took him at first for the king, and paid him their respects as such but, some captive eunuchs showing them Alexander, Sysigambis fell prostrate before him, and begged his pardon; declaring, that, as she had never seen him, she hoped that consideration would plead her apology. The king, raising her from the ground, "Dear mother," says he, " you are not mistaken, for he also is " Alexander :"A fine expression, which does honour to both! Had Alexander always thought and acted in this manner, he would have justly merited the title of Great; but fortune had not yet corrupted his mind. He bore her at first with moderation and wisdom; but at last she overpowered him, and he became unable to resist her. Sysigambis, strongly affected with these testimonies of goodness and humanity, could not forbear testifying her gratitude upon that account. "Great prince (said she to him), "what words shall I find to express my thanks in such a manner as may answer your generosity! You call me your "mother, and honour me still with the title of queen, whereas I confess myself your captive. I know what I have been, and what I now am. I know the whole extent of my past grandeur, and find I can support all the weight "of my present ill fortune. But it will be glorious for you, 66 ་ a Libertatis quoque in eo admonendo non alius jus habebat; quod tamen ita usurpabat, ut magis a rege permissum quam vindicatum ab eo videretur. Quint. Curtius bO donum inclitæ vocis, danti pariter atque accipienti speciosum ! Val. Max. 1. 4 c. 7 c Sed nondum fortuna se animo ejus infuderat Itaque orientum ean mode rate et prudenter tulit; ad ultimum magnitudinem ejus non cepit. Quint. Curt. d Et præterite fortunæ fastigium capio, et præsentis jugum pati possum.. Quint. Curt. VOL. V. L 3 as you now have an absolute power over us, to make us "feel it by your clemency only, and not by ill treatment.' وو The king, after comforting the princesses, took Darius's son in his arms. This little child, without discovering the least terror, embraced Alexander, who, being affected with his confidence, and turning about to Hephæstion, said to him; “O that Darius had had some portion of his tender disposi"tion." It is certain that Alexander, in this beginning of his career, behaved in such a manner, that he surpassed, in clemency and goodness, all the kings his predecessors; and proved himself superior to a passion which conquers and enslaves the strongest. Darius's consort was the most lovely princess in the world, as he himself was the most beautiful of princes, and of a very tall and most majestic shape; and the princesses their daughters resembled them. They were, says Plutarch, in Alexander's camp, not as in that of an enemy, but as in a sacred temple, and a sanctuary assigned for the asylum of chastity and modesty, in which all the princesses lived so retired, that they were not seen by any person, nor did any one dare to approach their apartments. We even find, that, after the first visit above mentioned, which was a respectful and ceremonious one, Alexander, to avoid exposing himself to the dangers of human frailty, took a solemn resolution never to visit Darius's queen any more. a He himself informs us of this memorable circumstance, in a letter written by him to Parmenio, in which he commanded him to put to death certain Macedonians who had forced the wives of some foreign soldiers. In this letter the following words occur: "For, as to myself, it will be found that I "neither even saw, nor would see, the wife of Darius; and "did not suffer any person to speak of her beauty before "me" We are to remember that Alexander was young, victorious, and free, that is, not engaged in marriage, as has been observed of the first Scipio on a like occasion. Et juvenis et cælebs, et victor. b To conclude, he treated these princesses with such humanity, that nothing but the remembrance that they were captives could have made them sensible of their calamity; and, of all the advantages they possessed before, nothing was wanting, with regard to Alexander, but that trust and confidence, which no one can repose in an enemy, how kindly soever he behaves. a Plut. in Alex 6 Val. Max. 1. iv. c. 3. 1 SECT. VI. Alexander marches victorious into Syria. Lays siege to " Alexander set out towards Syria, after having_consecrated three altars on the river Pinarius, the first to Jupiter, the second to Hercules, and the third to Minerva, as so many monuments of his victory. He had sent Parmenio to Damascus, in which Darius's treasure was deposited. The governor of the city, betraying his sovereign, from whom he had now no farther expectations, wrote to Alexander to acquaint him, that he was ready to deliver up into his hands all the treasure and other rich stores of Darius. But being desirous of covering his treason with a specious pretext, he pretended that he was not secure in the city, so caused, by day break, all the money and the richest things in it to be put on men's backs, and fled away with the whole, seemingly with intention to secure them, but in reality to deliver them up to the enemy, as he had agreed with Parmenio, who had opened the letter addressed to the king. At the first sight of the forces which this general headed, those who carried the burthens, being frighted, threw them down, and fled away, as did the soldiers who convoyed them, and the governor himself, who was most terrified. On this occasion immense riches were seen scattered up and down the fields; all the gold and silver designed to pay so great an army; the splendid equipages of so many great lords and ladies; the golden vases and bridles, magnificent tents, and carriages abandoned by their drivers; in a word, whatever the long prosperity and frugality of so many kings had amassed, during many ages, was abandoned to the conqueror. But the most moving part of this sad scene was to see the wives of the satraps and grandees of Persia, most of whom dragged their little children after them; so much the greater objects of compassion as they were less sensible of their misfortune. Among these there were three young princesses, daughters of Ochus, who had reigned before Darius; the widow of this Ochus; the daughter of Oxathres, brother to Darius; the wife of Artabazus, the greatest lord of the court, and his son Ilioneus. There also were taken prisoners the wife and son of Pharnabasus, whom the king had appointed admiral of all the coasts; three daughters of Mentor; the wife and son of Memnon, that illustrious general; insomuch that scarcely one noble family in all Persia but shared in this calamity. a A. M. 3672. Ant. J. C 332. Diod. 1. xvii. p. 517, 518. Arrian. 1. ii. p. 83. -36. Plut. in Alex. p. 678. Quint. Cart. 1. iv. c. 1. Justin l. xi. c. 10. |