The Annals of the World, History 1 · Age of the world 6 (8 of 18)

The Annals of the World · History 1 · Age of the world 6 (8 of 18)

p. 211Alexander purposing to make a broader causway from the continent, for his easier approach to Tyrus, caused new engines to be made; which being finished, he with his Targateers, and Squadron of Agrians, marched to Sidon, there to gather together, as many ships of war as possibly he could; finding it impossible to take Tirus, so long as the Tyrians were masters at sea, [Arria. lib. 2.]

Mean while, Gerostratus the king of Aradus, and Enulus the king of Byblus, finding that all their cities were already taken by Alexander, forsaking Antophradates, and the ships that were with him, came with their fleets to Alexander, and with them certain ships of the Sidonians; so that Alexander had now a navy of 80 saile. At the same time also came to him a fleet from Rhodes, wherein there was one ship, called Periplus, and nine other; and three more from Soli and Mallus: p. 212and ten from Lycia: and one out of Macedon, of 50 oares, whereof was captain, Proteas the son of Andronicus: and not long after came to him certain Kings of Cyprus, with 120 saile, into the port at Sidon: and all upon the fame of his victory at Issus; and report that all Phenicia was come in to him: To all these Alexander forgave their bypast errors; for that of necessity, rather than of their own accord, they had adhered to Darius with their fleets, [Id. Ibid.] And now Azelmicus also himself, the King of Tyrus, leaving Antophradates, came to his own City Tyrus, while it was thus besieged, and was therein afterward taken, as Arrianus shewes.

In mount Lebanon, whence Alexander made his provision of timber for his shipping, the wilde Arabians, setting suddenly upon the Macedons, whiles they were busie at their work, slew, upon the point, 30 of them, and carried away almost as many prisoners. Alexander leaving Perdiccas and Craterus, or as Polyaenus seemes to say, Parmenion, to hold on the siege of Tyrus, went himself, with a running camp, into Arabia, [Curtius lib. 4. cap. 8.] and that he made an excursion into Arabia, the same Polyaenus sheweth, [lib. 4. Stratag.] which Arrianus more clearly delivers, where he saith, that Alexander, with certain troups of horse, and light targateers, and his squadron of Agrians, went into Arabia, as far as to Anti-Lebanon: and Plutarch, where he tells us that he marched, foreign: (i. e.) against the Arabians which dwell over against Anti-Lebanon.

When he was come to the mountanous country of those parts, he was then fain to leave his horse and march on foot as others did: but the body of his army, was gone a good way before, and the night grew on, and the enemy not far off, and Lysimachus, the instructor of him in his childhood, being spent in travel, and fainting, and he loath to leave him in that case; and whiles he stood heartening him up, and drawing him on before he was aware, he with a very few with him, were severed from the rest of his company, and was faine to passe that night in the dark, in a bitter cold frost, and in a place void of all relief: neverthelesse, seeing not far off many fires made by the enemies, being of a nimble and active body, he ran to the next fire, and there killing two of the enemies that sate at it, brought away a fire-brand, and therewith kindled a fire for himself, and for the relief of those few Macedons that were about him; which growing into a great flame, struck such a terrour into the enemies hearts, that they durst not stir: and so he and his company lay safe all that night. This Plut. relateth of him, out of Charates, a mitylenaean born, and one of those who wrote the gests of Alexander.

Having now taken in all that country, partly upon amicable termes, and partly perforce, he returned to Sidon, eleven dayes after he set out from thence, where he found Alexander the son of Polemocrates, newly arrived with 4000 mercinary souldiers out of Greece, [Arria. l. 2.]

His Navy being now rigged and fitted, amounting in all to 190 ships, as Curtius, or to two hundred, as Diodorus saies: Alexander, loosing from Sidon, set saile for Tyre, in very good array. Himself was in the right wing, in a Quinquereme, or ship of five deck… high; and in that squadron were also the kings of Cyprus, and the rest of the Phenicians, except only Pintagoras, al. Pythagoras; for he and Craterus commanded the left wing. [Arria. ib. Curt. l. 4. c. 10.]

Thirty Commissioners arriving from Carthage, brought them word, that the Carthaginians, were so embroiled with war at home, that they could not possibly send to help him in this distresse of theirs; nor yet did this any wayes abate or quell the courage of the Tyrians, but they sent away every man his wife and children by them to Carthage, as being by so much the better able to bear what ever should befall them, when they had ridd away the halfendeale, and dearest part, every man of himself, out of danger, [Curtius, lib. 4. cap. 11. with Diodor. year 1. Olympiade 112. Justin, lib. 11. cap. 10.]

When Apollo had signified to sundry men in their sleep by dreams, that he would leave the city, the Tyrians, out of a foolish superstition, took good golden chaines, and bound his image fast to the foot of his shrine; which image of his, was sent thither from Syr…cusae, as Curtius, or rather from Gela in Sicily, as out of Diodorus we have already observed, in the year of the world 3599. by the Carthaginians: and they fastened the chain to the altar of Hercules, the tutelar God of that city, as if he should hold him by main strength, from going thence, [Curtius and Diodorus Ibid. and Plutarch in Alexandro.]

Whiles Alexander lay at the siege of Tyre, there came Embassadors from Darius, to him, offering him 10 thousand (not as in Valer. Max. put 10 hundred thousand) talents for the ransome of his mother, wife and children; with all the countreys lying between the Hellespont and the river Halys: and his daughter withal, in marriage; which offer of his being taken into deliberation, in a Council of his friends, it is reported that Parmenion should say, That if he were Alexander, he would not refuse those conditions: p. 213to whom he replied, that no more would he, if he were Parmenion. But to Darius he wrote back, That he offered him nothing, but what was his own already; and therefore willed him to come himself in suppliant wise unto him, and to take such conditions as he would give him, [Arrianus lib. 2. with Justin. lib. 11. cap. 12. Curtius lib. 4. cap. 16. Plutarch in his Aposthegmes, and in his Alexander Valer. Max. lib. 6. cap. 4.]

Tyre was taken, when Anicetes, or rather Nicetes, as Dionys. Halicarnas. in Dinarchus calls him, was L. Chancelor in Athens, in the monethmonth Hecatombaeon, [Arria. lib. 2. pag. 49.] in the middest of which monethmonth, the 112 Olympiade ended. In Plutarch we find, that it was upon the 30 day of the monethmonth Loi, among the Macedouians, the 5 of H…catombaeon among the Athenians, answering to the 24 of our July, as I have shewen, in the end of cap. 5. of my discourse of the Solar years of the Macedonians and Asians.

Justin, [lib. 1. cap. 10.] sayes it was taken by treason, Polyaenus by a stratagem, [lib. 1. stratag.] Diodor. by pure force; and with him agree, Arria. and Curtius: and that when the enemies had gotten into the town, yet the townsmen maintained the fight, till there were 7 thousand of them cut in pieces, [as Diodorus writeth.]

Arrianus delivers, that there were 8 thousand of the inhabitants there slain, and 2 thousand more after that rage of flaying was over, hung up all along the shoar, in cold blood, as Curtius sayes: and Diodorus tells us, that Alexander caused no lesse than 2 thousand, all prime young men to be hanged: Justin sayes, that in remembrance of the old slaughter by them made, he caused all that were taken to be crucified: putting them to this slavish kind of death, because the Tyrian slaves heretofore making a conspiracy against their own masters, had murdered all the freemen of that city, together with their own masters: and made a Common-wealth of themselves, sparing none alive, saving one Strato an old man, and his son; and upon him and his posterity, they settled the kingdom.

Of Alexander Justin adds this further: that he saved alive all the descendants of Strato, and restored the kingdom to him and his posterity, (meaning perhaps that Ballonymus, whom Diodorus confounds and makes all one with that Abdolominus, whom Alexander made King of the Sidonians, as a little before,) leaving the City to be re-peopled by the innocent and harmelesse inhabitants thereof, to the end, that having abolished that wicked generation of slaves, he might, in a sort, be the founder of a new and better race there: and by this means it was, that Justin out of Trogus, makes Alexander the restorer and rebuilder of Tyre, [lib. 18. cap. 3, 4.] whereas all others make him not the founder, but the destroyer of it; the prophesie of Esay concurring therewith, [cap. 23. v. 1.] compared with, [Maccabees cap. 1. v. 1.] For if we believe Curtius, Alexander, saving those which fled to the Temples, slew all, and set fire on their houses: if Diodorus, he made slaves of all that were not able to bear armes, together with the femal sex among them: there being such an infinite number of that kind there found, that though the greatest part of them were sent away to Carthage, (as before) yet the remainder was no lesse than 13 thousand heads; but if Arrianus his word may be taken, he spared all that fled to the Temple of Hercules, and those were the chief of the City, with the King Azelmicus, and the Commissioners which came from Carthage, to offer sacrifice at that season of the year to Hercules, according to an ancient custom there used. The rest he sold away for slaves: the inhabitants and strangers there found, amounting to about 30 thousand persons.

Yet Curtius sayes, that the Sidonians, which brake in with the rest of Alexanders souldiers, not forgetting the community of blood that was between them and the Tyrians; (for they were all brought thither, with Agenor, as they believed, and he was the founder of both cities) got a ship-board, and there hid and saved 15 thousand of them: and that of them Tyrus rose, and afterward grew to be a City again, [lib. 4. cap. 15.] And Strabo, [lib. 16. pag. 754.] saith, that after this vast calamity brought on them by Alexander, they quickly overcame their misfortunes; what with their navigation, what with their purple-fishing: and Justin, that by their parcimonie and industry, they quickly recovered strength again, [lib. 18. cap. 4.] and that so quickly, that in the 18 year from thence, they endured another siege from Antigonus, then Lord of all Asia; not seven moneths, as against Alexander, but full 15 moneths, long, as Diodorus tells us, [lib. 19. year 2. Olymp. 116.] and that they were not now content with their little city, which by Alexanders causwayes and other works was joyned to the Continent; but so enlarged their bounds, that in Plinies time, the very wall of their city took in 22 furlongs, and reckoning Palaetyrus or Old Tyre with it, the whole enclosure came to no lesse than 19 miles, [Plin. lib. 5. cap. 19.]

Admetus, who first gat upon the wall, and 20 Targateers with him, were slain at the very first encounter: but in the whole time of the siege, there were lost 400 Macedons, at most, [Arria. lib. 2.]

p. 214Alexander offered sacrifices to Hercules, and went in procession with his whole host, all in armes to his Temple; he made a shew also with his ships, and caused wrestling and other games of activity to be performed by torch-light. And whereas there was a certain Tyrian ship consecrated to his honour, which he had set upon and taken, he dedicated the same unto him again, with an Inscription importing as much, [Id. ibid.] Also he took off from Apollos Iamge, his golden Chain, and the Robes he was tired with, and gave it a new name, foreign, (i. e.) a friend of Alexanders, or Alexanders friend; [Diodor. year 1. Olympiade 11.] And upon the very self same day and hower, that the Carthaginians had taken that image from those of Gela in Sicilie, it was, as Timaeus reports, that the Grecians offered to him that magnificent and solemn sacrifice, as if by his power and favour they had taken Tyre, [Id. year 4. Olympiade 93.]

Alexander, so soon as he had taken Tyre, marched forth with into Judea, [Euseb. Cron. with Pliny, lib. 12. cap. 25.] and subdued all that part of Syria, which is called Palestina, [Arria. lib. 2. pag. 50.] going in person against those places that would not of themselves submit, [Curt. lib. 4. cap. 17.] But when he was upon his march to Jerusalem, Jaddus the high priest, terrified with his former threats, and now fearing his rage, had recourse to God, by supplications and sacrifices for the common safety; and was by him warned in a dream, that he should make holy-day in the city, and set wide open the gates, and that he and the rest of the priests every one in his his priestly raiment, and the people all clothed in white, should go forth and meet him. Alexander seeing this company coming a far off, went himself all alone to the high priest; and having prostrated himself before that God, whose name he saw engraven in the golden plate of his Miter, he first saluted him: and being demanded the reason of his so doing by Parmen…on, answered that whiles he was yet in Macedon, musing with himself of the conquest of Asia, there appeared to him a man like unto this, and thus attired, who invited him into Asia, and assured, him of all success in the conquest of it. And the priests going before, he entred into Jerusalem, and going up to the Temple, he there sacrificed to God, as the priests prescribed him; and when they had shewed him the book of the prophet Daniel, wherein was written, that a Grecian should come and destroy the Persians, [Dan. c. 8. 7. 20, 21. and chap. 11. 13.] he made no doubt, but himself was the man designed thereby, and so for that time dismissed the company, [Joseph. lib. 11. cap. ult.]

The day following, he assembled the people, and bad them ask what they would of him, and they asking nothing, but that they might live according to the laws of their own country, and that every seventh year, (wherein they were to have no harvest) they might be exempt from paying any tribute, he granted all. And when they asked further, that he would suffer the Jews, which dwelt in the countries of Babylon, and Media, to live according to their own rites and laws, he answered, that he would satisfie their desires in that point also, so soon as he should have gotten those countries into his power. And when he told them, that if any of them would follow him in his wars, they should use their own rites where ever they came, many listed themselves to serve him. And having dispatched, and setled all matters in Jerusalem; he departed and went to the rest of the cities of that country, and was joyfully received every where. [Id. ibid.]

Of Alexanders captains, Callas went and took in Paphagonia, (which fell off from Alexander after the battle at Issos) Antigonus Lyconia, Balacrus, the city of Miletus, having first overthrown Idarnes, Darius his Captain, in the open field, [Curians. lib. 4. cap. 17.]

Alexander had given the charge of Cilicia to Socrates, willing Philotas the son of Parmenion, to look to the country about Tyre. Coelo-Syria was committed to Andronicus by Parmenion, himself having a desire to follow Alexander in the war. The king commanding Hephastion, with the fleet, to scoure the coast of Phaenica; himself with his whole army, went to Gaza, [Id. ibid.] and in the siege thereof, held by a garrison of Persian, he spent two moneths, [Diod. year 1. Olympiade. 112. Josephus lib. 11. cap. ult.]

Captain of the Garrison there was, as Josephus saies, one Babemeses, or, as Curtius and Arrianus call him, Batis an Eunuch, and one very trusty to his king: who having hired certain Arabians, and made good provision of corn, and other things, maintained the walls, which were hugely strong, with a small company of men within.

Alexander received two wounds at this sige: whereupon Batis falling alive into his hands, had cords or thongs drawn thorough his ankles, and was therewith tied to a Chariot, and drawn at the taile thereof with horses, round about the city: there were slain in that siege, of Persians and Arabians together, about 10 thousand, nor did the Macedons scape scot-free neither, [Curt. lib. 4. cap. 10.] Alexander, selling away for slaves all the women and children there, stored the place with inhabitants out of the p. 215neighbouring parts, and made that a place of Garrison and Magazin, for himself, [Arria. lib. 2. in fi.] so that those words of Strabo, are not simply to be understood, but with reference to the former state of that city, where he saith, [l…b. 16. pag. 759.] that Gaza was formerly a glorious City: but being destroyed by Alexander, remained desolate. Unlesse we will say that this was meant of a later Gaza, built in another place; which Jerom in his book, De Locis Hebraicis: (i. e.) of places in Judea, affirmeth in this wise, The question is, saith he, how in one of the Prophets it is said, And Gaza shall be turned into an everlasting heap? which is thus answered, that there are scantly left to be seen, any sign of the old City: and that City of Gaza that now is, was built in another place, instead of that, which was so destroyed.

Alexander having done his pleasure at Gaza, dispatched away Amyntas, the son of Andremon, with 3 tall ships into Macedon, to bring him from thence all the flower of the youth of that country, [Diodor. year 2, Olymp. 112. Curt. lib. 4. cap. 19.]

Alexander from thence marched into Egypt, Year of the World 3673 as he formerly intended; and seven dayes after he left Gaza, came to a place, which from him was in after-time called Alexanders Camp, and to the city Pelusium, [Arria. lib. 3. in Pri. Curt. lib. 4. cap. 20.] and not back again from Gaza to Jerusalem, as Josephus, inconsiderately enough, affirmeth.

An infinite number of the Egyptians, expecting Alexanders coming, were gathered together at Pelusium: where for the offence taken by them of the Persian pride, avarice, and sacriledge, they willingly received the Macedons at their coming, [Curtius ib. Diodor. an. 2. Olymp. 112.]

Alexander, leaving a Garrison in Pelusium, and giving order for his ships to go up the River to Memphis, himself marched by land to Heliopolis, having the Nile all the way on his right hand; and all cities, where ever he came, opening their gates unto him, he passed the Desert of Egypt, and came at last to Hel…opolis, and there passing the River, he marcht toward Memphis, [Arria. lib. 3.] Not durst the Persians there abide his coming, seeing the general defection of the Egyptians from them. And now he was not far from thence, when Astraces, who commanded the Garrison there under Darius met him, and delivered into his hand 800 talents, and all his masters Wardrobe; as we read in [Curtius lib. 4. cap. 20.] where yet it seems, that the name of Astaces, is crept in, I know not how, instead of Mazaces: as he himself also, [cap. 4. of the same book] calleth him: and so doth Arrianus in the beginning of his 3 book, where he tells us, that one Mazaces a Persian, whom Darius had made Governour of Egypt, received Alexander into that Province, and cities thereof, in all friendly wise.

Alexander, having offered his sacrifices at Memphis, and there exhibited all games of wrestling, and other activities and musick, to which resorted the most expert and skilfull men of all Greece to put in for the prizes in them, embarqued himself, and came down the River to the sea; putting his targateers and archers, and Agrians, and the Kings Troup, aboard the ships of his confederates, and with them came to Canopus; and there made choice of a place lying between the Egyptian sea and Marea, or the Lough of Mareotis, and there built a city, which from his own name, he called Alexandria, [Arria. lib. 3.] and in that part thereof, which lyeth next the sea, and the docks for shipping, there was a street called Racotis, [Strabo, lib. 17. pag. 792. Pansanius, in his Eliaca. pag. 169. Tacit. Histor. lib. 4. cap. 84.]

Alexandria was built, not in the seventh, (as Eusebius in Chron, and out of him, Cyril. of Alexandria, lib. 1. cont. Iulianum, and Cedrenus affirm) but in the fifth year of his reign, and that in the very first year of the 112. Olympiade, as [Solinus hath it cap. 32.] not as, [Diodorus in the 2. and much lesse, as Eusebius, in the 3.] As for the certain time when Alexandria was built, the interval of time between the taking of Tyre, and that great fight at Gaugamela, and his gests acted in that interim, cannot but undoubtedly assure us of it: from whence, and from the fifth year of Darius, and Thoth, in the 417. year of Nabonasars account, which falls in with the 14 day of September according to our Julian Calendar, or year 1. of the Olymp. 112. yet running. Ptolomei of Alexandria, deduceth the years of Alexander, whom in the Preface of his foreign: (whereof this is one) he, after the fashion of all Alexandrians, calleth foreign: (i. e.) his founder.

Dinocrates was the man who laid out the compasse and streets of this city, (whom yet Plutarch both in his life, and also in the 2 book of the fortune of Alexander, calls Stesicrates, and other books call otherwise) Dinocrates, I say, that famous Architect, whose art and industry the Ephesians used in the re-building of their Temple of Diana, who for the excellency of his workmanship, shewed therein, deserves the second place, after the founders themselves in the memory of the World, [Strabo, lib. 14. pag. 641. Valer. Max. lib. 1. cap. 4. Vitruvius, in the Prooeme of his second book. Plin. lib. 5. cap. 10. and lib. 7. cap. 37. Solin. cap. 32. and 40. Ammia. Marcell. lib. 22.]

Alexander having set them on work, and bad them dispatch; took a journey to p. 216the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, [Plutarch in his Alexander, with Arria. lib. 3.] out of an ambition, which possessed him, because he was told, that Perseus and Hercules had been there, as Callisthenes, in the History which he wrote of him, affirmeth, cited by Strabo, [lib. 17. pag. 814.]

Wherefore he went as far as Paraetonium, along by the sea side, not without finding some fresh water by the way, which lay from Alexandria, 1600 furlongs as Aristobulus wrote, [in Arria. lib. 3. pag. 53.]

About the mid-way, met him Embassadors of the Cyrenians, presenting him with a Crowne, and sundry other costly things; among which were 300 horses, trained to the war, and 5 chariots drawen each with 4 horses, the choicest that might▪ bee found; which he accepted at their hand, and made amity and friendship with them, [Diodor. Olymp. 112. year 2.]

When he went from Paraetonium to Mesogabas, where the Temple of Hammon was, through dry and thirsty countreys, and wandered over the plains, while the wind blew at south, Callisthenes saith that he was saved from an imminent destruction, partly by a shower of rain that fell, which layd the sand, and partly by a flock of crowes, which led him the way, [Strabo as before,] adding further this fable to the story, that the crowes oftentimes, when the men wandered out of the way in the dark, would with their crawing, call them into the right way again, [Id. Plut. in his Alex.]

Ptolomeus the son of Lagus saith, there were two dragons, which went before the company making a noise, and they led them into, and out of the Temple again: But Aristobulus, to whom most writers assent, saith, that there were two crowes, which kept on still flying before the army, and that they were Alexanders guides upon the way thither, [Arria. l. 3.]

Coming to a lough of bitter waters, as they called them, and having gone 100 furlongs from thence, and passing by the Cities, called after Hammons name, one dayes journey from thence, they came to Jupiter Hammons Grove and Temple, [Diod. ut su.]

There the Priests of the Temple being suborned before hand and taught their lesson, so soon as he came to set footing within the Temple dores, came all and saluted him by the name of Hammons son, [Justin l. 11. c. 11] so that now we learn by this act of Alexanders, that be the God himself never so deaf or dumbe, yet it is still, in the power either of the Priest to feigne and lye, what he will, or for him that comes to consult the Oracle, to tell what answer he would there have made unto him, and he shall have it, [Oros. l. 3. c. 16.]

Callisthenes reports, that it was permitted to none but the King himself, by the Priest to come into the Temple, in his ordinary attire; the rest were all fain to change their vestures, and to hear the Oracle without, and that he informed the king of sundry other things by fignes and tokens, onelyonly he told him in plain termes, that he was jupiters son, [Strabo ut supra.] yet he himself in a letter to his mother Olympias, sayes, that he had received many secret and hidden Oracles there, which he would impart to her alone, at his return, [Plut. in Alex.]

He also in the same, or in some other Epistle to his mother; (which I nothing doubt was meant by Tertullian in his book de Pallio) saith, that he was told by one Leo, a principal Priest among the Egyptians, that they who were now Gods, were formerly men, and that in worshipping them, the Nations did preserve the memory of their Kings and Ancestors, [Aug. de Civit. Dei, lib. 8. cap. 5, and 27. and de Confen. Evangelist. lib. 1. cap. 23. Minutius Felix, in Octavio. with Cyprian, in his book de Idolor. vanitate.] And when he in the beginning of his letter, had thus written to his mother, Alexander the King, the son of Jupiter Hammon, sendeth greeting to his mother Olympias: she very wittily in her answer thereto, told him in this wise, Now my good son I pray thee be content, and do not accuse me, nor lay ought to my charge before Juno, for she will do me some shrewd turn, if you in your letters make me a cuck-quean to her. [M. Varro, in a book of his, entitled Orest…s, vel de insania: in Aul. Gellius l. 13. c. 4.]

Alexander having received such an answer there, as by his own confession, pleased him very well, returned from thence into Egypt, by the same way as he went, as Aristobulus saies, but as Ptolomaeus, by a shorter way, to Memphis, [Arrianus lib. 3.]

When he was arrived at Memphis, new forces came to him: 400 mercinaries out of Greece, sent him by Antipater, under the command of Menaetas the son of Hegesandrus, and about 500 horse out of Thracia, which were led by Asclepiodorus, and being there, he sacrificed to Jupiter, and made oblations to him, with his whole Host, all in their compleat armour, and exhibited games and pastimes, with wrastlings, and other feats of activity, and musick, [Id. Ibid.]

And moreover, commanding the inhabitants of the neighbouring townes and cities to leave their dwellings, he transplanted them into Alexandria, and stored that p. 217place with a huge multitude of inhabitans, [Curtius lib. 4. c. 21. and Justin lib. 11. cap. 11.] calling thither also, a colony of the Jewes: whose vertue and good behaviour, …e much approving, and deeming them worthy of special trust, made it a reward of their service in the war, to endenise them there, and to grant them equal honours, and priviledges with the Greeks: insomuch that their tribe there, went by the name, not of Alexandrians only, but also of the Macedonians themselves, Josep. l. 2. de Bello. Iud. c. 36. p. 816. & l. 2. cont. Ap. p. 163. in the Greek and Latin Edition.]

He also gave lands to Sanabalats souldiers, whom he caused to follow him into Egypt, in the country of Thebais, trusting them with the keeping of that territory in his absence, [Josephus Antiq. lib. 11. cap. the last.]

Alexander had an itching humour, to go and visit, not only the inward and more remote parts of Egypt, but even Ethiopia it self. But his present war with Darius, put him from thinking of such idle projects: wherefore he made Eschilus and Pencestes, the Macedon Governours of Egypt, with four thousand souldiers for the guard thereof: he commanded Polemon to defend the mouths of the river Nile, with 30 sail of fighting ships, [Curtius lib. 4. cap. 21.] though Arrianus tells us, that he made Pencestes the son of Macatetus, and Balacrus the son of Amyntas, Commanders of the foot which he left there, and Polemon the son of Theramenes, Ammiral of the fleet, to defend the mouths of the river Nile, with all the sea lying upon Egypt: as for the civil government of the whole country, he committed the care thereof to one Doloaspes, a native of Egypt, as the same Arrianus intimates.

Curtius further tells us, that he left Apollonius to govern Africa, bordering upon Egypt, and Cleomenes, to gather the tributes both of Afric and Egypt; and much to the same purpose, Arrianus tells us, that he left Apollonius the son of Charinus, to govern Lybia, bordering upon the West of Egypt, and Cleomenes Arabia, upon the East thereof, in the city called Urbs Heroum, where it borders upon Arabia Pe…raea, with command that all his tributes should be paid in to him: but the execution of the laws, he committed to the Presidents and Justices of the Country, as in former times. In the second of Aristotles Oeconomicks is mention made of, one foreign, (i. e.) Cleomenes of Alexandria, Governour of Egypt, who is the same, who in 3^o Arria. of the History of Alexander, is called foreign, Ecnaucratius. B…t Freinshemius, a man of a quick sent in smelling out such faults, sayes, that in the one it should be, foreign, or foreign, (i. e.) one of the Nauacritians, or Naucratites, and in the other, foreign, (i. e.) Commander of Alexandria in Egypt: the result whereof is, that this Cleomenes Governour of Alexandria was a native of Naucratis, which was a Colony or plantation, anciently made in Egypt, by the Milesians; for that the care and charge of finishing and peopling this city, was committed to him: we may partly gather out of Aristotle, who saves, that Alexander enjoyned him, that he should furnish with inhabitants, a city near unto Pharos (as Alexandria is distant but seven furlongs by sea from thence) and should draw all the trade and trafick from Canopus thither: and partly out of Justin, who, [lib. 13. cap.] expressely sayes, that Alexander committed the building of Alexandria to Cleomenes: whereunto may be added, that which Alexander wrote unto him eight years after; where in he commanded him to build two temples to Hephastion deceased, the one in Alexandria, the other in Pharos; and that all bills of loading and other contracts of Merchants, should have the name of Hephaestion, inscribed on them, as Arria. [lib. 7. Histor.] sayes, adding further, that this Cleomenes, was a most wicked man, and one that did the Egyptians a thousand injuries.

When Alexander was gone down the Nile, Hector, a son of Parmenions, then being in the flower of his youth, and a great favourite of the kings, desirous to overtake him, put himself into a little rascal boat, where into also more lept, then she could carry, and so sunk, and he with her. The king was wonderfully grieved at the losse of him, and having recovered the body, made him a very rich and sumptuous funeral, [Curt. l. 4. c. 21.]

Upon the neck of this grief, came another, which was the news of Andromachus his death, whom the inhabitants of Samaria had burnt alive: and he marcht presently away with all the speed he could to take vengeance of them for it, [Id. Ibid.]

Alexander having made bridges over the Nile, and every reach thereof about Memphis, in the first of the spring went from thence, toward Phenicia, [Arria. lib. 3. pag. 55.] Upon his way, those who had so murdered Andromachus, were delivered into his hands, and put to death; and then he put Memnon in his place, [Curt. lib. 4. cap. 21.] And having taken the city of Samaria, he gave it to be inhabited by his Macedons; as Eusebius in his Cron. and out of him Cedrenus hath it. But the territory to it belonging, he bestowed upon the Jews, for their loialty to him, without paying him any tribute for it: as Josephus reporteth out of Hecataeus of Abdera, [lib. 2. cont. Apion. pag. 1063.] Yet the Temple in the mount Gerisim, escaped. And if any at Jerusalem p. 218were in danger for eating of forbidden meats, or breach of the sabbath, or such like crime, they presently flew over to the Sichemites, saying they were falsely accused, [Josephus Antiq. lib. 11. c. ult.] and the like troubles and quarrels grew between the Jewes and Samaritans, not onelyonly here, but also in Egypt, at Alexandria, by reason of their different rights and usages, according to their several Temples, as we may see in the same, [Iosep. l. 11. c. 1. and l. 13. c. 6.]

Alexander coming to Tyrus, found there his fleet, which he had sent thither before him: and there sacrificed a second time to Hercules, and made enterludes, and exercises of wrestling and musick, and the like, [Arria. lib. 3.] wherein the Kings of the Cyprians, had the charge of providing fit actors for them. Nicocreon, King of Salamis, furnished out Thessalus, a man very much favoured by Alexander himself: Pasicrates King of Solos, presented Athenodorus, which carried the prize from all, by the major part of voices, [Plut. in Alex.] now these Cyprian Kings had long before revolted from Darius to Alexander, and sent him shipping, when he besieged Tyre, and he from that time forward alwayes honoured them, as they deserved, [Curt. lib. 4. c. 21.] yet of Nicocreon, it is said, that Anaxarchus of Abdera, the Philosopher, said to Alexander as he sate at supper (as Laertius hath it in his Life,) that there should also a certain Satrapaes head have been served in there: which saying of his, caused him afterward to be put to a most miserable death.

Alexander made Caeranus of Berrhaea treasuror of Phenicia, for the gathering of his tibute there: and in Asia Philoxenus, to do the like, in the regions beyond the mountain Taurus: and put Harpalus in their roome, to take charge of the moneys, which were in his own hampers: into Lydia, he sent Menander one of his confederates, to be Governor there; putting Clearchus in Menanders stead, to oversee the forreigners: and in the roome of Arimna, he set Asclepiodorus, the son of Eunicus, to be Govenour of Syria, [Arria. lib. 3.]

These things, thus set in order, Alexander offered at Hercules his shrine a great vessel of gold, with thirty dishes in it: and his fingers now itching after Darius, he commanded to set forward toward the Euphrates, [Curt. 4. c. 21.]

When tidings came to Darius, that whithersoever he went, Alexander would follow him, he gave order for all Nations, though never so far off, to repaire to him at Babylon: And when his army was now growen half as bigg again as it was, at Issos in Cilicia, many of them wanted armes; which were out of hand provided for them, [Curt. 4. c. 22.] where the whole number of his horse is said to have been 45 thousand; and his foot, 200 thousand men: whereas it is manifest, that at Issus, his forces in either kind, were far exceeding these in number: nor is there any doubt, but the number found in Justin, [lib. 11. c. 12. and in Orosius, lib. 3. c. 17.] comes far short of what in truth it was: 400, or 404 thousand foot, and 100 thousand horse, [Plutarch in Alex.] saith they were 10 millions; and in his Apophthegmes, 100 millions, (but no doubt false printed) that is, 1000 thousand, with whom Diodorus in some sort agrees, where he▪ saith they were 80 times ten thousand, and no lesse than 20 times ten thousand horse; now Arrianus allowes to the foot only, as much as Plutarch doth to the whole, both of horse and foot, that is a thousand thousand, adding 40 thousand horse over and above; though some instead of 40 thousand, put there, 400 thousand, to the end, both that the number of horse, might be somewhat more proportionable to the foote, as also that the number of horse might not here seeme so far short of what it was at Issos: whereas Curtius, [l. 4. c. 22.] sayes it was so far beyond it, besides 200 iron Chariots, and 15 Elephants, which the Indians brought him: whereas all Alexanders army, had not above seven thousand horse, and forty thousand foote in it, [Arrian. lib. 3.]

Darius moving with this vast army from Babylon, came to Ninive, having the river Tigris on his left hand, and Euphrates on his right: his army filled all that huge plain of Mesopotamia, [Diodorus, year 2. Olympiade 112. Curtius, 4. c. 22.] and having passed the river Tigris, when he heard that the enemy was not far off, he sent Satropaces, General of his horse, with a thousand choice men, to hinder the passage of the enemy; and gave him order withal, to burne and waste all the coasts through which Alexander was to passe: for he thought want might happily undo him, having naught else but the spoile of the country to supply him: he himself marched to Arabela; and leaving there his bag & baggage, went forward as far as the river Lycus, where he made a bridge, and there passed over his army in 5 days space, and from thence, marching 80 furlongs, he came to the river Bumelus. [Curt. ib.] Arrianus saith that he pitched his camp at Gaugamela, by the river Bumelus, for so he calleth the place, [l. 6. p. 131.] not as in [l. 3. c. 57.] Bumadus; in a plain and open field: for if there were any hilly or uneven ground there, Darius commanded it to be made all level, that it might be made the more traverseable for his horse, and might lie every way more open to his view, [Arria. Curt.]

p. 219Alexander came forward to Thapsacus, a great City in Syria, in the monethmonth Hecatombeon, when Aristophanes was L. Chancelor at Athens: to wit, [year 2. Olympiaede 112.] in the very entrance of that year; here the river Euphrates had a foord, where Alexander found 2 bridges ready made; but not throughly finished, nor reaching full out to the other bank. Mazaus, whom Darius had sent to make good that passage, so soon as he heard that Alexander was coming; took him to his heeles, with all his army. And when he was gone, Alexander quickly made out the bridges to the other side, and passed his army over in a trice, and then marched on toward Babylon, leaveing the Euphrates and the mountains of Armenia on his left hand; but not the strait way thither: because the other was, though somewhat further about, yet the more commodius for provisions of all kinds for his army, nor the beat there so violent, for them to travel in. On the way, certain Scouts of Darius were intercepted; who informed him, that Darius with all his army, was upon the bank of the river Tigris, to stop him from passing there: and that his forces were far more numerous now, than when he fought with him in Cilicia: But Alexander hereupon going thither, found neither Darius, nor any man else there, [Arria. lib. 3.]

Alexander therefore passed the river Tigris, and though there was no man to hinder him, yet not without much difficulty and extreme danger, by reason of the violent swiftnesse of the river; yet gat he over safe and sound, and lost nothing, save onelyonly a small quantity of his stuff and baggage, [Id. ibid. Diodor. year 2. Olymp. 112. Curt. 4. ca. 23.] Now from the passage over the Euphrates, at Thaphacus, to this his passage over the Tigris, Eratosthenes, reckons the way to be, 1400 al. 2400 furlongs, [Strabo, lib. 2. pag. 79. and lib. 16. pag. 746.]

Alexander removing his camp, from the bank of Tigris, led his army thorough the country of Assyria: having on his left hand the mountains of Sogdiana, and Tigris on the right. The 4 day after his passage over the Tigris, Mazaeus sent out a thousand Horse against him; Alexander sent to encounter him Aristo, who commanded the Horse of Poeonia; who singling out Satropaces, the Commander of that Troup, ran him with his Spear, full in the throat; and when he with that would fled away, he pursued him thorough the middest of the enemies, and unhorst him; and do he what he could do for himself, took off his head, and brought it with him, and threw it down at Alexanders foot; and Sir, said he, in our country, such a present useth to be rewarded with a cup of gold; to whom Alexander smiling, answered, yea, with an empty one; but I will give thee one full of wine, [Arria. lib. 3. Curtius lib. 4. cap. 23. Plutarch in Alexandro.]

Alexander camped there 2 dayes, and gave order to remove the next. But the Moon falling into an eclipse in the first watch of the night, at first lost onelyonly the brightnesse of her light; but anon after, all the face of her seemed to be over-cast and covered with a colour like blood: and the whole army considering what they were then going about, began first to be troubled, and afterward terrified at the fight thereof, [Curt. ib. cap. 23. and 24.] Pliny hath rightly observed and said, That the Moon eclipsed at Arbela, in the 2 hour of the night, and was then seen rising in Sicily, [lib. 2. cap. 70.] but Ptolomei in his Geographie, [lib. 1. cap. 4.] not so right, where he sayes, that she eclipsed in the 5 hour of the night, and was seen at Carthage at the 2 hour of the night. And rightly also saith Plutarch in Alexan. that she eclipsed in the monethmonth Boedromion, foreign: (i. e.) about the beginning of the mysteries at Athens, to wit, in the full Moon, of the very middest of that monethmonth; at which the Great mysteries of Athens begin to be celebrated and continued certain dayes after. As for this Eclipse, the Astronomical account sheweth evidently, that it fell upon the 20 day of our September.

Alexander, to hearten up his souldiers mindes, which appeared much to be dejected at this sight, consulted with the Egyptian Southsayers there present: and their answer was, That the Sun was the Grecians, or was the Predominant in Greece, and the Moon in Persia; and that therefore as often as she Eclipsed, it portended ruine and destruction to those nations whose she was, [Curtius, lib. 4. cap. 24.] Alexander presently offered sacrifices to the Sun, and Moon, and Earth: because they all three concur in the making of an Eclipse of the Moon: And Aristander, who was the Kings Southsayer, declared openly, that that Eclipse portended all good and happy successe to Alexand. and the Macedons, and that there should be a battel fought that very monethmonth: and that the sacrifices then offered, did foreshew and assuredly promise a victory thereinto Alexander, [Arria. lib. 3.]

Alexander perceiving the minds of the souldiers raised to a height of hope and confidence; thought fit to use this pang or fit of theirs, whiles it was upon them; and therefore gave order to march on the second watch of the night following, having all the way the Tigris in the right hand, and the Gordiaean mountains on the left. The next morning, himself with a small Troup of his own, fell upon about a thousand Persian p. 220scouts, of which some he slew, and the rest he took prisoners; and then sent some of his own company forward to discover: willing them also to quench the flame of such Towns and Villages, as the country people had set on fire: for they running away from the enemie, had set fire on Barnes and Reeks of corn, which taking in the tops, had not yet burnt down to the ground; so that the Macedons hereby saved a great quantity of food for themselves: and Mazeus, who before had set fire on what he pleased, all at leisure, the enemies now coming on so fast, fled away at last, and left all standing as it was, for the enemie to take, [Curt. lib. 4. cap. 24.]

Alexander understood now, that Darius was not above 150 furlongs off, and therefore having store enough and enough of provision in his Camp, he there staied four dayes, [Id. ibid.]

During which time he intercepted certain letters of Darius, by him sent to sollicite the Grecians in his army, Year of the World 3674 to murder or otherwise to betray him, [Id. 4. cap. 25.]

Statira, Darius his wife, weary of this long travail, and vexation of minde, cast the child of which she went, and died; whereat Alexander shed many a tear, and caused a most sumptuous funeral, sparing for no cost, to be made for her, [Id. ibid. Iustin. lib. 11. cap. 12. Plutarch in Alex. and lib. 2. de fortu. Alex.]

Tirus or Tyriotes an Eunuch, whiles others were busie about the funeral, stole away, and carried tidings of her death to Darius: who though at first infinitely perplexed and troubled at it, yet when he understood of Alexanders respect, ever had unto her, and chast behaviour towards her, he lift up his hands to Heaven, and praied the gods, that if it were so resolved, and no remedy left for him, yet none might sit in Cyrus his throne, but so just an enemy, so merciful a conqueror, as this Alexander was, [Curt. and Plutarch ibib.]

Darius so overcome with his so great clemency, and chastity used toward his wife, be thought himself again of trying for a peace, and to that purpose sent ten of the most principal men about him, to offer him new conditions; and withall, sent him 30 thousand talents for the ransom of his mother and two daughters: and to offer him his other daughter Septina, or Statipna, or Sartina, or Statyra (for by all these names she goes, in the several editions of Curtius) to wife, [Curt. 4. cap. 16.] and what ever lay between the Hellespont and the Euphrates for a dower: unto whom Alexander made this answer; That he alwayes found Darius by his moneys, solliciting sometimes his souldiers to revolt from him, sometimes his nearest friends to murder him; and therefore was resolved to pursue him to the death, not any longer as a noble enemie, but as a malefactor and a poisoning murderer: and that whatever he had already lost, or yet remaining in his hands, was but the reward of war, that war should set the bounds of their two kingdoms, and each should have, what to morrow-dayes fortune should allot him, [Curtius. lib, 4. cap. 26. Justin lib. 11. cap. 12. Diodorus year 2. Olympiade 112.]

The Ambassadors thus sent away, told Darius, that he must fight: whereupon he presently dispatched away Mazaeus before him with 3000 Horse, to stop the passages where the enemy was to come; and with the rest, he marched after in good array 10 furlongs, and there made a stand, and expected the coming of the enemy. Alexander leaving all his luggage within his trenches, with a reasonable guard to keep them, set forward to meet the enemy, [Curt. ib. cap. 26. & 27.]

When at the very instant, a sudden Pannic fear fell upon his army; the reason was, for that the Heaven, (it being then the summer season) seemed to sparkle and shone out like fire, and they imagined that they saw flames of fire issuing out of Darius his Camp. Alexander by found of trumpet signified to them, that all was well, and gave order to the Antesignary, (i. e.) those that stood next before the standard, in every company, to lay down every man his arms before his feet, and should give the word to those that followed them, to do the like: which done, he shewed them there was no cause of fear, and that the enemy was yet a far off: so at length they recovered their spirits, and took up both their arms and courage again; yet for more surety, he thought fit there to make a stand; and to fortify his Camp for that present, [Id. cap. 28. Polya. Stratag. lib. 4.]

Alexander, drawing out all his forces by night, set forward about the second watch, purposing to fight, as soom as it was open day, [Arria. lib. 3.]

The next day, Mazeus, who had taken up his standing with a choice company of horse, upon the rising of a hill, whence he might take a view of the army of the enemy, left the place, and returned to Darius, and no sooner was he gone, but the Macedons took it, both because of the advantage of ground, and also for that, from thence they might discover and have a full view of all the enemies forces, which were ranged in the plaine, [Curt. lib. 4. cap. 29.]

p. 221Alexander commanded his Mercenary souldiers of Paeonia to march in front: he drew his Phalanx, or squadron of Macedons into two wings, both flanked with Horse, [Id. ibid.] the Camps were distant one from the other, about 60 furlongs. And now the army of Alexander was come to certain hillocks, from whence they might discern the enemy; when he advised with his Captains whether his main battel should presently from thence fall on, or make a stand there right, until he had better viewed the ground whereon they were to fight: most were of opinion for the former; Parmenion was for the latter, which Alexander himself approved of, [Arria. lib. 3.] Resolved therefore to encamp upon one of those hillocks; he gave order forthwith to put spade in ground and to entrench there, for the present: which being quickly done, he went into his own pavilion, and from thence took a view of the army of the enemy ranged beneath him in the pain, [Curt. as before.]

Mean while the horse-boyes, and other tag rag, that followed the Camp, fell in sport to skirmish among themselves; Captain of the one side they called Alexander, and Captian of the other, Darius. Which when Alexander heard, he bad the rest forbear, and the two Captains onelyonly to try it out between themselves. He himself helpt Alexander on with is armor; and Philotas Darius with his: all the army beheld while they two fought: as upon a prognostick of the event in the fight and war it self. It fell out, that he which played Alexander, foiled and overthrew him which played Darius; and had for a reward, 10 townships, and the honour of wearing a Persian garment bestowed on him, [Eratosthenes, in Plut. in his Alexan.]

Alexanders friends came now unto him, and complained of the souldiers, that talking among themselves in their tents, they were resolved to take all the spoile to themselves, and to bring nothing into his Treasury: Whereat Alexander smiled, and said, Very good news, my masters, it is that ye bring me; for I see by this they mean to fight, and not to flee. Many of the common souldiers also in a humor, came unto him, and bad him be of good cheer, and not be afraid of the multitude of his enemies: for that they should not be able to endure the very first noise or shout of them; for that in this place doth foreign signifie, not the smell of them, or of their arme-pits, as Xylander rendred it, [Plut. in his Apophthemes.]

The eleventh night after the Eclipse of the Moon, and when the two armies lay in sight each of other, Darius kept his men in their arms all night, and took a view of them all by torch-light: so that all the plain lying between the mountain Niphat and the Gordiaeans hills shone with torches. But Alexander, whiles his army took their rest, was up with his Southsayer Aristander before his pavilion, busie in certain arcane and secret rites and ceremonies, and offered sacrifice to Apollo, [Id. in Alexan.] or as Curtius expresseth it, Aristander in a white robe, carrying bunches of Vervin in his hand, and his head covered, mumbled certain prayers, which the King was to say after him, thereby to propitiate Jupiter, Minerva, and Victoria.

When Parmenion and other his friends advised him to set upon Darius in the dead of the night, thereby to conceale from his souldiers sight, the terrour of the fight in so great a disproportion of numbers in the two armies; his answer was, that he was not come thither, to steale a victory, [Plut. Curt. Arria.] And Darius on the contrary, fearing least some such attempt should be made upon him, and knowing that his Camp was no better rampiered than it should be; kept his men up all night in armes: which for want of sleep the next day when they came to fight, was the chief cause of their overthrow, [Arria.]

Alexander, troubled in his thoughts, with the expectation of what was then in hand, slept not all night, till toward the morning, and then fell into so deep a sleep; that when it was day all abroad, they could not wake him. And when his friends asked him what made him sleep so soundly, answered, it was Darius, who by gathering all his forces into one place, had eased him of thinking how to follow him into sundry other countries, [Diod. year 2. Olymp. 112. Justin. lib. 11. cap. 13. Curt. lib. 4. cap. 3, 31. Plut. in Alexan.]

This battel was fought by Alexander, saith Justin, [lib. 11. cap. 14.] in the 5 year after he came to his Crown: to wit, in the very end thereof, and beginning of the sixth, though Jerom upon 11. Daniel, not so considerately writeth, that he overcame and slew Darius in the 7 year of his reign. Arrian saith, this battel was sought, when Aristophanes was L. Chancelor at Athens, in the monethmonth Pyanepsion; and that so the foretelling of Aristander was fulfilled, when he said, that in that very monethmonth, wherein the Moon was Eclipsed, Alexander should both fight with Darius, and also overcome him, [Arria. lib. 3. pag. 63.] And truly in that, both he and also Diodorus do say, that it was fought in the year, when Aristophanes was L. Chancelor at Athens, they do well; whereas Dionysius Halycarnass. placeth it in the year following, when Aristophontes was L. Chancelor there, by an easie mistake of the name, as in his Epistle to Ammaeus: nor was Aristander out, when he foretold, that Alexander should gain that great victory over Darius, in that p. 222very monethmonth; but Arrianus, in setting one monethmonth instead of another; saying that it was in the monethmonth Pyanepsion, whenas indeed the very astronomical account, shewes that eclips to have fallen on the monethmonth Boedrom on, for that then the moon was eclipsed, and that upon the 11 day after it Alexander fought that battle, [Plutarch affirmes in Alexand.] and in his Camillus he saith, that he got that victory, foreign: (i. e.) upon the 5 day of the last quarter, of Boedromion; which 25 day of Boedromion, which consists of 31 dayes, answereth to the first of our Octob. according to the Julian Calendar.

That this battle was sought at Gaugamela, near the river Beumelus, both Ptolomeus La…, and Aristobulus, both which were present in the fight, do averre, and them, both [Strabo, lib. 16. pag. 737. and Plut. in Alex.] (where yet, in some copies, as also in Zonaras, is found written, Gausmela) and [Arria. l. 6. p. 101. and Ammina. Marcellinus, lib. 23.] do with all reason follow, neverthelesse, because Gaugamela was no city, but only a small town, or country village; and the sound of the name it self, not very pleasing to the ear, and which Strabo and Plutarch saith, signifies the house of a Camel, or rather, the Body of a Camel; for so that word foreign properly signifieth in the Chaldee and Syriac language, therefore, as Arrianus thinks, it came to passe, that, that glorious victory is said to have been gotten at Arbela, which was a great and a famous City in those parts: so likewise Strabo saith, that because that other was but a poor place, and Arbela a famous City, (which we find also mentioned in the Prophet Hosea, as … formerly shewed in the year of the world 3276.) therefore the Macedons in their w…iting, first gave it out, and then other Historians took it from them, and said, that the battel was fought, and victory gotten at Arbela; neither yet were the places very near each to other; for between the river Bumelus, upon which Gaugamela, and the river Lycus, upon which Arbela stood, were not much lesse than 80 furlongs, as Curtius teacheth us, [l. 4. c. 22.] Now between Lycus and the country of Aturia, or Atyria, (which was the old name by which Assyria went, as Diodorus in the life of Trajan shewes) and the borders of the region of Babylon, (in which Ninive and Gaugamela both were) and the river Capros, and in an equal distance from either, both Arbela, and the hill Nicatorium (so called by Alexander himself from this victory near thereto gotten,) lie, as Strabo in the beginning of his 16 book sheweth: whereby it appeareth that Arbela, in Ptolomies 5 Table or Map of Asia, should be placed where Gaugamela is: both which are there placed, not on the hither, but on the further side of the river Lycus; contrary, not onelyonly to Strabo, but also to Eratosthenes his report, [vouched by Strabo, lib. 2. p. 79.] and Curtius, and Arrianus: all which being diligently compared together, we may gather, that Gaugamela and Arbela, were distant the one from the other, not 500 o… 600 (as some have delivered, and as Arrianus noteth lib. 3. pag. 57. 63. and lib. 6. pag. 130.) but yet somewhat above one hundred furlongs.

Aristobulus reports, that when the fight was done, there was found a plat, or description of Darius his battle, for this fight, as we find in [Arrianus, l. 3. p. 52.] in whom, as also in Curtius, [lib. 4. c. 27, and 32.] the marshalling and ranging of both armies, is at large described.

Darius leaving his chariots, and throwing away his armes, got him on the back of his mare, that had new foaled, and fled, as fast as she could carry him, [Plut. in Alex.] the like to which he did at the battle at Issos, as I shewed before out of Elian, who in the same place telleth us, that Darius was ever wont, for this purpose, to keep and carry such mares, as had newly foaled, with him into the field: and so, with very few in his company, he came to the river Lycus, which having passed, when some advised him to br…ak down the bridge after him, to hinder the pursuit of the enemy, he considering how many there were behind making to that passage, answered, that he had rather leave a way for a pursuing enemy, than take one from a flying friend, [Curt. lib. 4. c. 36. 37. Justin. lib. 11. c. 14.] where (for that, instead of Lycus, we find Cydnus, printed; which name of a river, we mentioned before, in the year of the World 3671, to run through the midst of the city Tarsus, in Cilicia) from thence it was, that Orosius, following, as I said before, Justin in all things, fell into this errour, to say, that this last great battle between Alexander and Darius, was fought at Tarsus, [lib. 3. cap. 17.]

Mazeus pressing hard upon the Squadron of the Macedons, Parmenion sent to Alexander▪ who followed the chace of the enemy, as far as the river Lycus, to come and help them; but tidings coming to Mazeus, that Darius had left the field, he fled also, not the nearest way to Babylon, but fetcht a compasse about, over the river Tygris, as being, though the further, yet most out of danger, and the safer way; and so brought what was left of the army, safe to Babylon, [Curt. l. 4. c. 37.]

Darius about midnight came to Arbela: and thither came also a great many of his Nobles, and other souldiers: whom he called together, and declared to them, that p. 223his purpose was, to leave all for the present unto Alexander, and himself to flee into the utmost borders of his kingdom, and there to begin a war afresh upon him, [Id. l. 5. cap. 1.] and presently took horse, and fled over the mountains of Armenia into Media, some few of his kindred, and of his guard which were called Melophori, (i. e.) apple barers, because they bare each of them a golden apple upon the point of his spear, following him. There resorted to him also afterward, two thousand of his mercenary souldiers, under the command of Paron of Phocaea in Ionia, and Glaucus of Eolia, [Arri. l. 3.]

Alexander returning back from the river Lycus, fell into a harder dispute, than any he had yet met with, with the Parthian and Indian, and some choice Troups of the Persian horse: in which encounter he lost sixty of his company, Hephaestion and Caenus, and Menidas of his nobles, being also sore wounded; yet even here also at the last he had the better, [Id. ibid.]

Alexander in all this fight lost, at most, but one hundred men, but of his horses, what of them that were kill'd, what of them that were spent with over-riding, he lost one thousand; of which one half were of his confederates: but on the other side, there are said to have been slain, 300 thousand men; and a far greater number taken prisoners: moreover all the Elephants, and as many of his Chariots, as were not broken in the fight, came into his hands; so saith Arrianus. But Diodorus reports, that of the Persian side there were not lost above 90 thousand horse and foot; and of the Macedons there were missing 500. besides a multitude of them that came hurt out of the field And Curtius, [lib. 4. cap. ult.] that there were slain of the Persian side, 40 thousand upon account taken; and somewhat lesse than 3 hundred of the Macedonians. But of the totall of them that were slain in the three battels, this, and that at Issus, and at Granicum, Orosius, [lib. 3. cap. 17.] casting up the number of those that had been lost on that side, in the 3 years past, with 3 or 4 moneths, and some odd dayes over, setteth it down in this wise. In such a multitude of calamities, saith he, it is a thing incredible, that in three battles, fought within three years space, there should be slain 50 hundred thousand men, horse and foot; and that out of a kingdom, and those nations, out of which, in but a few years before, there had been, upon account, slain, 90 hundred thousand men: Though besides those 3 fights in those three years, a multitude of cities in Asia had been destroyed with their inhabitants, and all Syria wasted; Tyrus ruined, all Cilicia emptied; Cappadocia subdued, and Egypt sold away: Rhodes also brought into slavery, and many provinces bordering upon the mount Taur…s brought into subjection, and the mount Taurus it self, forced to receive the yoke, which it had so long striven to avoid.

Alexander, having a little rested his Horse that were about him, set out at midnight toward Arbela, because he understood that Darius had laid up there all his moneys and royall provisions, which he purposed there to supprise: and the next day came to Arbela, where he found not Darius himself, but all his treasure he did; and his Target, and his Bow, [Arrianus lib. 3.] Diodorus saith, that he found there three thousand talents. Curtius four, all the wealth of the whole army, having been carried and laid up in that place [lib. 5. cap. 2.]

With this battle the Empire of Persia seemed to have been ended. And now was Alexander proclaimed King of Asia, and thereupon offered magnificent sacrifices to his gods, and distributed among his Nobles, houses, territories, and provinces at his pleasure, [Plut. in Alexander.]

Now because he knew it could not be but that the aire thereabout, must be infected with the stench of the carcases of all sorts there lying slain, he therefore made hast to remove from Arbela, [Diod. in the beginning of his second part, lib. 17. Curt. lib. 5. cap. 2.] and the fourth day after came to a city called Mennis; where there is a fountain, issuing forth sulphar or liquid brimstone, [Curt. ibid.]

And as he came towards Babylon, Mazeus, who had fled thither out of the field, met him, with his children, that were of age, in all humble manner, and yeilded up both himself and them, and the city of Babylon, and all, into his hands: and he received him and his children very graciously; and Bagophanes, who had the keeping of the Castle there, with the Kings treasure in it, that he might not seem to be out-done by Mazaeus, strowed all the way where he was to passe with flowers and garlands: erecting on each hand of the way, silver altars, burning on them not onelyonly franckincense, but also all other sorts of sweet odors. Alexander guarded with armed men, commanded all the men of Babylon that came forth to meet him, to come behind the very rear of all his foot. He in his Chariot made his entrance into the city, and so went up to the Kings palace; and the next day took a view of the kings treasure, [so Curt. lib. 5. c. 3. Justin l. 11. c. 14.] saith, that having refresht and rewarded his souldiers, he spent 34 days in this work; for so the better sort of copies have it, and Orosius agreeth thereto, and Curtius also, [lib. 5. c. 5.] that this army spent the same number of dayes there, in faining themselves, and Diod. ut supra. comfirms, that they stayed there above 30 dayes, being taken with the commodiousnesse of the place, and the entertainment which they found at the Citizens hands.

p. 224Among others who entertained Alexander in this city, were the Chaldeans, who discoursed to him concerning the course and motions of the Stars, and fatal arterations of the times, [Curt. lib. 5. cap. 3.] From whom Callisthenes one of Alexanders followers, received the observations of the Heavenly bodies for 1903 years space; and transmitted them to Aristotle in Greece, as I mentioned before, in the year of the World 1771. out of Porphyrie.

Alexander himself also consulted with the Chaldeans: and by their advice, sacrificed to Belus: and whatever they prescribed him concerning the reparation of the Temples there, that he did. And thereupon, commanded the Babylonians to repair the Temples which Xerxes had formerly demolished; especially that of Belus, seated in the heart of the City: and commanded forthwith the rubbage to be carried away, [Arria. lib. 3. pag. 63. and lib. 7. pag. 159.] which it self was so great a work to do, that it took up 10 thousand mens labour for two whole moneths, to clear the place where the Temple stood, [Strabo, lib. 16. pag. 738.] But when Alexander commanded all his army to help to carry away the rubbage, the Jews onelyonly refused to set hand to that work; for which Hecataeus of Abdera, who was then with Alexander, saith, that they endured many a blow, and many other grievous inconveniences, till Alexander himself hearing their reasons, dispensed with them therein, [Josephus cont. Ap…on. lib. 1. page 1049.]

Alexander wondred at nothing more in those parts, than at a hole in the earth in Ecbatana, or rather in Batana, as other copies have it (for Batana, which is a city placed by Stephanus Byzantinus near the Euphrates, and not Ecbatana, the Metropolis of Media is here meant) where flames of fire continually break forth as out of a fountain, and a living spring of Naphta rising not far from that hole, where the fire breaketh forth; of the effects of which fiery nature here made known to Alexander, [Plutarch, in his life] speaketh more at large.

Alexander, commanding Bagophanes, (who had surrendred the Castle of Babylon) to follow him, committed the keeping thereof to Agathon, of the town of Pydna, with 700 Macedons, and 300 Mercenary souldiers: and made Mazaeus, who delivered that city to him, Governour of all the Province of Babylon; setting Apollodorus of Amphipolis, and Menetes of Pella in Macedonia, to be Commanders of the Militia in that, and all the other Regions westward, as far as Cilicia: and for that purpose left with them, 2 thousand souldiers, with a thousand talents of silver, to raise Mercenary souldiers with. He appointed Asclepiodotus Philotas his son, to gather up his tributes in those parts, and sent Mithrines, who gave up the city Sardes to him, to be Governour in Armenia, [Diodor. Arria. Curtius.]

Out of the monies which he found in Babylon, he gave to every Macedonian Horseman, 6 pound, to every stranger 5 pounds; to every Foot souldier, that was a Macedon, 2 pounds, to every stranger 2 moneths pay, [Diodor.] An Attic ounce, or pound, contained an hundred Drachmaes; which Curtius confounding with the Roman Denarius, saith, he gave to every Macedonian Horseman 600 Denarii, and to every stranger 500. and to every Foot souldier 200. [lib. 5. cap. 6.]

And now was Alexander upon his way from Babylon, when Amyntas the son of Andromenes, came to him with a supply of men sent him by Antipater Governour of Macedonia; of these there were out of Macedonia it self, 500 Horse, and 6 thousand Foot: out of Thrace, 600 Horse, and 3500 Foot: out of Peloponesus, 4 thousand Foot, and 380 Horse; as Curtius, or little lesse than a full thousand as Diodorus hath it: and along with them went the children of fifty the principal Nobles of Macedonia, to be Squires of the body to the King, [Diodor. and Curtius.]

Alexander having received this supply, went onward of his journey: and in six dayes march, came into a country called Sitacine, but by Curtius Satrapene; and because this country abounded with all things necessary for the life of man, therefore he made stay there many dayes; where taking an exact trial, of every mans prowese and dexterity in the feats of Chivalry, he gave those eight, which were judged to excell the rest, every man to have the comand of a thousand men. Then divided he his whole army into so many Brigades; for before that time, they went by 500 in a company, nor were those places formerly given upon trial made of their virtues, as now. And whereas before, the Horse of every Nation served together, apart from others; now making no difference of Nations, he appointed them Commanders, such as were most expert in the war of what nation soever. And having reformed the martial discipline of his army in many points, so as the whole body thereof fell into a great likeing of the Head, and ready in all things to serve at his command: he then put foreward and went on upon his intended journey, [Diodor. and Curtius lib. 5. cap. 6.]

And now drawing near to Susa, there met him on the way, the son of the Governour of Susa, with a Post, and letters from Philoxenus, whom Alexander immediately after the battel at Arbela, had dispacht away to Susa: The effect of which letters, was this; p. 225that the inhabitants of Susa had given up the city to his dispose; and that all the treasure there, was reserved safe for him, [Arria. lib. 3.] and the same was delivered to him by word of mouth by the son of Abulites, the governour of the place, whether of his own accord, or whether, as some would have it, by Darius his command, to the end, that whiles he busied himself there about those money matters, himself might have the more time, to raise a new war against him, [Diodor. and Curtius lib. 5. cap. 7.]

The King enterteined the young man with much grace and favour; and using him for his guide, came to the river Idaspes; al. Choaspes, which runs with a delicate, but violent stream. Here Abulites himself met him, with a princely present, among which were certain Dromedaries, or running Camels, of an incredible swiftnesse, and 12 Elephants, which Darius had sent for out of India. [Curtius ibid.]

Upon the day, after he left Babylon, he came to Susa, and having there made his entry, he received 50 thousand talents of silver, with all other the kings wardrobe, and other furniture, [Arria. lib. 3.] and as much more silver in sows, saith Curtius; but Diodorus reckons upward of 400 thousand talents of silver and gold in sowes and wedges, and 9 thousand talents coined into Darics, there found, Plutarch mentions 40 thousand talents in ready coine, and five thousand talents worth of Hermionic scarlet, which had been laid up there 190 years before, and yet lookt as fresh, as it did the first day it was laid up.

There again did Alexander offer sacrifice, according to the Macedonian manner, by torch-light, and exhibited gymnick pastimes and exercises, [Arrianus.] Then sate he him down in the royal throne of Persia, far higher than for the proportion of his body to sit on; and therefore, when his feet would not reach to the step by which he mounted it, one of the pages took the table, whereat Darius used to eat his meat, and put it under, for a footstool unto him: which Philotas perceiving, perswaded him to take it for a signe of good luck unto him, [Diodor. and Curt. lib. 5. cap. 7.]

As for robes, and other purple stuff which was sent him out of Macedon, with those which wrought them, he sent it all to Darius his mother Sysigambes, whom he respected in all points, and honoured as a son should do his mother: adding withal in his message to her, that if she liked those works, she should do well to let her young nieces to learn to work them; whereat when he understood that she was not a little troubled in her minde, he went himself, and excused the matter to her, by his ignorance of the Persian manners of doing in that kind, and comforted her again, [Curt. ib. cap. 8.] and so left her, and Darius his two young daughters, and his little son Ochus at Susa, and departed; leaving some to instruct both her and them in the Macedonians language, [Diodor.]

And so himself went foreward toward the utmost bounds of Persia, leaving Archelaus with a garrison of three thousand souldiers to keep the city, and Xenophilus to manne the Castle, and Callicrates to gather up his tributes. But for the civil government of the province of Susa, he committed it to Abulites, who had given up all unto him, [Curt. Ibid. cap. 8.] But sent back Menetes to the sea side, and made him governour of Phaenicia, Syria and Cilicia, [Arria. lib. 3.]

Alexander, in four dayes march, came to the river called Pasitigris: and having passed it, with 9 thousand foot, and 3 or 4 thousand horse; went into the country of the Uxians, bordering upon the province of Susa; and running out into the principal part of Persia, between which and that, there is a narrow passage: Madates was governour of this country, who had married Sysigambes her sisters daughter.

Alexander gave Tauron 1500 mercenaries, and upon the point 1000 Agrians, and bad him with them to set forward as soon as it grew dark, and following his guides, to go, by such by-wayes and secret passages as they should shew him, and advance as far as to the city, which himself purposed to besiege. He then taking with him the squires of his body and his Targateers, and some 8 thousand other souldiers, set foreward at the third watch at the same night, and by break of day, came to those streights, which opened into the Uxians country, and having passed them, came and sate down before the city. The Uxians seeing themselves hem'd in on all parts with a siege, sent out of the Castle there 30 men in suppliant wise, tocrave his pardon; but that would not doe: yet at length having received letters of request from Sysigambes, he did not onelyonly pardon Madates her kinsman, but restored all as well prisoners, as those who had voluntarily submitted to him, to their pristine libert…, and left the city untoucht, and their land all over tribute free, [Curtius lib. 5. cap. 9.] For Arrianus reports out of Ptolomaeus Lagi, that at Sysigambes her entreaty, he left them indeed their lands to till, but put a yearly tribute upon them, of 100 horses, and 500 beasts for carriage, and 3000 sheep; for this whole relation, is diversely made by Diodore, Curtius and Arrianus.

p. 226Alexander, having subdued the country of the Uxians, laid it to the Province of Susa, and parting all his forces between himself and Parmenion, commanded the luggage, and the Thessalian Horse, and confederates, and forreign mercenaries, and the corselets, to go with him thorough the champion country; but himself taking with him the Macedonian Foot, and the Horse of his confederates, and light Horse, which he sent before him to discover, with the squadron of Agrians, and archers, went by the way of the mountain, which run all along in a ridge as far as unto Persia, [Curtius, lib. 5. cap. 10. Arria. lib. 3.]

Upon the fifth day after, as Diodorus and Curtius say, he came to the streights of Persia, called the Susian Pyles, or Gates. These Ariobarzanes the Persian kept with 25 thousand Foot, and 300 Horse, as Diodorus saith; or with near about 4 thousand Foot, and 7 hundred Horse, as Arrianus: And he there repulsed Alexander with losse and shame, and made him retreat 30 furlongs off from that passage: But at last, having taken a certain shepherd prisoner, who was borne of a Persian mother, but begotten by a father borne in Lycia; and being by him guided thorough narrow and craggy by-paths, and over certain snowie mountains, he routed the enemy, and opened a fair and free passage thorough those streights. Yet Ariobarzanes with some 40 Horse, and 5 thousand Foot, brake thorough the army of the Macedons, with a great slaughter, as well of them, as of his own men, hasting by all means possible, to get into Persepolis, which was the Metropolis o… Head City of that kingdom; but being kept out there, and the enemy following him at the very heeles, he fell back upon them, and in a second fight, was by them cut in pieces, with all that followed him: all which is more fully related by [Diodor. Curtius, Arria. Plutarch, and Polyaenus, lib. 4. stratag.]

As he was now marching forward toward Persepolis, letters met him from Tiridates, Darius his Treasurer in that place, shewing him, that the inhabitants of Persepolis hearing of his approach, were ready to fall upon the Kings treasure, and to share it among themselves: and desiring him therefore to make all possible haste to prevent them: He therefore leaving his Foot to come after, travelled all night with his Horse, though already tired with so long a journey, and came by break of day to the river Araxes; and there making a bridge, passed over with his army, [Diodor. and Curtius, lib. 5. cap. 11.]

And now he was come within two furlongs of the City, when about some 8 hundred (for so Diodorus, Justinus, and Suidas, in the word Alexander, report, not 4 thousand, as Curtius) poor Grecian slaves, following one Euctemon of Cuma in Eolia, came forth as humble suppliants to meet him. These were such as the former Kings of Persia had taken in the wars, and made slaves of them; and in excesse of cruelty, had hitherto kept alive, some their Feet, some their hands, some their eares, and other their noses cut off, branding them all with letters or other markes in their faces, as he saw. These besought him, that as he had done Greece, so he would now vouchsafe to deliver them from the slavery of the Persian cruelty: and afterward, when he offered to send a convoy with them into Greece, they desired him rather to lay them out, and bestow some lands among them there right; least that, in case they were, they should not prove a comfort, but an abomination to their friends and kinsfolkes, at home. The King approving their motion, gave to every of them, 3 thousand Drachmaes, (which Curtius in this place also renders, by the word Denarios) and 5 suites of raiment for a man, and as many for every woman, and two yoke of oxen, and 500 sheep and 50 bushels of wheat, whereby they might go in hand to till and sow the land, which he had laid out for them: And moreover, exempted their land from paying all manner of tribute, and left some to protect them, and to see that no man should wrong them, [Diodor. and Curtius, ib. cap. 12. with Justin. lib. 11. cap. 14.]

The next day, calling together all the Commanders, and Captains of his army, he declared to them, that this city Persepolis, the Metropolis of Persia, had ever been most outragiously bent against the Grecians, and that therefore he was resolved to give the plunder of it to the souldier, all save the Kings Palace; whereupon there presently followed a huge slaughter of the prisoners which they had taken. And this he avowed as his own act in writing, thinking it to be for his honour, that he commanded them, as enemies to be so butchered. Plutarch sayes, that he found treasure there, equal to that at Susa. Diodorus writeth, that coming into the Fort or Citadel, he found therein 120 thousand talents, reckoning the gold after the rate of the silver; which is the same summe which Curtius hath, [lib. 5. cap. 13.]

When Alexander first sat down in Persepolis, upon the Royal Throne under a golden Canopie, Demaratus the Corinthian, and an old friend of his, and his fathers before him, is reported to have fallen like an old man a weeping, and to have said withal, That those Grecians lost a great pleasure, who died before that day, and lived not be behold Alexander sitting in Darius his Throne, [Plut. in Alexan.]

Alexander left the keeping of the Citadal or Castle of Persepolis to the keeping of p. 227Nicarthides, with a garrison of 5 thousand Macedons, Tiridates also, who delivered the treasure to him, held the same state and office, which he had under Darius; and leaving there a great part of his army and stuff, committed the keeping of the city to Parmenion and Craterus himself, with a thousand horse, and light armed foot, went to visit the inner parts of Persia at the rising of the seven stars: and although he was intolerably vexed with stormes, and other tempestuous weather upon the way, yet he went through to the place, which he intended: by the way, he came to a place all covered with snow, and frozen over with ice: But he, seeing his souldiers at a stand, leapt off his horse, and went himself on foot over the ice and snow: The country people, which dwelt scattered in cretes and cabans, when they saw troops and companies of the enemy, fell on killing such of their children and others, as were not able to go with them, and fled all to the wild woods and mountains, covered with snow: But some of them, being drawn to a parley, they by little and little, laid a side their fright, and submitted to the king, nor did Alexander suffer any hurt to be done unto them; [Curt. l. 5. c. 14.]

At length, having wasted the country of Persia all over, and taken sundry townes thereof, he came into the countrey of the Mardi; a warlike Nation, and far differing in behaviour from the Persians: which yet Alexander took in, and returned to Persepolis, the thirtieth day after he set out from thence; then he set him to bestow his rewards upon his Nobles and others, to every man according to his deserts: giving away almost what ever he had there gotten, [Id. Ibid.]

This jourey of his, taken, as I said before, about the rising of the seven stars, Curtius only describes, whereas Plutarch saies, that, because the winter now grew on, to give his army some case, he therefore spent 4 moneths in Persia, now Pliny [lib. 18. cap. 31.] tells us, that the Athenians began their winter upon the Ides of November, when the seven stars set: But the course of times, reckoned from the battle at Gaugamela, shew that Alexander could not come to Persepolis before our December: others also cast a doubt concerning the Mardi themselves: for Curtius tells us, that he subdued them not till after the death of Darius, [lib. 6. cap. 9.] unlesse we will distinguish these Mardi of Persia (mentioned by Herodotus lib. 1. cap. 125, and by Nearchus in Strabo lib. 11. pag. 524, and Arrianus in his Indica, pag. 196.) from those Mardi, which bordered upon Hircania; neither doth that of Curtius, where he saith that he gave away almost all that he got at Persepolis: for he speaks expresly of that, and not of what he got at Pasargadis (as we shewed before, in the year of the world 3669, out of Jacobus Capellus) well agree, with that which himself delivered in the very end of the next precedent chapter, where hee saith, that Alexander commanded Horses and Camels to bee sent for from Babylon and Susa, to carry along those one hundred and twenty thousand talents which he found in this city, which we may compare with that of Strabo, [lib. 15. pag. 731.] where he speaketh in this wise; All the moneys of Persia (saith he) he carried out of Susa, which it self was full of treasure, and rich stuffe: It is delivered for certain, that what ever he got in Babylon, and in Darius his Camp, and never came into this accompt; in Persia it self, and Susa, there were found 40 thousand talents; some say, 50 thousand. And with that in Diodore; where he saith, that when he was forced to lay out much of the money there gotten, upon the necessary uses of his wars, and purposed to send part of it to Susa to be laid up there in bank, yet was he fain to get a multitude of horses, both of draught, and carriages, and 3 thousand Camels with pack saddles, from Babylon, and out of Mesopotamia; to carry his treasure to appointed places: and Plut. moreover tells us, [in Alexan.] that his monys and stuffe from thence taken, wanted 10000 yoke of mules, and 5000 camels, to carry them away.

Darius, staying a while at Ecbatan in Media, gathered together, those which were left of the overthrow, and furnisht them with armes again, that had lost their own in the flight: he sent also for new supplies out of the neighbouring nations of his dominions: he also sent to the Governors and Officers in Bactria, and other countries, to continue firme in their allegeance to him; [Diodor. in the 2 part of his 17 book;] and his purpose was that, if Alexander stood hankering about Susa and Babylon, he would stay in Media, to see whether they who were about him, might not happily raise some new commotions; but if he found that he purposed to pursue him, then to retire to Parthia and Hircania, and even into Bactria it self: and by wasting all the countries as he went, to leave Alexander no possibility of following him, for want of forrage: wherefore he sent away before him, all the women, and other bagg and baggage, and carriages whatsoever, to the Caspian Gates, or streights; & himself with such small forces as he had gotten together, staid at Ecbatane, in expectance, how things might go, [Arria. lib. 3.]

Alexander made a feast for his victories already gotten, and offered magnificent sacrifices to his gods; and feasted his Nobles, with a most sumptuous banquet; with store of whores and curtisans among: every one with her ruffian: Among these there was one Thais, an Athenian borne, and a sweet-heart to Ptolomaeus Lagi his son; at whose drunken motion, Alexander, no lesse far gone in wine than she her self was, commanded all Persepolis, both City and Castle, to be set on a light fire, with caroling, and p. 228instruments of musick playing all the while, contrary to the advice of Parmenion, if it might have been heard. It is true, that having slept upon it, it much repented him of what he had done, saying, That the Grecians could not have been more revenged of the Persians, if they had been forced to have seen him sitting in Xerxes his throne. [Curt. lib. 5. ca. 15. Diod. Plut. Arria.]

The day after he bestowed 30 talents upon that shephard of Lycia, who had been his guide and shewed him the way into Persia, [Curt. ibid.]

Alexander after this took Pasargada, a city built by Cyrus, and which was now given up to him, by Gobares the Governour thereof, with 6 thousand talents, [Id. cap. 13.] where he visited the sepulchre of Cyrus, as Strabo reports out of Aristobulus, who was present went he when to do it, [lib. 15. pag. 730.]

Then went he and took in the rest of the cities of Persia, some by pure force, others upon their voluntary surrender, [Diod.] which it seemeth was done, at the morning rising of the seven stars, from whence the ancients reckoned the beginning of summer, not at the morning setting of them, and beginning of winter, at which time it was, that he took his journey into the heart of Persia, as Curtius seemeth to say,

Alexander made Phrasaortes the son of Rheomithris, Governour of Persia, [Arrianus lib. 3.] and then went into Media; where a fresh supply came to him out of Cilicia, consisting of five thousand foot, and one thousand horse, all commanded by one Plato, an Athenian born, and then went foreward, to follow after Darius, [Curt. lib. 5. cap. 16.]

Darius was purposed, leaving Ecbatane, to flee into Bactria; but fearing lest Alexander should overtake him upon the way, he changed his purpose. Alexander was at that time 1500 furlongs off from him: but no distance of place seemed enough to prevent his speed in following, and therefore he resolved, instead of flying, to try the fortune of another battle. He had then 30 thousand men about him; of which four thousand were Grecians, under the command of Pattan, (all men of approved fidelity toward him) besides 4 thousand archers and slingers: and yet more, 3300 horse, consisting for the most part of Bactrianus, commanded by Bessus, Governour of Bactria, [Curt. ib.]

Diodorus reckons them 30 thousand Persians and Mercenary Greeks: Arrianus 3 thousand horse, and 6 thousand foot, and no more; who also sayes, that Darius carried with him out of Media, no more then 7 thousand talents. But Strabo [lib. 15. pag. 731. saies, that Darius when he fled out of Media, carried with him 8 thousand talents, which they, who murdered him, rifled and shared among themselves; and Diodorus, [year. 4. Olympiade 112.] sayes, that Alexander, when he pursued Darius, had just so many talents from his cash-keepers. And Atheneus [lib. 11. pag. 514. of the Greek and Latin edition,] out of Charetes his history of Alexander tells us, that the custom of the Persian Kings was, wherever they went, to have over the Kings bed-chamber, a Garret, with five Chests in it, wherein there were always 5 thousand talents of gold kept, and that they called the Kings pillows, and at the back staires one other room, where were ever kept three thousand talents, in three chests, and that was called the kings bench to sit on.

Bessus, the governour of Bactria, and Nabarzanes, commander of 1000 horse, both which followed Darius in his flight, commanded their souldiers to seize on his person, and to bind him fast, resolving, if Alexander overtook them, to purchase their own peace, by delivering him bound into his hands: but if they could get clear of him, then to set up for themselves, and to renew the war against him in their own names, [Curt. lib. 5. cap. 18. 22, 23. Arria. lib. 3. pag. 67, 68. and 76.] This, saith Justin [lib. 11. cap. 15.] was acted in a certain town in Parthia called Thara, or rather, Dara, so called afterward by Arsaces, the first king of Parthia, in remembrance of this vilany there acted upon Darius: adding out of Trogus, that this was done by a kind of fatality, that the Persian Empire, should end in their land, who were pre-ordained to succeed them in the Empire.

The kings treasure and stuff, of which I speak, was rifled, as if it had all been enemies goods, Bessus and Nabarzanes, together with one Braza, (al. Barzaentes) governour of the Arachoti, and Drangian took Darius, carryed him away prisoner in a Cart: yet to shew some respect, they clapt golden chains upon him: and again, that he might not be known, they covered the Cart, with a base dirty tilt made of skins, and set strangers to drive it; who, if any man should ask, could not tell who was in it, and those who were his jaylors, came a pretty way behind. The Persians, won thereto by Bessus his large promises, and the rather, because there was no body now left to whom they might apply themselves, joyned with the Bactrians: and now Bessus was made general, in Darius his room, by the Bactrian horse, and other nations; which had accompanied Darius in his flight. But Artabazus and his sons, with those which he commanded, and the Greeks commanded by Patron, kept themselves a part from Bessus, and leaving the rode way, gat up the mountains, and marched away to Parthiene, [Curt. lib. 5. cap. 23. Arria. lib. 4. pag. 68.]

p. 229Alexander bending his course into Media, fell in upon the Paritacae, and subdued their country, and made Oxoathres, Abuletus his son, governour over them, [Arrian. pag. 66.]

Tabas was a Town in the utmost border of Paritocene, there he was told, by some who had abandoned Darius, and fled to him, that Darius was gone in all hast to Bactria, [Curt. lib. 5. cap. 24.] But coming within three dayes journey of Ecbatane, he was more certainly enformed by Bistanes, the son of Ochus, who reigned in Persia next before Darius, that Darius was fled from Ecbatane five dayes before, [Arrianus lib. 3.]

Alexander, when he came to Ecbatane, finding the Thessalian and others of the confederate Horse unwilling to accompany him any further, dismissed them to return into their own countries: and at their parting, over and above their full pay, gave 2 thousand talents to be shared among them, [Arria. ibid. Plut. in Alexan.] But Diodorus and Curtius, (speaking of his dismissing the Grecians, as a thing done after the death of Darius, and in a general way without any special mention made of the Thessalian Troups) say, that he gave to every one that served on horseback a talent, or 6 thousand Deneers, as [Curtius in lib. 6. cap. 3.] expresseth it: counting here, as his manner every where is, a deneere, for a drachma. And Diodorus addes, that he gave to every Foot souldier ten mnâs; (i. e.) a thousand drachmaes, and provision enough besides for every man to carry him on his way into his own country: and to every one of them that would continue in his service, he gave 3 talents ready money: and finding that the number of them that stayed was not small, he appointed one Epocillus to convoy the rest to the sea side in Asia; for the Thessalians that returned left their horses with him. And moreover he wrote to Menetes, Governour in those parts, that as soon as they arrived there, he should furnish them forthwith with shipping, and see them transported into Europe side, [Arria.]