a smaller history of greece-第49节

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g　out　to　them　that　the　prize　of　victory　would　not　be　a　mere　province；　but　the　dominion　of　all　Asia。　　Yet　so　great　was　the　tranquillity　with　which　he　contemplated　the　result；　that　at　daybreak　on　the　following　morning；　when　the　officers　came　to　receive　his　final　instructions；　they　found　him　in　a　deep　slumber。　His　army；　which　consisted　only　of　40；000　foot　and　7000　horse；　was　drawn　up　in　the　order　which　he　usually　observed；　namely；　with　the　phalanx　in　the　centre　in　six　divisions；　and　the　Macedonian　cavalry　on　the　right；　where　Alexander　himself　took　his　station。　The　Persians；　fearful　of　being　surprised；　had　stood　under　arms　the　whole　night；　so　that　the　morning　found　them　exhausted　and　dispirited。　　Some　of　them；　however；　fought　with　considerable　bravery；　but　when　Alexander　had　succeeded　in　breaking　their　line　by　an　impetuous　charge；　Darius　mounted　a　fleet　horse　and　took　to　flight；　as　at　Issus；　though　the　fortune　of　the　day　was　yet　far　from　having　been　decided。　　At　length；　however；　the　rout　became　general。　　Whilst　daylight　lasted　Alexander　pursued　the　flying　enemy　as　far　as　the　banks　of　the　Lycus；　or　Greater　Zab；　where　thousands　of　the　Persians　perished　in　the　attempt　to　pass　the　river。　　After　resting　his　men　a　few　hours　Alexander　continued　the　pursuit　at　midnight　in　the　hope　of　overtaking　Darius　at　Arbela。　The　Persian　monarch；　however；　had　continued　his　flight　without　stopping；　but　the　whole　of　the　royal　baggage　and　treasure　was　captured。

Finding　any　further　pursuit　of　Darius　hopeless；　Alexander　now　directed　his　march　towards　Babylon。　　At　a　little　distance　from　the　city　the　greater　part　of　the　population　came　out　to　meet　him；　headed　by　their　priests　and　magistrates；　tendering　their　submission　and　bearing　with　them　magnificent　presents。　　Alexander　then　made　his　triumphant　entry　into　Babylon；　riding　in　a　chariot　at　the　head　of　his　army。　　The　streets　were　strewed　with　flowers；　incense　smoked　on　either　hand　on　silver　altars；　and　the　priests　celebrated　his　entry　with　hymns。　　Nor　was　this　a　mere　display　of　a　compulsory　obedience。　　Under　the　Persian　sway　the　Chaldaean　religion　had　been　oppressed　and　persecuted；　the　temple　of　Belus　had　been　destroyed　and　still　lay　in　ruins；　and　both　priests　and　people　consequently　rejoiced　at　the　downfall　of　a　dynasty　from　which　they　had　suffered　so　much　wrong。　　Alexander　observed　here　the　same　politic　conduct　which　he　had　adopted　in　Egypt。　　He　caused　the　ruined　temples　to　be　restored；　and　proposed　to　offer　personally；　but　under　the　direction　of　the　priests；　a　sacrifice　to　Belus。　　Alexander　contemplated　making　Babylon　the　capital　of　his　future　empire。　　His　army　was　rewarded　with　a　large　donative　from　the　Persian　treasury；　and　after　being　allowed　to　indulge　for　some　time　in　the　luxury　of　Babylon；　was　again　put　in　motion；　towards　the　middle　of　November；　for　Susa。　　It　was　there　that　the　Persian　treasures　were　chiefly　accumulated；　and　Alexander　had　despatched　one　of　his　generals　to　take　possession　of　the　city　immediately　after　the　battle　of　Arbela。　　It　was　surrendered　without　a　blow　by　the　satrap　Abulites。　　The　treasure　found　there　amounted　to　40；000　talents　in　gold　and　silver　bullion；　and　9000　in　gold　Darics。　　But　among　all　these　riches　the　interest　of　the　Greeks　must　have　been　excited　in　a　lively　manner　by　the　discovery　of　the　spoils　carried　off　from　Greece　by　Xerxes。　　Among　them　were　the　bronze　statues　of　Harmodius　and　Aristogiton；　which　Alexander　now　sent　back　to　Athens；　and　which　were　long　afterwards　preserved　in　the　Ceramicus。

At　Susa　Alexander　received　reinforcements　of　about　15；000　men　from　Greece。　　He　then　directed　his　march　south…eastwards　towards　Persepolis。　　His　road　lay　through　the　mountainous　territory　of　the　Uxians；　who　refused　him　a　passage　unless　he　paid　the　usual　tribute　which　they　were　in　the　habit　of　extorting　even　from　the　Persian　kings。　　But　Alexander　routed　them　with　great　slaughter。　He　then　advanced　rapidly　to　Persepolis；　whose　magnificent　ruins　still　attest　its　ancient　splendour。　　It　was　the　real　capital　of　the　Persian　kings；　though　they　generally　resided　at　Susa　during　the　winter；　and　at　Ecbatana　in　summer。　　The　treasure　found　there　exceeded　that　both　of　Babylon　and　Susa；　and　is　said　to　have　amounted　to　120；000　talents　or　nearly　30；000；000l。　sterling。　　It　was　here　that　Alexander　is　related　to　have　committed　an　act　of　senseless　folly；　by　firing　with　his　own　hand　the　ancient　and　magnificent　palace　of　the　Persian　kings；　of　which　the　most　charitable　version　is　that　he　committed　the　act　when　heated　with　wine　at　the　instigation　of　Thais；　an　Athenian　courtezan。　　By　some　writers；　however；　the　story　is　altogether　disbelieved；　and　the　real　destruction　of　Persepolis　referred　to　the　Mahommedan　epoch。　Whilst　at　Persepolis；　Alexander　visited　the　tomb　of　Cyrus；　the　founder　of　the　Persian　monarchy；　which　was　situated　at　a　little　distance；　at　a　city　called　Pasargadae。

Thus　in　between　three　and　four　years　after　crossing　the　Hellespont　Alexander　had　established　himself　on　the　Persian　throne。　　But　Darius　was　not　yet　in　his　power。　　After　the　battle　of　Arbela　that　monarch　had　fled　to　Ecbatana。　　It　was　not　till　about　four　months　after　the　battle　of　Arbela；　and　consequently　early　in　330；　that　Alexander　quitted　Persepolis　to　resume　the　pursuit　of　Darius。　　On　approaching　Ecbatana　he　learned　that　the　Persian　monarch　had　already　fled　with　the　little　army　which　still　adhered　to　him。　　Alexander；　with　his　main　body；　then　pursued　Darius　through　Media　by　forced　marches　and　reached　Rhagae；　a　distance　of　three　hundred　miles　from　Ecbatana；　in　eleven　days。　Such　was　the　rapidity　of　the　march　that　many　men　and　horses　died　of　fatigue。　　At　Rhagae　he　heard　that　Darius　had　already　passed　the　defile　called　the　〃Caspian　Gates；〃　leading　into　the　Bactrian　provinces；　and；　as　that　pass　was　fifty　miles　distant；　urgent　pursuit　was　evidently　useless。　　He　therefore　allowed　his　troops　five　days'　rest；　and　then　resumed　his　march。　　Soon　after　passing　the　Gates　he　learned　that　Darius　had　been　seized　and　loaded　with　chains　by　his　own　satrap　Bessus；　who　entertained　the　design　of　establishing　himself　in　Bactria　as　an　independent　sovereign。　This　intelligence　stimulated　Alexander　to　make　still　further　haste　with　part　of　his　cavalry　and　a　chosen　body　of　foot。　　On　the　fourth　day　he　succeeded　in　overtaking　the　fugitives　with　his　cavalry；　having　been　obliged　to　leave　the　infantry　behind；　with　directions　to　follow　more　at　leisure。　　The　enemy；　who　did　not　know　his　real　strength；　were　struck　with　consternation　at　his　appearance；　and　fled　precipitately。　　Bessus　and　his　adherents　now　endeavoured　to　persuade　Darius　to　fly　with　them；　and　provided　a　fleet　horse　for　that　purpose。　　But　the　Persian　monarch；　who　had　already　experienced　the　generosity　of　Alexander　in　the　treatment　of　his　captive　family；　preferred　to　fall　into　his　hands；　whereupon　the　conspirators　mortally　wounded　him　in　the　chariot　in　which　they　kept　him　confined；　and　then　took　to　flight。　　Darius　expired　before　Alexander　could　come　up；　who　threw　his　own　cloak　over　the　body。　　He　then　ordered　him　to　be　magnificently　buried　in　the　tomb　of　his　ancestors；　and　provided　for　the　fitting　education　of　his　children。

The　next　three　years　were　employed　by　Alexander　in　subduing　Hyrcania；　Drangiana；　Bactria；　and　Sogdiana；　and　the　other　northern　provinces　of　the　Persian　empire。　　In　these　distant　regions　he　founded　several　cities；　one　of　which　in　Aria；　called　after　him　（Alexandria　Ariorum）；　is　still；　under　the　name　of　HERAT；　one　of　the　chief　cities　in　central　Asia。　　Alexander's　stay　in　Prophthasia；　the　capital　of　Drangiana；　was　signalized　by　a　supposed　conspiracy　against　his　life；　formed　by　Philotas；　the　son　of　Parmenio。　　Alexander　had　long　entertained　suspicions　of　Philotas。　　But　the　immediate　subject　of　accusation　against　him　was　that　he　had　not　revealed　a　conspiracy　which　was　reported　to　be　forming　against　Alexander's　life；　and　which　he　had　deemed　too　contemptible　to　notice。　　He　was　consequently　suspected　of　being　implicated　in　it；　and　on　being　put　to　the　torture　he　not　only　confessed　his　own　guilt　in　his　agonies；　but　also　implicated　his　father。　　Philotas　was　executed；　and　an　order　was　sent　to　Ecbatana；　where　Parmenio　then　was；　directing　that　veteran　general　to　be　put　to　death。　　A　letter；　purporting　to　be　from　his　son；　was　handed　to　him；　and　whilst　the　old　man　was　engaged　in　reading　it；　Polydamus；　his　intimate　friend；　together　with　some　others　of　Alexander's　principal　officers；　fell　upon　and　slew　him。　　His　head　was　carried　to　Alexander。

Meantime　Bessus　had　assumed　the　royal　dignity　in　Bactria；　but　upon　Alexander's　approach　he　fled　across　the　Oxus　into　Sogdiana。　Early　in　the　summer　of　329　Alexander　followed　him　across　the　Oxus；　and　shortly　afterwards　Bessus　was　betrayed　by　two　of　his　own　officers　into　the　hands　of　Alexander。　　Bessus　was　carried　to　Zariaspa；　the　capital　of　Bactria；　where　he　was　brought　before　a　Persian　court；　and　put　to　death　in　a　cruel　and　barbarous　manner。

Alexander　even　crossed　the　river　Jaxartes　（SIR）；　and　defeated　the　Scythians。　　Sogdiana　alone　of　the　northern　provinces　offered　any　serious　resistance　to　his　arms。　　Accordingly　in　328　he　again　crossed　the　Oxus。　　He　divided　his　army　into　five　bodies；　ordering　them　to　scour　the　country　in　different　directions。　　With　the　troops　under　his　o