to the conqueror. According to Arrian, the Persians lost 300,000 men, besides those who were taken prisoners; which, at least, is a proof that the loss was very great on their side. That of Alexander was very inconsiderable, he not losing, according to the lastmentioned author, 1200 men, most of whom were horse.

A. M. 3674.

This engagement was fought in the month of Ant. J. C. 330. October,* about the same time that, two years before, the battle of Issus was fought. As Gaugamela, in Assyria, the spot where the two armies engaged, was a small place of very little note, this was called the battle of Arbela, that being the nearest city to the field of battle.

SECT. IX.

Alexander possesses himself of Arbela, Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and finds immense riches in those cities. At a banquet he sets fire to the palace of Persepolis. Alexander's first care,† after his obtaining the victory, was to offer magnificent sacrifices to the gods by way of thanksgiving. He afterwards rewarded such as had signalized themselves remarkably in the battle; bestowed riches upon them with a very liberal hand, and gave to each of them houses, employments, and governments. But, being desirous of expressing more particularly his gratitude to the Greeks, for having appointed him generalissimo against the Persians, he gave orders for abolishing the several tyrannical institutions that had started up in Greece; that the cities should be restored to their liberties, and all their rights and privileges. He wrote particularly to the Plateans, declaring, that it was his desire their city should be rebuilt, to reward the zeal and bravery by which their ancestors had distinguished themselves, in defending the common liberties of Greece. He also sent part of the spoils to the people of Crotona in Italy; to honour, after the lapse of so many years, the good-will and courage of Phay!lus the wrestler, a native of their country, who (whilst war was carrying on by the Medes, and when all the rest of the Greeks that were settled in Italy had abandoned the true Grecians, imagining they were entirely undone) fitted out a galley at his own expense, and sailed to Salamis, to partake of the danger to which his country men were at that time exposed. So great a friend and encourager, says Plutarch, was Alexander, of every kind of virtue; consider ing himself obliged in a manner to perpetuate the remembrance of all great actions, to give them the immortality they merited, and propose them to posterity as so many models for their imitation.

Darius, after his defeat, with very few attendants, had rode towards the river Lycus. After crossing it, several advised him to

The month, called by the Greeks Boedromion, answers partly to our month of October. Diod. 1. xvii. p. 538-540. Arrian. 1. iii. p. 127-133. Plut. in Alex. p. 685-668. Quint. Curt. I. v. c. 1-7. Justin. 1. xi. c. 14. 1 Herodotus relates this history in very few words, 1. viii. c. 47.

break down the bridge, because the enemy pursued him. But he made this generous answer: "That life was not so dear to him, as to make him desire to preserve it by the destruction of so many thousands of his subjects and faithful allies, who by that means, would be delivered up to the mercy of the enemy; that they had as much right to pass over this bridge as their sovereign, and consequently that it ought to be as open to them as to himself." After riding a great number of leagues full speed, he arrived at midnight at Arbela. From thence he fled towards Media, over the Armenian mountains, followed by his nobility and a few of his guards. The reason of his going that way was, his supposing that Alexander would proceed towards Babylon and Susa, there to enjoy the fruits of his victory: besides, a numerous army could not pursue him by this road; whereas, in the other, horses and chariots might advance with great ease; not to mention that the country was very fruitful.

A few days after, Arbela surrendered to Alexander, who found in it a great quantity of furniture belonging to the crown, rich clothes, and other precious articles, with 4000 talents (about 775,000l.,) and all the riches of the army, which Darius had left there at his setting out against Alexander, as was before observed. But he was soon obliged to leave that place, because of the diseases that spread in his camp, occasioned by the infection of the dead bodies which covered all the field of battle. This prince advanced therefore over the plains towards Babylon, and, after four days' march, arrived at Memnis, where, in a cave, is seen the celebrated fountain which throws out bitumen, in such quantities, that, we are told, it was used as cement in building the walls of Babylon. But what Alexander admired most, was a great gulf, which streamed perpetually rivulets of fire, as from an inexhaustible spring; and a flood of naphtha, which overflowing, from the prodigious quantities of it, formed a great lake pretty near the gulf. This naphtha is exactly like bitumen, but has one quality more, viz. its catching fire so very suddenly, that, before it touches a flame, it takes fire merely from the light that surrounds the flame, and sets the air between both on fire. The Barbarians being desirous of showing the king the strength and subtle nature of this combustible substance, scattered several drops of it up and down after his arrival in Babylon, in that street which went up to the house he had chosen for his residence. After this, going to the other end of the street, they brought torches near the places where those drops were fallen (for it was night,) and the drops which were nighest the torches taking fire on a sudden, the flame ran in an instant to the other end; by which means the whole street seemed in one general conflagration.

Non ita se saluti suæ velle consultuin, ut tot millia sociorum hosti objiciat: debere et aliis fugæ viam patere, quæ patuerit sibi. Justin.

When Alexander drew near Babylon, Mazæus, who had retired thither after the battle of Arbela, surrendered himself, with his children, who were grown up, and gave the city into his hands. The king was very well pleased with his arrival; for he would have met with great difficulties in besieging a city of such importance, and so well provided with every thing. Besides his being a person of quality, and very brave, he had also acquired great he nour in the last battle; and others might be prompted, from the example he set then, to imitate him. Alexander entered the city at the head of his whole army, as if he had been marching to a battle. The walls of Babylon were lined with people, notwithstanding the greatest part of the citizens were gone out to meet him, from the impatient desire they had to see their new sovereign, whose renown had far outstripped his march. Bagophanes, governor of the fortress and guardian of the treasure, unwilling to discover less zeal than Mazaus, strewed the streets with flowers, and raised on both sides of the way silver altars, which smoked not only with frankin cense, but the most fragrant perfumes of every kind. Last of all came the presents which were to be made to the king, viz. herds of cattle, and a great number of horses; as also lions and panthers, which were carried in cages. After these the magi walked, singing hymns after the manner of their country; then the Chaldeans, accompanied by the Babylonish soothsayers and musicians: it was customary for the latter to sing the praises of their kings to their instruments; and the Chaldeans to observe the motion of the planets, and the vicissitude of the seasons. The rear was brought up by the Babylonish valry, of which both men and horses were so sumptuous, that imagination can scarce conceive their magnificence. The king caused the people to walk after his infantry, and himself, surrounded with his guards, and seated on a chariot, entered the city; and from thence rode to the palace, as in a kind of triumph. The next day he took a view of all Darius's money and moveables. Of the moneys which he found in Babylon, he gave, by way of extraordinary recompense, to each Macedonian horseman six minæ (about 157.;) to each foreign horseman two mine (about 57.;) to every Macedonian foot scldier, two mine; and to every one of the rest, two months of their ordinary pay. He gave orders pursuant to the advice of the magi, with whom he had several conferences, for the rebuilding the temples which Xerxes had demolished; and among others, that of Belus, who was held in greater veneration at Babylon than any other deity. He gave the government of the province to Mazaus, and the command of the forces he left there te Apollodorus of Amphipolis.

Alexander, in the midst of the hurry and tumult of war, still preserved a love for the sciences. He used often to converse with the Chaldeans, who had always applied themselves to the study of astronomy from the earliest times, and gained great fame by thei

knowledge in it.* They presented him with astronomical observations, taken by their predecessors during the space of 1903 years, which consequently went as far backward as the age of Nimrod. These were sent by Callisthenes, who accompanied Alexander, to Aristotle.

The king resided longer in Babylon than he had done in any other city, which was of great prejudice to the discipline of his forces. The people, even from a religious motive, abandoned themelves to pleasures, to voluptuousness, and the most infamous exesses; nor did ladies, though of the highest quality, observe any decorum, or show the least reserve in their licentiousness, but gloried therein, so far from endeavouriug to conceal it, or blushing at their enormity. It must be confessed, that this army of soldiers, which had triumphed over Asia, after having thus enervated themselves, and rioted, as it were, in the sloth and luxury of the city of Babylon, for thirty-four days together, would have been scarce able to complete their exploits, had they been opposed by an enemy. But, as they were reinforced from time to time, these irregularities were not so visible; for Amyntas brought 6000 foot and 500 Macedonian horse, which were sent by Antipater; and 600 Thracian horse, with 3500 foot of the same nation; besides 4000 mercenaries from Peloponnesus, with near 400 horses.

The above-mentioned Amyntas had also brought the king fifty Macedonian youths, sons to noblemen of the highest quality in the country, to serve as his guards. These youths waited upon him at table, brought him his horses when in the field, attended upon him in parties of hunting, and kept guard at the door of his apartment by turns: and these were the first steps to the highest employments both in the army and the state.

After Alexander had left Babylon, he entered the province of Sitacena, the soil of which is very fruitful, and productive of every thing valuable, which made him continue the longer in it. But lest indolence should enervate the courage of his soldiers, he proposed prizes for such of them as should exert the greatest bravery; and appointed as judges of the actions of those who should dispute this honour, persons, who themselves had been eye-witnesses of the proofs of bravery which each soldier had given in the former battles, for on these only the prizes were to be bestowed. To each of the eight men who were pronounced most valiant, he gave a regiment, consisting of 1000 men: whence those officers were called Chiliarchi. This was the first time that regiments were composed of so great a number of soldiers, as they consisted before but of 500, and had not yet been the reward of valour. The soldiers ran in crowds to view this illustrious sight, not only as eyewitnesses of the actions of all, but as judges over the judges themselves; because they might perceive very easily whether rewards

*Porphyr. apud Simplic. in lib. ii. de Colo.

were bestowed on merit, or merely by favour; a circumstance in which soldiers can never be imposed upon. The prizes seem to have been distributed with the utmost equity and justice.

He likewise made several very advantageous changes in military discipline, as established by his predecessors; for he formed one single. body of his whole cavalry, without showing any regard to the difference of nations, and appointed such officers to command them, as they themselves thought fit to nominate; whereas before, the horse of every nation used to fight under its own particular standard, and was commanded by a colonel of its country. The trumpet's sound used to be the signal for the march; but as it very frequently could not be well heard, because of the great noise that is made in decamping, he gave orders that a standard should be set up over his tent, which might be seen by his whole army. He also appointed fire to be the signal in the night-time, and smoke in the day.

Alexander marched afterwards towards Susa, where he arrived twenty days after his leaving Babylon. As he came near it, Abutites, governor of the province, sent his son to meet him, with a promise to surrender the city into his hands; whether he was prompted to this from his own inclination, or did it in obedience to the orders of Darius, to amuse Alexander with the hopes of plunder, the king gave this young nobleman a very gracious reception, who conducted him to the river Choaspes, the waters of which are so famous, upon account of their exquisite taste.* The kings of Persia never drank of any other; and, whithersoever they went, a quantity of it, after having been put over the fire, was always carried after them in silver vases. It was here that Abutites came to wait upon himn, bringing presents worthy of a king; among which were dromedaries of incredible swiftness, and twelve elephants which Darius had sent for from India. Being come into the city, he took immense sums out of the treasury, with 50,000 talents of silvert in ore and ingots, besides moveables, and a thousand other things of infinite value. This wealth was the produce of the exactions imposed for several centuries upon the common people, from whose sweat and poverty immense revenues were raised. The Persian monarchs fancied they had amassed them for their children and posterity; but, in one hour, they fell into the hands of a foreign king, who was able to make a right use of them; for Alexander seemed to be merely the guardian or trustee of the immense riches which he found hoarded up in Persia; and applied them to no other use than the rewarding of merit and courage.

Among other things, there were found 5000 quintals of Hermione purple, the finest in the world, which had been treasured up

* Herod. lib. i. c. 188.

↑ About seven millions five hundred thousand pounis The reader will have an idea of the prodigious value of this, when he is told, that this purple was sold at the rate of a hundred crowns a pound. The quintal is a hundred weight of Paris. Hermione was a city of Argolis, where the best purple was dyed.