alexander-第8章

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e　to　do　but　to　fight　gallantly　and　die　with　honour。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　put　on　his　helmet；　having　the　rest　of　his　arms　on　before　he　came　out　of　his　tent；　which　were　a　coat　of　the　Sicilian　make；　girt　close　about　him；　and　over　that　a　breast…piece　of　thickly　quilted　linen；　which　was　taken　among　other　booty　at　the　battle　of　Issus。　The　helmet；　which　was　made　by　Theophilus；　though　of　iron；　was　so　well　wrought　and　polished　that　it　was　as　bright　as　the　most　refined　silver。　To　this　was　fitted　a　gorget　of　the　same　metal；　set　with　precious　stones。　His　sword；　which　was　the　weapon　he　most　used　in　fight；　was　given　him　by　the　King　of　the　Citieans；　and　was　of　an　admirable　temper　and　lightness。　The　belt　which　he　also　wore　in　all　engagements　was　of　much　richer　workmanship　than　the　rest　of　his　armour。　It　was　a　work　of　the　ancient　Helicon；　and　had　been　presented　to　him　by　the　Rhodians；　as　a　mark　of　their　respect　to　him。　So　long　as　he　was　engaged　in　drawing　up　his　men；　or　riding　about　to　give　orders　or　directions；　or　to　view　them；　he　spared　Bucephalus；　who　was　now　growing　old；　and　made　use　of　another　horse；　but　when　he　was　actually　to　fight；　he　sent　for　him　again；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　mounted；　commenced　the　attack。　　　He　made　the　longest　address　that　day　to　the　Thessalians　and　other　Greeks；　who　answered　him　with　loud　shouts；　desiring　him　to　lead　them　on　against　the　barbarians；　upon　which　he　shifted　his　javelin　into　his　left　hand；　and　with　his　right　lifted　up　towards　heaven；　besought　the　gods；　as　Callisthenes　tells　us；　that　if　he　was　of　a　truth　the　son　of　Jupiter；　they　would　be　pleased　to　assist　and　strengthen　the　Grecians。　At　the　same　time　the　augur　Aristander；　who　had　a　white　mantle　about　him；　and　a　crown　of　gold　on　his　head；　rode　by　and　showed　them　an　eagle　that　soared　just　over　Alexander；　and　directed　his　flight　towards　the　enemy；　which　so　animated　the　beholders；　that　after　mutual　encouragements　and　exhortations；　the　horse　charged　at　full　speed；　and　were　followed　in　a　mass　by　the　whole　phalanx　of　the　foot。　But　before　they　could　well　come　to　blows　with　the　first　ranks；　the　barbarians　shrunk　back；　and　were　hotly　pursued　by　Alexander；　who　drove　those　that　fled　before　him　into　the　middle　of　the　battle；　where　Darius　himself　was　in　person；　whom　he　saw　from　a　distance　over　the　foremost　ranks；　conspicuous　in　the　midst　of　his　life…guard；　a　tall　and　fine…looking　man；　drawn　in　a　lofty　chariot；　defended　by　an　abundance　of　the　best　horse；　who　stood　close　in　order　about　it　ready　to　receive　the　enemy。　But　Alexander's　approach　was　so　terrible；　forcing　those　who　gave　back　upon　those　who　yet　maintained　their　ground；　that　he　beat　down　and　dispersed　them　almost　all。　Only　a　few　of　the　bravest　and　valiantest　opposed　the　pursuit；　who　were　slain　in　their　king's　presence；　falling　in　heaps　upon　one　another；　and　in　the　very　pangs　of　death　striving　to　catch　hold　of　the　horses。　Darius　now　seeing　all　was　lost；　that　those　who　were　placed　in　front　to　defend　him　were　broken　and　beat　back　upon　him；　that　he　could　not　turn　or　disengage　his　chariot　without　great　difficulty；　the　wheels　being　clogged　and　entangled　among　the　dead　bodies；　which　lay　in　such　heaps　as　not　only　stopped；　but　almost　covered　the　horses；　and　made　them　rear　and　grow　so　unruly　that　the　frightened　charioteer　could　govern　them　no　longer；　in　this　extremity　was　glad　to　quit　his　chariot　and　his　arms；　and　mounting；　it　is　said；　upon　a　mare　that　had　been　taken　from　her　foal；　betook　himself　to　flight。　But　he　had　not　escaped　so　either；　if　Parmenio　had　not　sent　fresh　messengers　to　Alexander；　to　desire　him　to　return　and　assist　him　against　a　considerable　body　of　the　enemy　which　yet　stood　together；　and　would　not　give　ground。　For；　indeed；　Parmenio　is　on　all　hands　accused　of　having　been　sluggish　and　unserviceable　in　this　battle；　whether　age　had　impaired　his　courage；　or　that；　as　Callisthenes　says；　he　secretly　disliked　and　envied　Alexander's　growing　greatness。　Alexander；　though　he　was　not　a　little　vexed　to　be　so　recalled　and　hindered　from　pursuing　his　victory；　yet　concealed　the　true　reason　from　his　men；　and　causing　a　retreat　to　be　sounded；　as　if　it　were　too　late　to　continue　the　execution　any　longer；　marched　back　towards　the　place　of　danger；　and　by　the　way　met　the　news　of　the　enemy's　total　overthrow　and　flight。　　　This　battle　being　thus　over；　seemed　to　put　a　period　to　the　Persian　empire；　and　Alexander；　who　was　now　proclaimed　King　of　Asia；　returned　thanks　to　the　gods　in　magnificent　sacrifices；　and　rewarded　his　friends　and　followers　with　great　sums　of　money；　and　places；　and　governments　of　provinces。　Eager　to　gain　honour　with　the　Grecians；　he　wrote　to　them　that　he　would　have　all　tyrannies　abolished；　that　they　might　live　free　according　to　their　own　laws；　and　specially　to　the　Plataeans；　that　their　city　should　be　rebuilt；　because　their　ancestors　had　permitted　their　countrymen　of　old　to　make　their　territory　the　seat　of　the　war　when　they　fought　with　the　barbarians　for　their　common　liberty。　He　sent　also　part　of　the　spoils　into　Italy；　to　the　Crotoniats；　to　honour　the　zeal　and　courage　of　their　citizen　Phayllus；　the　wrestler；　who；　in　the　Median　war；　when　the　other　Grecian　colonies　in　Italy　disowned　Greece；　that　he　might　have　a　share　in　the　danger；　joined　the　fleet　at　Salamis；　with　a　vessel　set　forth　at　his　own　charge。　So　affectionate　was　Alexander　to　all　kind　of　virtue；　and　so　desirous　to　preserve　the　memory　of　laudable　actions。　　　From　hence　he　marched　through　the　province　of　Babylon；　which　immediately　submitted　to　him；　and　in　Ecbatana　was　much　surprised　at　the　sight　of　the　place　where　fire　issues　in　a　continuous　stream；　like　a　spring　of　water；　out　of　a　cleft　in　the　earth；　and　the　stream　of　naphtha；　which；　not　far　from　this　spot；　flows　out　so　abundantly　as　to　form　a　sort　of　lake。　This　naphtha；　in　other　respects　resembling　bitumen；　is　so　subject　to　take　fire；　that　before　it　touches　the　flame　it　will　kindle　at　the　very　light　that　surrounds　it；　and　often　inflame　the　intermediate　air　also。　The　barbarians；　to　show　the　power　and　nature　of　it；　sprinkled　the　street　that　led　to　the　king's　lodgings　with　little　drops　of　it；　and　when　it　was　almost　night；　stood　at　the　further　end　with　torches；　which　being　applied　to　the　moistened　places；　the　first　at　once　taking　fire；　instantly；　as　quick　as　a　man　could　think　of　it；　it　caught　from　one　end　to　another；　in　such　a　manner　that　the　whole　street　was　one　continued　flame。　Among　those　who　used　to　wait　on　the　king　and　find　occasion　to　amuse　him　when　he　anointed　and　washed　himself　there　was　one　Athenophanes；　an　Athenian；　who　desired　him　to　make　an　experiment　of　the　naphtha　upon　Stephanus；　who　stood　by　in　the　bathing　place；　a　youth　with　a　ridiculously　ugly　face；　whose　talent　was　singing　well；　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃if　it　take　hold　of　him　and　is　not　put　out；　it　must　undeniably　be　allowed　to　be　of　the　most　invincible　strength。〃　The　youth；　as　it　happened；　readily　consented　to　undergo　the　trial；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　anointed　and　rubbed　with　it；　his　whole　body　broke　out　into　such　a　flame；　and　was　so　seized　by　the　fire；　that　Alexander　was　in　the　greatest　perplexity　and　alarm　for　him；　and　not　without　reason；　for　nothing　could　have　prevented　his　being　consumed　by　it；　if　by　good　chance　there　had　not　been　people　at　hand　with　a　great　many　vessels　of　water　for　the　service　of　the　bath；　with　all　which　they　had　much　ado　to　extinguish　the　fire；　and　his　body　was　so　burned　all　over　that　he　was　not　cured　of　it　for　a　good　while　after。　Thus　it　is　not　without　some　plausibility　that　they　endeavour　to　reconcile　the　fable　to　truth；　who　say　this　was　the　drug　in　the　tragedies　with　which　Medea　anointed　the　crown　and　veil　which　she　gave　to　Creon's　daughter。　For　neither　the　things　themselves；　nor　the　fire；　could　kindle　of　its　own　accord；　but　being　prepared　for　it　by　the　naphtha；　they　imperceptibly　attracted　and　caught　a　flame　which　happened　to　be　brought　near　them。　For　the　rays　and　emanations　of　fire　at　a　distance　have　no　other　effect　upon　some　bodies　than　bare　light　and　heat；　but　in　others；　where　they　meet　with　airy　dryness；　and　also　sufficient　rich　moisture；　they　collect　themselves　and　soon　kindle　and　create　a　transformation。　The　manner；　however；　of　the　production　of　naphtha　admits　of　a　diversity　of　opinion。。。　of　whether　this　liquid　substance　that　feeds　the　flame　does　not　rather　proceed　from　a　soil　that　is　unctuous　and　productive　of　fire；　as　that　of　the　province　of　Babylon　is；　where　the　ground　is　so　very　hot　that　oftentimes　the　grains　of　barley　leap　up　and　are　thrown　out；　as　if　the　violent　inflammation　had　made　the　earth　throb；　and　in　the　extreme　heats　the　inhabitants　are　wont　to　sleep　upon　skins　filled　with　water。　Harpalus；　who　was　left　governor　of　this　country；　and　was　desirous　to　adorn　the　palace　gardens　and　walks　with　Grecian　plants；　succeeding　in　raising　all　but　ivy；　which　the　earth　would　not　bear；　but　constantly　killed。　For　being　a　plant　that　loves　a　cold　soil；　the　temper　of　this　hot　and　fiery　earth　was　improper　for　it。　But　such　digressions　as　these　the　impatient　reader　will　be　more　willing　to　pardon　if　they　are　kept　within　a　moderate　compass。　　　At　the　taking　of　Susa；　Alexander　found　in　the　palace　forty　thousand　talents　in　money　ready　coined；　besides　an　unspeakable　quantity　of　other　furniture　and　treasure；　amongst　which　was　five　thousand　talents'　worth　of　Hermionian　purple；　that　had　been　laid　up　there　an　hundred　and　ninety　years；　and　yet　kept　its　colour　as　fresh　and　lively　as　at　first。　The　reason　of　which；　they　say；　is　that　in　dyeing　the　purple　they　made　use　of　honey；　and　of　white　oil　in　the　white　tincture；　both　which　after　the　like　space　of　time　preserve　the　clearness　and　brightness　of　their　lustre。　Dinon　also　relates　that　the　Persian　kings　had　water　fetched　from　the　Nile　and　the　Danube；　which　they　laid　up　in　their　treasuries　as　a　sort　of　testimony　of　the　greatness　of　their　power　and　universal　empire。　　　The　entrance　into　Persia　was　through　a　most　difficult　country；　and　was　guarded　by　the　noblest　of　the　Persians；　Darius　himself　having　escaped　further。　Alexander；　however；　chanced　to　find　a　guide　in　exact　correspondence　with　what　the　Pythia　had　foretold　when　he　was　a　child；　that　a　lycus　should　conduct　him　into　Persia。　For　by　such　an　one；　whose　father　was　a　Lycian；　and　his　mother　a　Persian；　and　who　spoke　both　languages；　he　was　now　led　into　the　country；　by　a　way　something　about；　yet　without　fetching　any　considerable　compass。　Here　a　great　many　of　the　prisoners　were　put　to　the　sword；　of　which　himself　gives　this　account；　that　he　commanded　them　to　be　killed　in　the　belief　that　it　would　be　for　his　advantage。　Nor　was　the　money　found　here　less；　he　says；　than　at　Susa；　besides　other　movables　and　treasure；　as　much　as　ten　thousand　pair　of　mules　and　five　thousand　camels　could　well　carry　away。　Amongst　other　things　he　happened　to　observe　a　large　statue　of　Xerxes　thrown　carelessly　down　to　the　ground　in　the　confusion　made　by　the　multitude　of　soldiers　pressing　into　the　palace。　He　stood　still；　and　accosting　it　as　if　it　had　been　alive；　〃Shall　we；〃　said　he；　〃neglectfully　pass　thee　by；　now　thou　art　prostrate　on　the　ground　because　thou　once　invadedst　Greece；　or　shall　we　erect　thee　again　in　consideration　of　the　greatness　of　thy　mind　and　thy　other　virtues？〃　But　at　last；　after　he　had　paused　some　time；　and　silently　considered　with　himself；　he　went　on　without　taking　any　further　notice　of　it