the battell that the PerciaÌ„s left their enguarrison were but of smale noÌ„bre of littel force without any head He shewed how the EgipciaÌ„s vsed to rebel against their gouernours wherfore they were sure to be receiued as frendes For since necessitie qd he hath enforced vs to proue our fortunes which failiÌ„g vs in our first hope we must now thinck the thiÌ„ges to come shal be much better theÌ„ our pÌ„sent estat They al agreed with one voice that he shuld leade theÌ„ where he liste wherupoÌ„ thinking good not to pretermit thoccasioÌ„ whiles the hope was hote in their hartes coÌ„ueied theÌ„ into Egipt entred the haueÌ„ at PelusiuÌ„ vnder pretence that he had bene sent thether by Darius Pelusium WheÌ„ he had gotteÌ„ PelusiuÌ„ he set forwardes towards MeÌ„phis Memphis at the fame of wose coming the Egiptians beyng a lyght nation and more apt to make a store then to maintayne it when it is oure begonne ran to hym out of al townes and villages with entent to destroy all the Percians who notwithstanding for all the feare they were in did not leaue the defence of the countrey but fought with the Grekes and were put to flyght After that victory Amintas beseged Memphis and his men destroyed so all the countrey there aboutes that they left nothing vnspoiled Wherupon Mareches though he perceiued his souldiers much amased with the feare of their late ouerthrowe Mazeches yet when he sawe his enemies scatered abrode without ordre for the pride they had conciued of their victory at length persuaded his men to issue out of the cytie and in setting vpon their enemies to recouer again that they had lost Whiche aduise being good of it selfe toke by good handling moste fortunate â—esse for thei sâ—ewe at that tyme both Aâ—â—intas and all his company This punishement he suffred for the offence committed to both princes Being neither faithfull to Alexander whome he forsake nor to Darius to whom he fled Darius capitaines whiche escaped from the battaille at Isson gathering together such meÌ„ as wer scattered after the battaille with such power besides as they could leuie in Capaducea and Paphlagonia did attempte to recouer again the countrey of Lidia Antigonus was gouernour for Alexander there who notwithstanding that he had take many souldiers out of the guarrisones to send vnto Alexander yet he so litle estemed his enemies that he doubted not to aduenture the battaille Where the Percians receiued the like fortune they did in other places Whiche attempting the fyght in thre sondry countreis were vainguisshed in them all At the same time the nauie of the Macedons whiche Alexander had sent for out of Grece met Aristomeues whom Darius had apoincted to make warre vpoÌ„ the coast of Hellespont where they did take and drowne all his ships aristomenes Farnabazus Darius admirall hauing exacted money at Nulesium Nulesium and set guarison in Sio passed into the I le of Andros with a hundred shippes Andros Syphuns And from thence he went to Syphuns puttyng men of warre into all the Ilandes exacted of them money The greatnes of the warre that was in hand betwene two of the moste puissant princes of Asia and Europe did drawe both Grece and Crete to armes Agys the kyng of Lacedenon gathered together .viii. thousand Grekes that were come home out of Cilicia and moued warre to Antipater that was gouernour of Macedonia The Cretians folowing sometime one parte sometyme another receiued one while guarrisoners of Macedons and an other while of Lacedemonians to lie amonges them But those warres were of no great importunaunce For all mens eies were fixed vpon the warres that were in vâ—e betwene AlexaÌ„der Darius wherupon all the rest did depend The Macedons had sudbued all Siria Phenices The Citie of Tyre Tire only except which being the greatest moste notable cytie of all that couÌ„trey shewed that they estemed themselues worthy rather to ioyne with AlexaÌ„der as frendes then to become his subiectes For when he was come nere vnto them and encamped vpon the the mayn land whiche is deuided from their Cytie with a small arme of the Sea They sent to hym by their Embassadours a crowne of gold for a present with great plenty besides of victuals for his army He receiued their giftes as froÌ„ his freÌ„des and gaue gentle aunsweres vnto the Embassadours but he shewed theÌ„ that he desired to make sacrifice vnto Hercules whom the Cirians specially worshipped for the Macedons opinion was that they were desceÌ„ded of him whiche to do he saied he was admonished by an Oracle the Embassadours aunswered that there was a temple of Hercules without their Cytie in the place whiche they call PaleterioÌ„ where as he might do sacrifice at his pleasure At those wordes Alexand could not refraine his Ire whereunto he was much subiect but fell in a rage I perceiue nowe qd he because ye dwell in an Iland ye truste so muche in the Cituacion of your citie that ye despise my land power But I wil shortly do you to vnderstande that ye dwell vpon the mayne land and bring you to suche case as your Iland shal not helpe you and therfore truste to it that if ye receiue me not in I will enter by force When the Embassadours were dismissed with this aunswere suche as were nere about the king persuaded them that they should not exclude him whome all Siria and Phenises had receiued But they had conceiued such a confidence for that their Cytie stode in the sea deuyded .lxxx. furlonges from the mayn land that they vtterly determined to abyde the siege That Sea of theirs was so muche subiecte to the southwest wynd whiche made at euery storme the waues beate so highe against the Shore that it would not suffer the MacedoÌ„s to make any worcke for the ioynyng of the mayn land to the cytie it being scarsely possible to worcke any thyng there when the wether was moste caulme The Siege of Tyre The first worke that the MacedoÌ„s began was by by throweÌ„ down with the vehemens of the seas that were driueÌ„ by the wynd Nor thei could make no mole so stroÌ„g within the sea but that it was washed awaie and brought downe by beating of the waues And when the wynd blewe strenth able it wold bring the Seas clene ouer the work Ther was an other difficultie no les then this For by reasone that the walles were enuironed about wyth the deapnes of the Sea they could rayse no engine to shote but a far of out of shippes nor ther was not ani grouÌ„d about the Cytie wherupon ladders mought haue bene raised againste the walles or aproche made vpon the land Alexander had no shippes and though he had had some and would haue coueted to bryng them to the walles yet by reason of the water might with shotte easely haue bene keapt of But emonges the reste of other thinges the Tyrians were woÌ„derfully encouraged by the
Cytye and to all the reste of the contreye of lidia he gaue libertye to liue vnder their owne lawes He got also into his possessyon the Cytye of Epheses by reason that the fourth daye after the battell yt was abandoned of the guarison which Darius set ther. Magnesia In the meane season ther cam Anbassedours froÌ„ Magnesia froÌ„ the TralliaÌ„s proffering the delyuery of thier Cities Parmenio was sent to theÌ„ with .iii. Meliton thousand fotemen .cc. horsemen Helicarnassus wyth whych powre he wan Miletum that sâ—od at defeÌ„ce marching froÌ„ theÌ„s toward helycarnassus got al the townes therabouts at the first approche afterwardes besieged helicarnassus yt self which with great trauaile he wan at length Ada the Quene of Carya rased to the ground As Alexander entered into Caria Orontocâ—tes Ada the QueÌ„e of that Countrey Alynda which had bene spoiled of al hir Domynion by Orontobates Darius lieutenant sauinge of one strong Citye called Alinda mette with Alexander and adopted hym for hir sonne and heire He wold not refuse the name the proffer of hir liberalitie but dyd betake to hyr againe the custody of hyr owne Citie Licia And besides for the memory of hyr beneuolens put the hole Contrey of Caria vnder hyr rule and subiection From thence he wente into Lycia and Pamphilia to th entent that by gettyng the possession of the sea costes of those contries Pamphilia shulde causse the sea powre of Darius to stand to none effecte wheÌ„ he had ones subdued the people of Pisydia Pisydia he entred into Phrigia by the which contrey he was enforsed to passe and marched towards Darius Phrigia with whom he had great desire to encounter hearynge saye that he was comming against him with many thousand of men of warre ¶ The thyrde boke of Quyntus Curtius of the Actâ—s of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedon Geander ALexander in the meane season hauing seÌ„te GeaÌ„der to wage meÌ„ of warre out of Peleponese established the contreis of Lycia and Pamphilia remoued his Armye to the Citye of Celenas Celenas Marcia throughe thys Citye theyr rane the same tyme the Riuer of Marcia verie famous in the greake poesis whose hed springing out of the tope of an highe mountayne and fallyng downe vpon a rock beneth made muche nose toringe It floweth from thence and watreth the feldes all about wythout encrease of any streame sauing hys owne The collore wherof being like vnto the calmeese gaue occasion to the poetes to fayne howe the Nymphes for the delight they toke in the Riuer choise their dwellyng vnder that roke So longe as it ronnethe within compasse of the walles yt keapeth his owne name but wheÌ„ it cometh without where the streme is more swyfte vehemente is then called Lycum Lycum Alexander dyd enter into thys towne being foresaken of the Inhabitaunts and perceyuing they were fled into the castle whych he determined to winne before he departed seÌ„t frist to sommoÌ„ them by an Heraulde whych declared that except they wold yelde them selues they should suffre the extremytie of the law of Armys They brought the herauld into an highe towre which was strong both by nature and workmaÌ„ship willing him to coÌ„sider the thing to declare vnto Alexander that he wayed not sufficiently the strengthe of the place for thei said they knewe it to be impringable if the worstshuld falle yet were thei redy to dye in there truth allegeance Notwth standinge which wordes wheÌ„ it came to the pointe that thei sawe theÌ„ selues be sieged al thinges wax scarse They toke truse for lâ— dayes with thys composition that if they were not reseued by Darius within the time they wold reÌ„dre it vp into his haÌ„ds Which thei did afterwards at the dai apointed wheÌ„ thei saw no succors coming To the place there ceme Embassadors to hym froÌ„ Athens makyng request that such of there Citie as were takeÌ„ prisoÌ„res at the battel fought vppon the riuer of Granyke myght be restored to thē· To whom aunswer was made that wheÌ„ the warres of percie wer oÌ„es broÌ„ght to an end both thers al other that wer greaks shuld be restored to their libertie Alexander had his present care ImagenaroÌ„ alwaies vpoÌ„ Darius whoÌ„ he knew not yet to be passed the ryuer of Euphrates He assembled therfore all hys powre togethers purposing to adueÌ„ture the hasard of the bataile The coÌ„trey was called Phriga that he passed thorugh plentyful of villages but scarse of Cyties Cytye of Gordyn yet their was one therin of great Antiquitie called Gordin the roiall seat sometyme of Kynge Mydas The riuer Sangarius doth ronne throught yt and it standeth in midewaye tetweÌ„e the SeaÌ„ of Ponte Cilicia being iudged to be the narowest parte of Asia by reasoÌ„ of the Sees which lye on both sides representing the forme of an IlaÌ„d And if it were not for a smale point of land that do lie betwext those ses thei shuld win both togithers Alexander hauing brought this Citye vnder his boeysans entered into the temple of Iubyter were he saw the wagon wherin Mydas the builder of the Citie was wonte to ride The same in the furniture outwarde appearance differred lyttle froÌ„ other common wagoÌ„s Gordies knotte but there was in yt a thing notable which was a rope folded knit with many knots one so wrethed within an otheir that no man could perceyue the maner of yt nether where the knotes began nor wher thei eanded Vpon theys the Contremen had a prophesie that he shuld be lord of all Asia that could vndo that endles knot which matter put the kinge in a meruelus desire to become the fulfiller of that prophesie Ther stod a great nombre aboute him bothe of Phrigians Macedons â—hone parte of theÌ„ musing to what coÌ„clusioÌ„ this matter wold come to and the other feacing the rashe presiumpcoÌ„ of the kyng Forasmuch as they could perceyue bi no reasoÌ„ now the knot shuld be vndoÌ„e The Kynge him self also doughting that the failing of his purpose in the matter might be take as a tokeÌ„ of his euel fortune to come Wherfore after he had coÌ„sidred the thing What matter maketh it qd he which way it be vndone and striued nolenger how to vnknit it but out of hand cut with his sword the cordes a sondre therbi etheir illuding or els fulfilling theffecte of the prophecye When this was doÌ„e AlexaÌ„der purposed to find out Darius wher so euer he wer And to the inteÌ„t he wold leue al thinges cleare behind his back made Amphitorus captayne of his name vpon the coste of Helliespont Amphitorus comettyng the charge of the meÌ„ of warre to Egilocus Egilocus Thei two haue commissoÌ„ to deliuer the IlaÌ„ds of Lesbos Lesbos Scyo Coos Scyo Coos from the handes of the Percians And for the furniture of their chargs apointed to theÌ„ .l.
Parmenio deliuered hym the letters that the Capitayne of Damasco had sent to Alexander and besydes the letters added of hym selfe that he doubted not but all Darius ryches and his treasure should be delyuered to hym at his arriuall Parmenio gaue the charge to certayne of his men for his sure keapyng and then opened the letters wherin it was coÌ„teined that AlexaÌ„der in all haste should sende one of his Capitaines thether with a small power Whiche thyng knoweÌ„ he sent Mardus backe agayne to Damasco with certayne to accompany him but he escaped out of their handes came to Damasco before day light That thiÌ„g troubled greatly Parmenio doubting that they had layde some embushement for him therefore durst not go an vnknowen way without a guide yet notwithstaÌ„ding vpoÌ„ the confidence he had in the felicitie of his prince toke pesantes of the couÌ„trey to coÌ„duite him the way which the fourth day brought him to the Cytie of Damasco The captain doubting that credeÌ„ce should not haue bene geuen to his letter pretended to mistruste the strength of the towne and made countenaunce as though he would fle away And by spryng of the daye he caused Darius treasure whiche the Percians call Gaza with the rest of all his precious thinges to be brought forth of the towne of purpose to betray thesame into the Macedons handes Then there were many thousandes of men and women that folowed a piteous syght to all that sawe them sauyng to hym to whose fidelitie they were committed For he to wynne hymself thancke purposed to deliuer to his enemies a praye more precious then all the rest which were those of the nobilitie he had in keping With the wiues and childreÌ„ of great men that bare rule vnder Darius and besides the Embassadours of the Cities of Grece whome Darius had left in the Traitours handes as in a fortresse as he thought of moste suertie The Percians call those Gangabe that cary burthens vpon their shoulders who hauing the cariage of thinges of moste valoure when they could not endure the colde for the frost and snowe that sodainly fell they put vpon them the robes of cloth of gold and purple which they caried wrapt vp together with the money there being no man to let theÌ„ for the aduersitie of Darius caused that base sorte of men to vse a licencious libertie Those kynde of men seamed to Parmenio at the first sight to be no smal army and therfore regarded not the matter litle but gaue exhortacioÌ„ to those that were with him as though they should haue fought a sore battaill and willed them to put their spurres to their horse and geue the charge Whiche thynge perceiued by them that bare the burdeyns fled awaye for feare and so dyd the men of warre that were with them by such wayes as they best â—newe The Capitayne of Damasco counterfeityng suche feare as other feared in dede was the cause of all this confusion The ryches of Darius was left alone and lay sparkled abrode ouer all the fieldes with the money that was prepared for the wages of so infynite a nombre of Souldiers and also thapparell of so many great men and noble women vessell of golde golding furnimentes for horses pauilions adorned with regall magnificens and wagons full of infinite ryches A thing euen sorowfull to behold to the spoiles if any thing could stay the couetousenes of men Was it not a pytefull thynge to behold the ryches that had bene gathered together in so great nombre of yeares whiles the state of the Percians stode in that incredyble heigthe of fortune one parte to be torne with busshes and an other drowned in the myer it beyng so great besides that the handes of the spoâ—lers could not suffise for the spoile When the horsemeÌ„ had ouertaken them that fled first they found diuers womeÌ„ harying of the smale chyldren amonges whome there where foure Virgins the doughters of Occhus that reigned next before Darius Occhus kyng before Darius Thei before that time had suffred chaunge of fortune when the state was altered from their fathers line But this aduarsitie was much more greuous vnto them There was in thys flocke the wife of Occhus the daughter of Oxatrix that was Darius brother and the wife of Artabasus which was of the head house of Percia And also hys sonne called Ilionesus The wyfe and the sonne of Farnabazus were also taken to whom Darius had commytted the charge of al the sea costes With theÌ„ the thre doughters of Mentor and the wyfe and the Sonne of the noble captain Memnon there was scarsely any house of the nobilitie of Percia that was fre of that euel adueÌ„ture There were bothe Lacedemonians and Athenians that contrary to the league betwene Alexander and them toke Darius parte Amonges the Athenians Aristogiton Dropides and Leuertes were of moste notable fame and linage And of the Lacedemonians the chefest were Perisippus and Onomastorides with Omanys and Callicratides The soÌ„me of the coined money there taken was two thousand .lx. The â—omme of the treasure taken at Damasco talentes of massy siluer .v. hundred talentes Besides .xxx. thousand men and .vii. thousand beastes that caried burdeins on their backes But the goddes did persecute with due punishement the betraier of such a treasure For one whom he had made priuie to the matter pitieng therin the state of hys prince dyd sle the traitour and brought his head to Darius a comfort not vnapte for the tyme to the betrayed kyng for therby he was both reuenged of his ennemy and perceiued that the memorie due vnto hys estate was not growen â—ut of al mens hartes ¶ The fourth boke of Quintus Curtius of the actes of the great Alexander Kyng of Macedonie DArius whiche alittle before was Lorde of so great an army and that came vnto the field caried alofte vpon his chariot more like to triuÌ„phe then to fight fled by the places then waste and deserte whiche he before had filled with his infinite nombres of men of warre There were but fewe that folowed hym for neither they fled all one way nor suche as folowed could kepe pace with him that so ofteÌ„ chaunged horses Vnchas At length he came to Vnchas where he was receiued of .iiii. or .v. thousand Grekes whiche conducted him to the Ryuer of Euphrates thinkyng that onely to be his in the whiche he could preuent Alexander by his haste makyng Parmenio was apoincted gouernour of Siria and to be the keper of the treasure and prisoners whiche he toke at Damasco The Sirians could not at the first beare their newe gouernement because they had not yet felt the scourge of the warres but as they reuolted they were straightway subdued perfourming all that they were apoincted to do Strato king of Arade The I le of Arade was yeldeÌ„ to AlexaÌ„der wherof Strato was kyng that had in subiection all the sea coaste with diuerse of the Inland countreis whiche being subdued by the Macedons
Alexander remoued to the cytie of Marathon where he receyued letters from Darius that put him in great coller Letters froÌ„ Darius vnto Alexand because they were so arrogantly written the speciall poincte that moued AlexaÌ„der was for that Darius writing himself king did not vouchsaue to geue him that title but dyd write rather by way of coÌ„maundement then of request proffering for the ransom of his wife childreÌ„ somuch money as Macedon could receiue For the superioritie he said he put it to his choise to trie it by the sworde if he liste but if he would be better aduised he willed him to be content with his owne enheritauÌ„ce so he would ioyne in amitie with him become his frend in whiche poinct he was redy to enter into treatie â–ª Alexanders aunswere to Darius letters Alexander did wryte to him againe after this maner Darius whose name thou hast vsurped did great destruction vpon the Grekes inhabiting on the coast of Hellespont and vpoÌ„ the Iomans whiche be Greke cyties and from thence did passe the sea with a great army to make warre agaiÌ„st Grece and Macedon And also king zerxes the predecessour came to subdue vs with infinitie noÌ„bres which being vanquished in a battel on the sea left notwithstaÌ„ding Mardonius behind him in Grece to destroy their cities and burne their couÌ„treis It is manifest besides that Philip my father was slayne by such as were corrupted theruÌ„to with your money ye vndertake always vniust warres and occupyeng armes go about for all that to circumuent men with treason As thou of late hauing suche noÌ„bre of men in thine army diddest procure my death with the promis of a thousand talentes I am not therfore the beginner of the warres but repulce such iniuries as be proffered me In doing wherof through the help of the Goddes which fauour alway the right haue brought the more parte of Asia vnder my subiectioÌ„ hauing ouercoÌ„me the in battail by force of armes there is no cause that I should graunt the any thyng whiche haste not obserued towardes me the lawe of armes yet if thou wilt come and submit thyself I promis the that I will deliuer frely both thy mother wife and childreÌ„ for both I knowe howe to get the victory and howe to vse suche as I ouercome but if thou fearest to commit thy self to vs. I will geue the saufeconduite to come frely In the reste when thou writest vnto me remembre that thou writest not only to a king but also vnto hym that is thy kyng He sent this letter by Thersippus and went from thence into Phenicia Phenicia Biblon Sydon where the Cytie of Biblon was youlden vnto him And so came vnto Sydon which was a Cytie of great nobilitie by reason of the antiquitie and fame of the builders The same was vnder Stratos dominioÌ„ supported by the power of Darius who yeldyng more by the constreinte of the people then of his own good will was thought vnworthy to reigne there Alexand made a graunt to Ephestion that he should make suche one kyng whome the Sidons thought moste worthy that place There were diuerse noble yong men in that cytie that had familiaritie with Ephestion of whome he purposed to haue chosen one kynge but they refused his offre affirming that none myght enioye that dignitie except he were descended of the bloud roiall Ephestion wondred at the magnaminitie that was in them in despisyng the thyng whiche other sought for by sworde and fier and therfore sayd continewe you still in that vertuous mynde whiche be the firste that haue vnderstande howe muche more better it is to refuse then to receyue a kyngdome Chouse ye therefore suche one of the bloud royall that may remembre that he hath receyued the rule at your handes But when they sawe that diuers gaped for it and for the gredines they had to reigne fell to flatteryng such as were nere about Alexander resolued that there was none more mete for that dignitie then one Abdolominus who being of the auncient bloud of the kynges Abdolominus was made kyng for pouertie was enforced to dwell in a smale grange without the Cytie His honestie was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other and beyng occupied in his daily labour harde no noyse of the warres that troubled all Asia They of whome we spake of before came into his gardein with garmentes to apparell hym lyke a kyng and found him weding of his ground whome they saluted as kyng and sayd vnto hym you muste make exchaunge of the vilenes of your apparell with these ryche robes we here ê‘sent you washe the body that is now foull and filthe take vpon you the harte of a kyng and in the fortune you be worthy to haue shewe the same moderacion and continencie you do vse presently And when you shall sit in your regall seate hauing in your handes power of the life and death of your people do in no wyse forget the estate ye were in when ye toke the kyngdom vpon you nor yet for what purpose ye did receiue it The matter seamed to Abdolominus lyke a dreame and asked them if they were madde that would mocke him after that manner But when he sawe theÌ„ affirme by othes the thyng to be in earnest he washed himself receiued the garment which was of purple gold so went with the into the palaice The fame as is wont in such a case did notably ronne abrode of this matter Some fauored the cause some did disdain it but suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie base estate to such as were nere about AlexaÌ„d which caused the king to send for him when he had loÌ„g beholdeÌ„ his behauour saied your personage doth not disagre to the fame of your lynage But I desire much to know with what pacience you did sustain your pouertie I would to God qd he I could beare my prosperitie in like case now when I am a kyng These handes did get that I desired hauing nothing I lacked nothing His wordes caused Alexander to conceiue of him a maruelous opinion so that he gaue vnto him not only the ryches stuf and furnimentes that appertained to the king before but also many thinges that were takeÌ„ froÌ„ the Percians adding to his dominion all the countrey nere about the citie In the meane season Amyntas with .iiii M. Grekes that escaped with him out of the field fled to Tripolis where he enbarcked them sailed vnto Cipres Tripolis thinking the world to be such then that euery one might enioy that he could get like as it had bene his owne enheritauÌ„ce His purpose was to go into Egipt so he thought to becoÌ„me enemy both to Darius Alexander waying with the worlde according as the tyme should alter Amintas ê‘swasion to his souldiours To briÌ„g therfore his souldiers to hope wel of his enterprice he declared how the gouernour of Egipt was slaine in
commynge of the Embassadores that were sent from Cartage to celebrat there yearly sacrifice according to rhere custome Carthage For the Tyrians being the builders of Cartage were since that tyme had in veneracion as there parentes and furste founders Those Embassadores exorted theÌ„ in any wise to abide the siege and promysed them shortly and which they alleged might eselye and sone be done forsomuche as that tyme al the Seas were ful of the Cartage fletes vpon this hatâ—ing they determyned to abide thextremitie and placed ther engynes vpon the towers and the walles deuyding ther armour emoÌ„ges the yought of the Cytie The Artificers wherof that Citie had great pleÌ„ty were deuided into worcke houses to make all suche thinges as were necissarye for the warres There were deuised certaine instrimentes wherwith thei might pull downe the workes that ther ennemies made called Harpagones and also crowes of Iron which be named corui with al other thiÌ„ges that might be inuented for the defence of Cyties But a straunge thinge is reported Pâ—odigous lighted that wheÌ„ the Iron was put in the forge blowne in the fire the same was sene to be full of droppes of bloud Whiche wonder the Tirians did interprete as a token of good fortune towardes them selues as significatioÌ„ of destructioÌ„ towardes their ennemies A like thing was sene amonges the Macedons for when a certayn souldier was breakyng of his breade droppes of bloud appeared therin Whereat Alexander being astonied Aristander Aristander that was moste connyng of all the deuiners of their Religon Did enterprete thus the matter If the bloud had apered outwardly then it had signified il fortune to the Macedons but in asmuch as it was found within it betokened destruction to the Cytie they went about to wynne The lawe of nacions bryken Alexander considering his nauie to be farre from him and that a longe siege â–ª should be great impedyment to his other affaires Sent officers of Armes vnto the Citie to perswade them vnto peace whoÌ„ the Tirians against the lawe of Nacoues did drowne in the sea There vniuste death stored Alexander so muche that he then vtterly determined to go forwardes with the siege but before he could make his aproche it was of necessitie for him to make a Pers or a Mole whereby they might passe from the mayne land to the Citie But in the making therof ther entered great despaire into all mens hartes considering the deapnes of the sea which they sawe not possible to be filled sâ—arcly by any deuine powre For thei thought no stones so great any trees so highe nor any contrey to haue such pleÌ„tie as mighte suffise for the building of a bank in suche a place considring the Sea was alwaies troubled And narowes the place was betweÌ„e the Citie and the land so much more greater was the rage But Alexander that had the way to allure his souldiers to what effect hiÌ„ pleased declared how that Hercules apered vnto him in his slepe and gaue him his hand proffering to be his captaine and him giude for the entraunce of the Citie Therunto he added the killing of his Embassadours and howe that they had violated and broken the lawe that all nacions obserued and that there remayned but only one Cytie whiche staied his victorie Wherupon he deuided the worcke amonges his capteines that euerye one might applye his owne band And so put the worck in vre Mounte Libanus when he had oues sufficientlye encouraged his men There were great plentye of stones had of the mynes of thould Cytie where Tite stode before and for the making of bores and Towres tymber was brought from the mount Libanus The worcke did growe from the bottom of the Sea like a mountayne but not yet brought to the highe wartee marke And the further the Pere was wrought from the land vnto the Sea ward so muche the soner the Sea did swallowe vp the substance of thinges wherof the same was made Whiles the Macedons were thus about their worcke the TiriaÌ„s would roÌ„ne about them in smale vessels and giue the wordes of reproche and scorne as that they were nowe become goodly meÌ„ of warre that would be made pioners cary burdens like beastes vpon ther backes And they asked them also If they thought Alexander to be greater then the god of the Sea But ther reproffe did not hynder but encrease the cherefulnes of the souldiers in there payne and trauaile In so muche the mole in a short space surmounted aboue the water encreasing much in bredth aproched nere vnto the Cytie Then the Tyrians seinge the hugenes of the worcke whereof they before had bene diseiued in there opynion littell thinking that it woulde haue growen to suche a passe they in littell vessels came rowynge aboute the Pere and did driue the soulders with shote from ther woreking and bicause it lay in them to bryng there boats sodeinly forwardes and returne sone ageine they hurte many of the Macedons without any daunger to them selues which enforsed them to leue ther worck and fall to ther owne defence For remedie wherof to auoyde ther enemies shote they were compelled to streach out beastes skynes vpon poles like sayles and set those betwene theÌ„ and their enemies And besides at the hedde of the Peace they raysed vp two Towres from whence with shote and castinge of dartes they keapt of the boates that came aboutes them On the other side the Tirians would lande with ther boates farre out of the sight of the Campt kill such as were carrieÌ„g of stones The peasants besides of Arabie did set vpon certayne Macedons that were sâ—atred abrod in the mount Libanus where they slewe and toke diuers That was one cause whith moued Alexander to deuide his army And lest he might seme to remaine idely about the siege of one citie he apointed Perdicas and Craterus to take the charge of the worcke he had in hande and went into Arabia with such parte of his powre as was most apte for his porpose Arabia In the meane season the Tyrians prepared agreat shyppe laden with stones and grauell behind so that the fore patte flotid aboue the water which ship anoynted ouer with pitche brymstone they brought sodenly by sailinge and force of oers vnto the pere and there remaining the mariners set the shippe on fier and then leaped into boates which folowed after for the purpose The ship thus set on fire so enflamed the wood worcke perteining to the pere that before any rescue could come the fire had taken the towers and al the rest of the workes that were made in the head thereof When they that were leaped into the boates sawe the matter take suche effect they put betwixt the timbre and other voide places both fire brandes and all suche thinges as might geue noryshement and encrease the fire So that the towers and al the rest being on a flame many of the MacedoÌ„s were consumed therewith and
way For as the women and chyldren filled the temples so the men kept the entrees of their houses redie to abyde the crueltie of their enemies yet the Sydonians were the cause that many were saued who amonges the Macedons seruyng in the warres and entring the Cytie amonges the reste Agenour were myndfull of their affinitie with the Tirians Agenour being builder of both their Cyties and conueyed many into their shippes whiche they sent priuely vnto Sydone By whiche meanes fiftene thousand escaped the crueltie of the sworde The nombre of them that were slain may partely be coniectured in that there were founde dead within the Cytie syx thousand of them that bare armour A notable reueÌ„ging of the breache of the lawe of armes The Kynges wrath towardes the Cytie made the syght dolerous vnto the victors For twoo thousand whome the furye of the slaughter had lefte on lyue were afterwardes hanged vpon crosses along the sea coaste The Embassadours of the Cartagens were saued but he threatened to make warre against them from the whiche he was then letted by other busines he had in hand Thus Tyre was taken the .vii. moneth after it was besieged a Cytie notable to the posteritie aswell through the antiquitie it was of as also by the often chaunge of fortune that it had suffred It was buylded by Agenour and many yeares was maister of the seas not only nere thereabout but in all places where as their nauies came And if we lyste to credite the fame that Cytie was the firste whiche either taught or learned letters They buylded Cyties and put in them inhabiters through out the more partes of the worlde bothe Carthago in Affrick Thebes in boecia and Gades in Spayne vpon the Occian It is to be thought that by reason of their fre recourse throught al seas and by viseting of many straunge couÌ„tries they had occasion to chosse out Seates to place in ther youthe wherof they then habounded Or els as some write the Inhabitores weried to dwell their by reason of many earthequakes were compelled of force to seke out straunge dwelling places But after manie casualties that happened vnto Tyre after the destrucion newely renued and all thinges grown againe thorugh long peace remaineth nowe vnder the defence of the romaines Clemency About the same tyme AlexaÌ„der receyued letters from Darius wherein at laste he was contented to name him king The contentee of Darius lâ—tters His requeste was that Alexander woulde receiue his doughter Saptyne for his wief with whoÌ„ he offred in dowre all the countrey betwen Hellespont and the Riuer of Alys and would receiue vnto him selfe onlye suche kyngdomes as lay from thence towardes theaste And if peraduenture he should make any doubt to receyue this offre he willed him to consider that fortune is not wont to continewe longe in one estate and that the greater felicitie men haue the greater enuie doth folowe them It was to be dowâ—ed he saied lesse he exalted him selfe through a vaine a childishe affeccion like as byrdes vse to do whose naturall lightnes conuey them to the stares For ther was nothing more difficulty in so yonge yeares then to beare wel such heigh and greatnes of fortune He willed him also to consider that there remaynede yet meane contreies that he had not touched and that he should not alwaies mete him in streightes Hauing to passe the Riuer of Euphrates Tygre Araxes and Hidaspes which were like bulwarks vnto his dominioÌ„ when that he shuld come vnto the playnes he should be ashamed of his smalle nombre He put him in remeÌ„braunce to waye howe longe it should be or he coulde passe Media Hiâ—cania Baetria and the Indians that bordered on the Occian Sea And likewyse the Sogdians and Arachoâ—ians of whome men haue no other knowledge then of their name with other nacions lieng towardes the mount Caucasus and the Ryuer of Tanays Though no man should lette hym nor offer hym battaille yet he should growe in age he saied before he coulde passe so many landes In the latter ende he aduysed hym to call hym no more forewardes for he would come sone enough and that to his destruccion Thefâ—ect of Darius aâ—nswere Alexander made aunswer to those letters by the messengers that brought them in effect that Darius offred to hym that was none of his owne and made a proffer to geue that he had all loste For Lidia Ionia Acolides and the coste of the Hellespont whiche he appoincted in dowre were alredy become the rewardes of his victory And as for lawes and condicions those were wonte to be geuen and appoyncted by the victors and receyued of suche as were ouercome And if he were ignoraunt in whiche of those two estates he were in he should come of and aduenture the battaille once agayne For he was not ignoraunt he sayed before he passed the Sea howe Lidia and Cilicia were ouer smale rewardes for the making of suche a warre But his determinacion was euer to subdue and bring vnder his dominion both Percipolis the chief Citie of his kyngdome and also Bactria and Echatania with the vttermoste boundes of the Orient He could fle no where but he was able to folowe and therefore counsailed him that he should leue to feare him with ryuers which had learned how to passe seas Thus the kinges did write one to another Rhodianâ— in the meane season the Rhodians yelded their cytie and their hauen vnto Alexander who coÌ„mitted the rule of Cilicia vnto Socrates and the couÌ„trey about Tyre vnto Philotas And Parmenio made Andromachus his deputie in Celi Siria Celi Siria For from thence they had to set forwardes to the reste of their iourney Alexander gaue commaundement to Ephestion that he should fetche about with his nauie the coste of Phenices and came with his hole power to the cytie of Gaza Olâ—mpiades About thesame time there were soleÌ„pne triumphes and plaies at Isthnios accustomed to be celebrated with the assemblie of all Grece In that counsell as the wittes of the Grekes be sodain decreed to send xii Embassadours vnto Alexander to cary him a croun of gold in gratefieÌ„g the victory he had won the actes he had done for the saulfegard libertie of Grece but a little before they harkened how the fame went were redy to bend that way that fortune enclined Alexander visited not in persone all suche countreis and cyties as refused their obedience vnto him but made conquest of them by his deputies For Calas toke Paphlagonia Antigonus Licaonia and Balacrus ouercame Idarne Darius lieutenaunt and wan Miletum Amphitorus and Egilochus with a nauie of hundred and .lx. shyppes subdued all the Ilandes betwene Asia and Achaia And also by the consent of the inhabiters got Tenedon whiche alwaies was a receptacle to the Percians Tenedon They were at the poinct to haue gotten Scio but that Pharnabasus Darius deputie hauing intelligence of the matter did fyrste apprehende all suche
he were an ensaÌ„ple to theÌ„ to shewe their valiaÌ„tnes courage For he promised that he should be sene fighting with the formost knowing that so many wounds as he should get should be so many ornameÌ„ntes to his ê‘son He said they them selues knew that he would be no ê‘taker of the pray but that euer his cusâ—ume was to bestowe the rewardes of the victory to their behoue coÌ„moditie His former words he shewed to be spoken to such as were meÌ„ of courage But if ther were any that were otherwise he had to saye vnto the that they were come to the place from wheÌ„s they could not fle hauiÌ„g lest so many couÌ„treis behiÌ„d theÌ„ which they had passed ouer so many riuers mounteyns at their backes So that now there was no way to their houses and countrey but such as they muste make open with their owne handes This was the exhortacion he gaue vnto the captaines and to such of the souldiers as stode next him Dariê° that was in his left battail accompaned with a choyse band of electe horsemeÌ„ fotemeÌ„ dispiced the smal noÌ„bre of his ennemies their battails appearing to him shinne voyde of meÌ„ when he saw ther winges stretched so fat abrode He stode therfore in his Chariot on hie turning him self both on the right hand and the left The oracioÌ„ of Daryus spake in this sort to such as were abouts him We that loÌ„g ago were lords of al the couÌ„tries lieng betwixt HellespoÌ„t the Occian Sea are coÌ„pelled now to fight not for fame and glori but for our sauegard and our libertie with chyefly is to be estemed This daie shal I either establishe or make an ende of the greatest Impire that hath bene in any age At the riuer of Granik we fought with a smal part of our powre WheÌ„ we were vaÌ„quished in Cilicia Siria was able to receiue vs and the Ryuers of Tigre and Emphrates were as bulwarkes to defende our kingdome But now we come to that pointe that we haue no place to fle to if we be put to flight All thinges behind our backes are wasted with this long warre nether cities be inhabited nor meÌ„ left to tylle the grouÌ„d Both our wiefes and chyldren do folowe thys armye a praye redie for our ennemyes except we put forth our bodyes for the defence of suche as be dere vnto vs. So much as hath coÌ„cerned me I perfourmed preparing such an army as this huge plaine is scarsly able to receiue I distributed emonges you horse armour prouided the vitels should not want for such a multitude and haue choseÌ„ out an apt place to derayn the batailes in All the reste remaineth in your handes Do but dare and the victorie is yours Despise you this fame which is but a weke wepon against men of valeur It is rashenes which hitherto ye haue feared as a vertue wherof when the furste brunt is spent it waxeth then dul as the bees when they haue ones lost their thoÌ„ges This plaine hath disclosed their final nombre which the mouÌ„taines of Cilicia did hide you se how thinne their rankes be their winges how they be extended abrode howe their battels be emptie and voyde of men And such as be hinder most haue alredy turned their backes They may be ouerthrowne wyth the horse fete though I send none against them but the hoked wagons And if we wynne the battaile we make an end of the warre for thei haue no place to flie vnto They be shut in with Tigre on the one side with Euphrates on the other and such things as before made for their purpose now be turned and make clere against them Our Armie is light and without much baggage and they be laden with prayes and with booties We shal kill them therfore as they be wrayt in our spoiles And the same one thing shal be both our gaine and the cause of our victorye If any of you be moued wyth the fame of the nacion you must thinke that the armour and outward shew not the bodies of the veraie Macedons be their pÌ„sent we haue coÌ„sumed so much of their bloud since the warre begaÌ„ And seing they be but few their losse must nedes be to them the greater For howe great so euer Alexander doth seme to suche as be fearfull and towardes he is but a maÌ„ and if you trust me both rashe and without consideracion and hetherto more fortunat through ouer feare then by his own valure Ther is nothing can coÌ„tinue that is not gouerned by reasoÌ„ for though fortune seme to fauour for a whyle yet at length she shall not supporte his rasshenes Besydes that the estate of thynges be full of chaunge and no man hath perpetuall felicitie It may be that the prouidence of the goddes haue so ordeyned it that the Empire of the Percians encreased with suche prosperous successe by the space of two hundred and thirty yeares and brought to so great an height of fortune should nowe rather be shaken then vtterly ouerthrowen Therby to admonyshe vs of mans fragility whiche vseth to forget himself ouermuch in prosperous estate It is not long agoe since of our own mocion and courage we moued warre against the Grecians and inuaded their dominions but nowe we stand at defence in our owne countrey Thus we be tossed one against an other by exchaunge of fortune For one nacion cannot â—eare the greatnes of the Empire whiche we both do â—ouet But be it so that hope were taken from vs yet necessitie ought to prick vs forwardes the matter is come to suche extremitie He keapeth nowe as prisoners both my mother my two doughters and Occhus my sonne borne to the succession of this Empire He keapeth captiue your princes the issue that is descended of the bloud royall yea your capitaines equall with kynges and if you do not now lay to your handes I my self am lyke to become captiue Deliuer you therfore my bowels out of my prison and restore to me my children for whose sake I do not refuse to die Be you all sure that both my mother and my children for my wyfe is dead in prison be holding vp their haÌ„des crieÌ„g vnto the goddes calling for your helpe your coÌ„passioÌ„ and fidelitie that you would deliuer them from seruitude from fetters from the state they are in liuing at other mens will apointment Thinke you that they can be coÌ„tent to liue vnder such as thei could scarsly vouch saue to haue for subiectes I see that our enemies battailles do approche the nere the daunger is at hand the lesse the wordes I haue spokeÌ„ do content me I make request to you by the goddes of our couÌ„trey by the eternall fier that is caried vpon the aulters by the brightnes of the sonne that riseth within the bouÌ„des of mine Empire by the euerlasting memory of Cyrus which first did take the Empire froÌ„ the Medes Lidians gaue it to the PerciaÌ„s deliuer
geuen a charge to their enemies that had nere hande enuironed their kyng about and so compelled the Percians to turne their faces againe towardes them The battailles thus were sore trauailed on both sydes Alexander had his enemies bothe before and behynd â–ª and his enemies that came on his back were sore oppressed by the Agrians The Bactrians also that had spoyled the cariages were excluded from their own company and could not recouer their place agayne Thus the battaylles were deuyded in diuers partes and fought one against an other as their chaunce fell The two kynges that ioyned their battaylles hard one to an other renued agayne the fyght There were moste of the Percians slayne but the nombre of the wounded were lyke on both sydes Darius did ryde in a chariot and Alexander vpon an horse They both had a choise band about them whiche were careles of their owne lyues For if their kynges should miscary neyther they could be saufe nor yet desired to lyue Wherfore euery of them thought it a noble thyng to aduenture them selues before the face of their prince And he that coueted moste to defende his maister â–ª was in moste peryll for eche man coueted the honour to kyll the kynge on his contrary parte There whether it were an imaginacion of the eyes or a thyng done in dede suche as were about Alexander â–ª beleued that they sawe an Egle flickeryng aboue his head whiche neyther feared with classyng of the harneys nor by the cryeng of them that were dyeng honge styll in the ayet a lyttle aboue hym Then Arislander whiche ware a whyte garment and caried lawrell in hys hande shewed thys thyng vnto the souldiers as they were busye fyghtyng as a certayne token of victory whiche thyng did cause them whiche before were in some doubte cherefully and with great confidence to assayle their ennemies The fyght contynued after thys sorte vntill the tyme that he was slayne whiche gouerned the horse that drue Darius chariot Then neyther the Percians nor Macedons doubted but that Darius had bene slayne And the Percians vpon that imaginacion made a barbarous noyse and a sorowefull howlyng wherewith they sore troubled and astonied their whole hoste that were yet fyghtyng with equall victory Darius kynsmen and the Squires for his body that were on his left hand lefte hym and fled away with a mayn flyght but suche as stode in his defence dn his ryght hande conuoyed hym into the hart of the battaill It is sayd that Darius drue out his sworde and was determined diuerse tymes to kyll hymselfe rather then to susteine the shame of flyeng away But when he sawe as he sat alofte in his chariot that a great parte of his army remayned yet fighting he was ashamed to leue them in suche sorte And whyles he thus wauered in his opinioÌ„ betwixt hope and dispaire the Percians by little and lytle gaue grounde and shronck from their order Alexander that had tyred many horses did chaunge the same he did at that time ryde vpon strake at the faces of theÌ„ that stode at defence There was none then that made resistauÌ„ce any leÌ„ger â–ª but a manifest slaughter fell on the Percians Darius â—led and Darius tourned his chariot to flye awaye The Macedons pursued them hard that fled and the duste that flue vp to the skie toke away their prospect so that they wandred as it had bene in darknes and euer dreue together when they hard any voice that they knew Only the ratling and noyse of the chariot was a marcke for the Macedones to folowe after As fortune was prosperous to the Macedons on this parte and contrarious to their ennemies so on the other syde where Permenio in the lefte winge encountred with the Percians â–ª they had the better and the Macedons the worse Mazeus Mazeus wyth his whole bande gaue a great charge and put the horsemen that stoode in the winges to a sore distres And thervpon by reason he abouÌ„ded with multitude began to enclose the footemeÌ„ about Then Parmenio sent worde to Alexander in what daunger they were in whiche he signified to be such that except they had succour in tyme they coulde not resiste but he enforced to flye awaye Alexander was gone farre in the chase when this sorowfull message was brought him Wherfore he commanded the horsemen to staye and chafed wounderfullye that the victory was thus taken out of his haÌ„des that Dariê° had better fortune in fleing then he in hys folowing In the meane season the fame of Darius ouerthrowe was brought vnto Mazeus And therefore though he had the vpper hand yet he was striken with such feare of his fellowes misfortune that he made astarke pursuite vpon his enemies Parmenio was ignorant of the cause why the fight did slake so willingly of there parte Parmenio encouraged his soldiers but boldly vsing the occacion of the victorie called the Tessalien horesmen vnto hym and sayed Se you not how our enemies that euen nowe gaue vs a feirse onset be sodenly afrayed and withdrawe them selues I see the fortune of our kyng doth giue vs the victoryie All the feldes be strown with the Percians that be slaine Why do you therfore staye are you not good anoughe for men that be fleing They sawe his wordes had an apparaunce of a truthe â–ª and therfore by and by they toke courage and putting their spores to the horse made a full charge vpon their enemies who retired not by littell littill but marched away a great pace And they wanted nothing of flieng sauing that they had not yet directly turned their backes yet for al that insomuch as Permenio knewe not what was become of the king nor of hys battell stayed and woulde not pursue after them Mazeus hauing leisure geuen him to flie at his libertie passed the riuer of Tigre not the next way but by a further coÌ„passe about with more suretie and so recouered the Citie of Babilon with the remaynes of that vanqueshed Armye In the meane season Darius with a fewe that accompained him in his flieng came to the Riuer of Licus â–ª wher passinge ouer he stode in doubte whither he should breake the bridge or no for it was shewed him that his enemies were at hand But considering how many thousandes of his men by the breakinge therof should be a pray to hys enemies he left the bridge standing and at his departure said that he had rather open the waye to them that pursued him then to shut it against them that fled after him But Darius lefte not his flieng til he came to Arbilla where he arriued about midnight Who is able to conceyue in his mind or expresse in wordes the discomfirture the manifold chasises in this discoÌ„fiture the slaughter that fell both vpon captaines and souldiers the chasing of them that were put to flight the destruccion in particular and in generall Fortune heaped to gether that one daye the chaunces of a whole world
worthy to suffer misaduenture They geue a greuous sentence vpon the estate of mans mortalitie dispaire muche of mercy that deny their cōpassion to mē in misery Now therfore since the goddes haue offered to you the thing whiche ye durste neuer haue wisshed for that is your countrey your wiues your childrē being the thinges whiche men esteme more then lyfe redeame oftentymes with death why do you doubt for the enioymēt of thē to breake out of this imprisonemēt I iudge that a yet of our own countrey moste naturall to vs where me thīkes is an other maner of beholding the light other customes other religiō another maner of tonge whiche for the pleasaūtnes is coueted of the barbarous naciōs what great thinges therfore be those that ye would willingly leaue the wāte of which only is the cause of your misery My opiniō is plain that we visite our countrey our home and not refuse so great a benefite as Alexander hath proffered vs and if any be so deteined with the loue of suche wifes children as they haue gotten here in seruitude let suche be no impedement to others that of al thinges esteme moste their naturall countrey There were but few of his opiniō for custome that is of greater force then nature preuailed in that matter They agreed to demaunde of Alexander that he would geue vnto them some place to inhabite in and there chosed out an hundred to be suters vnto hym in that behalfe Whome when Alexander perceiued coming towardes hym thynking that they would haue required the thing that he conceiued in his minde I haue apointed to you qd he beastes to cary you and to euery one a M. denires and when you shal come to Grece I wil so do for you that excepting your misfortune no other shall thinke themselues in better case then you But when he sawe them loke still towardes the ground and that they neither lifted vp their countenaūces nor did speake he enquired the cause of their heuines Then Eutemon rehearsed again those thinges in effect which he had spoken before in coūsel The king therfore pitieng no lesse their demaunde then he did their misfortune cōmaunded .iii. M. deneres to be geuen to euery one of them garmentes besides with shepe cattell and corne wherby they might till and sowe the lande that should be appointed vnto them The next day he assembled all the captaines of his army togethers and shewed thē that there was no citie more enemy to the Grekes then the same that was the chief seage of the aunciēt kinges of Perce from whence all the great armies had bene sent into Grece and howe Darius first after Xerxes had come out of that place to moue their vniust warre against Europe with the destruction of whiche cytie he thought good to reuenge their predecessours Thinhabiters had abandoned the citie The taking of Persepolis fled where feare dyd driue thē Wherupon the king streight wayes brought in all his footemen to the spoyle therof He had before that time wonne many cities some by force some by composicion that were full of substaūce princes treasure But the ryches of that citie did excide all the rest as in the place where the Perciās had layd their whole substaunce Gold and siluer was there foūd in heapes and great plenty of ryche vestures and furnimentes of houses not only for necessitie and necessary vse but for excesse and ostentacion whiche was so great that it gaue the victourers occasion to fight amonges them selues eche takyng other for enemies that had gotten the rychest spoyle The plenty there was suche that they could not employe to their vse the ryches they found but when they sawe thynges of value estemed them rather then toke them away Till suche time that euery one couetyng to haue a parte of euery thyng tare and brake a sonder the princely robes and the precious vessels of curious workemanship and the Images of gold and syluer were either beaton in gobetes or plucked in peces as euery one caught holde nothing was left vntouched nor nothing caried away whole Crueltie bare no lesse rule there then couetousnes euery one was so laden with gold and siluer that they esteamed not the keping of prisoners but kylled suche as they first spared in hope of gayne There were many therefore that preuented their enemies handes with voluntary death and diuerse that clothyng them selues in their moste precious apparell leaped downe from the walles with their wyfes and chyldren Certayne there were that set their owne houses on fyer whiche they iudged their enemies woulde els haue done shortely after because they would burne themselues amunges their owne family At length the kyng dyd forbyd any violence to be done to women and that no man should medle with any thyng pertayning to them The some of money taken within this Cytie was greater then any man can well credite but eyther we muste doubte of the reste or els beleue that hath bene lefte in memory howe that the treasure there found The treasure taken at Persepolis amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand talentes whiche treasure because that Alexander purposed to employ in his warres caused horse and camels to be brought from Susis and Babilon to cary thesame The takyng of the Cytie of Persagadis Persagadis wherein was founde syx thousand talentes was an encrease to this some whiche Cytie beyng buylded by Cyrus was yeldid vp by Gobares that had the kepyng therof Gobares Alexander lefte in the castle of Persepolis thre thousand Macedons in guarrison vnder Nycarides Nicarydes capitaine of the same and reserued to Tiridates that deliuered hym the treasure thesame honour that he enioyed with Darius Leuing in this cytie the greater parte of his army with his cariages vnder the rule of Permenio and Craterus He with a thousand horsemen and a band of footemen without any bagage went to visite in the winter season the inward partes of Perce There he was vexed troubled with shoures tēpestes that were in maner intollerable but yet he letted not to go forwardes in his enterprise to the place that he appointed In his iourney he came vnto a coūtrey that was couered all with snowe thesame also frosen by force of the could The wildnes and desert maner therof put the souldiers that were weried of trauail insuch a feare and terror that they imagened to haue sene the vttermoste boūdes of the world For when they beheld all thinges wast and no signe appearing of habitaciō of man they were amased and made requeste to returne againe before that the light and the elementes should fail them The king would not chastice them being in this terror but leped frō his horse and went one fote in the snow and ice Which thing whē his frēdes sawe they could not for shame but folow then the captaines did the like and finally the souldiers The kyng was the first
that did breake the ice and made him selfe away whose ensample the reste did folowe At length hauing passed the woodes that were without way thei foūd here and there some appearaunce of habitacion and perceyued flockes of shepe When thinhabitours that dwelled in Cotages disparcled there aboutes sawe men cōming whome they iudged to be their enemies thinking they had bene enclosed about slew such as were not able to folowe them and fledde to the wild mountains that were ful of snowe But at length by cōmunicatiō with such as they toke prisoners their wildnes was sōwhat mitigated they yelded them selues to Alexander whō he hurted not any kind of way Whē he had destroied all that parte of Perce brought the townes vnder his obediēce he came into the coūtrey of the warlike Mardōs The Mardons whiche differed much frō the rest of the other Percians in their maner of their liuing They with their wiues and children dyd inhabite within caues in the mountaines and liued wyth the fleshe of shepe wyld beastes Nor the womē according to their kind had any more appearaūte of mekenes or mildnes thē the men either in theyr personages or dispositions But their curled heere did hang down before vpon their faces and their garmentes came but to their knee The band of theyr slinge was a fyllet for their forhead whyche they vsed both for ornament and for defence This nacion for al their vncyuill and rude maner could not escape to be subdued with the same force of fortune that others were So that the .xxx. daie after he departed from Persepoles he returned thither againe Then he gaue rewardes to his fredes to al the reste according to their deseruing distributing in a maner al his riches which he found within that cytie But al his excellēt vertues of the mind his princely qualities wherin he excelled al kinges both that constancy in al daungers perilles that celeritie in deuising perfourming his enterprises his promis keaping towards that yelden his clemēcie towardes prisoners that tēperaūce in lawful accustomable pleasures were all defaced through the intollerable desire delite he had in drinking For notwithstanding that his enemie which cōtended with him for thempire did chiefly then prepare for the warres and was gathering of his powre togethers and though the people newly cōquered had not receiued quiet subiection yet he gaue him selfe continually to feasting and banqueting wher womē were euer presēt but not such to whō mē had respect of honestie but harlotes whiche had there more libertie then was beseming in the cōpany of men of warre And amonges thē ther was one Thays Thays who vpō a daie in her dronkenes affirmed to Alexāder that he should wonderfully winne the fauor of the Greakes if he would commaund the palaice of Persepoles to be set on fire The distruction wherof she said they greatlie desired forsomuch as the same was the chief Seate of the kinges of Perce which in tymes paste had distroyed so many great Cities Whē the dronken harlot had giuen hir sentence their were other present who being likewise drōken cōfirmed hir wordes Alexander then that had in him more enclinacion of heate then of pacience said whi do we not then reuenge Greace and set this Citie on fire They were al chaffed with drinking rose immediatly vpon those wordes to burne that citie in there dronkennes which the men of warre had spared in their fury The king him self first and after his gestes his seruauntes and his concubines set fier in the palaice which being builded for the moste parte of cedre trees became sodeinly in a flame When the army that was encamped nere vnto the citie saw the fire which they thought had ben kendled by some casualty came ronning to quench the same again But when thei sawe the king ther present norishing of the fire they powred downe the water which they brought and healped likewise the matter forwardes The distrucion of Persepoles Thus the palaice that was the hedde of the whole Orient from whence so many nacions before had fetched their lawes to liue vnder The seate of so many kinges that only terror somtyme of Grece The same that hath bene the sender forth of the Nauies of .x. thousand shippes of the armies that ouerflowed all Europe that made bridges ouer the Sea and vndermined mountaines where the sea hath nowe hys course was cōsumed and had his eand and neuer rose againe in all the age that did ensue For the kinges of Macedon vsed other cities which be now in the Parthians handes The destruccion of this citie was such that the foundacion thereof at this daye coulde not be found but that the riuer of Araxes doth shew where it stode Which was distant frō persepolis .xx. furlonges as the inhabitātes rather do beleue then knowe The Macedons were ashamed that so noble a Cytie was destroyed by their king in hys drōkenes yet at length it was turned into an earneste matter and were content to thynke it expedient that the Cytie should haue bene destroyed after that maner But it is certeine that when Alexander had taken his reste and was become better aduised he repented hym of his doing and sayed That the Percians should haue doone the Greakes more harme if it had ben his chaunce to haue reigned in Xerxes sted The next daie he gaue .xxx. talentes for a rewarde to him that was his guide into Perce and from thence he toke his iourney into Media Media where a new supplie of souldiers of whom Plato of Athens had the conduccion came to him out of Cilicia being v.c fotemē and a thousand horsemen Whē he had by this meanes encreased his powre he dettermined to pursue Darius Ecathana who was come to Ecathana the hedde citie of Media was purposed from thence to haue passed into Bactria But fearing to be preuented by the spede his enemies made altered his purpose and his iourney Alexāder was not come nere hym by a. M.v.c. forlōg but he could not think any distāce sufficiēt to defend him against his celeritie therfore prepared him self rather to fight then to fle He had with him xxx M. footemen amōgs whō ther were .iiii. M. grekes whose fidilitie neuer failed in al his aduers fortūe He had also .iiii. M. archers Slingers besides .iii. thousand iii.c Bactrian horsemen which were vnder Bessus charge being gouernour both of the citie of Bactria and the contrey Darius with his band wythdrue a litell from the highe waye and commaundyng the verlets such as had charge of the caryng to passe on before Darius wordes called a counsell and spake these wordes vnto them If fortune had matched me with cowardes and with suche as estemed any kynde of lyfe before an honest death I would rather haue holden my peace then consume my wordes in vaine But I haue had greater experience then I would wyshe both of your valiaunt
and the Macedons for the souereyntye The one partie lacked a capteine and the other rowme to fight in The manifolde aduentures and causes that fel that daie encreased both the hope and feare of both parties fortune as it were of purpose bringing suche valiant men to fight togithers neither of them preuailing vpon other But the streytnes of the place wherin they fought did not suffre them to ioyne with there whole force at ones for more were beholders the fighters and such as stode without daunger encouraged the other with their crie Atlength the LacedemoniaÌ„s began to faint and scarsly able for sweating to sustain their armour began to drawe backe to haue the more libertie to fle from their enemies that preased sore vpon them WheÌ„ they were ones brokeÌ„ and scatered abrode the victor pursued after And passing the place wherupon the Lacedemonians batteyll was first araynged with all haste made a sore pursuyt vpon Agym who seing his men flieng and his enemies approch at haÌ„de wylled his men to set him downe Where stretching out him selfe to fele if the force of his body could aunswere vnto his hart When he found him selfe vnable to stand remaining vpon his knees put on his helmet and couering his body with his target shaked his spere and prouoked his enemies to drawe nere if any were desirous of his spoile but there was not one that preassed nere hym but did cast dartes afarre of which he alwayes toke and threwe at his enemies againe till such tyme as he was thrust into the bare breast with a speare Agiâ— was slayne which pulled out of the wound he fainted and bowing downe himself vpon his target shortly after fel downe dead bloud and lyfe failing both together There were slayne of the LacedemoniaÌ„s .v. M.iii. C.lx. and of the Macedons not passing .iii. C. but there was scarsely any of theÌ„ that escaped vnwouÌ„ded This victory brake the hartes not only of the LacedemoniaÌ„s and of their confederates but also of all other whiche lay in wayte loking for the successe of that warre Antiparer was not ignorant howe the couÌ„tenauÌ„ces of such as did gratefie his victory differed muche from the ententes of their hartes but desirous to finishe the warre that was begonne perceiued it necessary for him to disseÌ„ble suffre hiÌ„self to be deceiued And though he reioysed much in the fortune of the thing yet he feared the enuy that might ensue therof being a greater matter then the estate of a lieutenaunt did beare For AlexaÌ„der was of the nature that he desired that his enemies had wonne the victory shewyng manifestly that he was not contented with Antiparers good successe thinking that what honour soeuer chaunsed to any other man was a derogacion to his owne glory Antipater therefore which knew full wel his stomake durst not vse the victory according to his owne will But assembled a counsel of Grekes to aduise what thei thought expedieÌ„t The LacedemoniaÌ„s made no other request but that they might send Embassadours vnto Alexander whiche vpon their repaire to him and their suite made obtained pardon to all men sauing to suche as were the authores of the rebellion The Megapolitans whose citie did abide the sieg Megapolitane were coÌ„pelled to pay as a fine for ther rebellion .xx. talentes to the Aheians and the catolians This was the ende of the warre Howe Alexander in prosprytie â—ell to vice which being sodeinly begone was ended before that Alexander had ouerthrowne Darius at Arbella Assone as his minde was deliuered of those present cares as one that coulde beare better the warres then quietnes or rest gaue him selfe al to pleasures By the vices wherof ensewing he was ouercome whom no powre of the Percians or any other was able to subdue He was geuen to banquetting out of season to a fonde delight of drinking watching in plaies and amonges flocks of Concubines that drwe him into strauÌ„g manners custumes Which he folowing as thinges better then the vsagies of his countrey offended therby greatly both the eyes the hartes of his owne nacion caused many that loued hym before entierly to hate him then as an enemy For the MacedoÌ„s that were obstinate in keaping their own discipline accustumed not to be curius but so scarse in their diet as might suffise nature WheÌ„ they sawe he went about to bring in amonges them the vices of those nacions whych they had subdued coÌ„spiracies then began to be made againste hym mutyne risse amonges the souldiers euery one complaynning to an other frely vttred ther griefes therby he was prouoked to wrath to suspicion sodeine feare diuers other inconuenience ensuing therupon which shal be declared herafter Alexander being giuen as it hath bene saied before to vnreasonable banquetinge wherin he consumed both daie night When he was satisfied of eating drinking passed ouer the tyme with plaies pastimes And not coÌ„tented with such musiciaÌ„s as he brought out of Greace caused the womeÌ„ that were taken captiue tosing before him such songs as abhored the eares of the Macedons not accustumed to suche thinges Emonges those women Alexander spyed one more sadder then the rest which with a certaine shamfastnes did striue with them that brought hir fourth She was excellent of bewty throughe hir shamfastnes hir bewty was augmentyd Bicause she did caste hir eies towardes the earth couered hir face so much as she might caused him to suspect hir to come of greater nobilitie then that she ought to be shewed furth amoÌ„such banquetting plaies And therfore being demaunded what she was she shewed hir self to be the doughter of the sonne of Occhus that lately reigned in Perce the wief of Histaspis which was Darius kinsmaÌ„ Histaspis and had ben his lieutennant ouer great armies Their yet remaynned in the kinges hart some smalle sparkes of his former vertue For in respect of her estate beinge come of kinges blood the reuerence he bare to such a name as the nese of Occhus commaunded hir not only to be set free but also to be restored to hir goods and hir husband whoÌ„ he willed to be sought out The next daie he apointed EphestioÌ„ to bring al the prisoners vnto the court where enquering of the nobilitie of euery one commaunded them which were descended of noble blood to be seuered from the reste amonges whom they found Oxatres brother to Darius that was no lesse noble of mind then of blood There was made of the laste spoile .xxvi. M. talentes whereof .xii. M. were consumed in rewardes amonges the men of warre the smoe amoÌ„ted to no lesse value that was coÌ„uaied away by them that had the keapinge thereof There was one Oxydates a noble man of Perce that was put in prison by Darius and apointed to suffre death Oxydates whom Alexander delyuered and gaue vnto hym the signorie of Medya and receyued Darius brother amonges the nombre of his frendes reseruing to him all the
accustomed honour of his nobilitie TheÌ„ thei came to the countrey of Parthenia Parthenia then being but obscure vnknowen but now the head of all those countreis which lie vpon Tigre Euphrates be bouÌ„ded with the read seas This countrey being frutefull haboundaunt of al thinges was taken by the Scithians whiche possessing part both of Asia Europe be troubleous neyghbours to them both They which inhabite vpoÌ„ the Bospheron sea Baspheron are ascribed to be in Asia And such as be in Europe possesse the couÌ„treis lieng on the lefte side of Thracia so far as Boristhenes Boristenes froÌ„ thence right furth so farre as the ryuer of Tanais that parteth Europe Asia It is certain that the Sythes of whom the Percians be descended came not from Bospheron but out of Europe There was a noble cytie in those daies called Atomphilos builded by the Grekes Atoâ—philos where Alexander remained with his army conuoieng vittels thether from all partes A tumulte that rose vpon a rumour Amonges the souldiers lieng there in idlenes there did rise sodainly a rumour that enterid into their heades without any certain auctour or beginniÌ„g The rumor was how that Alexander satisfied with the actes he had done purposed immediatly to returne into Macedon This fame was not so sone sowen abrode but that they ran like madde men to their lodginges and trussed vp their baggage and their stufa making such preparacion to depart that euery man iudged warning had bene geuen to remoue and that the thing had bene done by appointmeÌ„t The tumult that rysse in the caÌ„pe by lading of cariages the calling that one made vnto another came vnto the kynges eares This rumour obtained the soner credite by the dispatche of certain Greke souldiers whom AlexaÌ„der had dismissed into their couÌ„trey with the gift of .vi. thousand deneres to euery horseman wherupon they toke occasion to thinke that the warre had bene at an ende Alexander whose purpose was to passe into India and the vttermoste bandes of the orient was no lesse afraied of this matter then the case required And therefore called before him the capteins of his army And with the teares in his eies made a great complaint vnto them that in the middle course of his glorie should thus be pulled back and compelled to returne into his countrey rather as a man vainquished then as a victor Whiche misfortune he saide he could not impute to his souldiers nor iudge in theÌ„ any cowardnes to giue impedimeÌ„t to his procedinges but that it was only the enuie of the goddes which put so sodeine a desire of their countrey into the mindes of valiaunt men that within a while should haue returned with great glory and fame Therupon they al promised him to trauaill in reformation of the matter offeringe them selues in al thinges were they neuer so difficult to do as he would haue them And they promised also the obedience of the souldiers if so be that he would make some gentle apt oracion to pacefie them which were neuer yet sene departe from him in any desperacion or disturbaÌ„ce of mind if they once beheld the cherfulnes of his couÌ„tenauÌ„ce and the courage that proceded from his harte He promised that he would so do required at their handes to prepare in the multitude an aptnes to gyue eare vnto hym When all thinges were prepared which were thought expedient for the purpose he assembled all his armye togither and made this oracion vnto them Alexanders oracion vnto the souldiers When ye consider my souldiers the greatnes of the actes which ye haue done the manifolde conquestes that ye haue made it is no merueill at all though ye be enclined to the desyer of quietnes and fully satisfied with fame and glorye For leuing to speake of the Illirians Triballes of Boetia Thracia Sparta of the Acheians Peloponesians whom I haue subdued part in persone the rest by my apointmeÌ„t I will not make rehersal of the warre we began at Hellespont and how we deliuered froÌ„ the intollerable seruitude of the Barbarians nations Ionas and Aeolides and got vnto our possessioÌ„ both Caria Lydia Cappadocia Phrigia Paphlagonia Pamphilia Pisides Cilicia Siria Phenices Armenia Perce Mede and Parthenia We haue gotten more couÌ„treis then other haue taken cities yet I am sure the multitude of them haue caused me to leue some of theÌ„ vnrehersed If I could thinke that the possession of these landes that we haue coÌ„quered in so short time could remain sure vnto vs theÌ„ my souldiers I would though it were against your willes breake from you to visite my house and my home to see my mother my sisters my countreymen to enioy there the laude glory that I haue gotten with you Where as the ioyfull conuersacion of our wifes our children pareÌ„tes peace quietnes a sure possession of thinges gotten through our valiauntnes do tary for vs as large rewardes of our victory But if we wil coÌ„fesse the truth this new empire whiche we haue not yet at coÌ„maundement but is kept as it were by way of entreaty doth require a time that this stiffe necked people may learne to beare our yoke framing their disposicioÌ„s to a more humanitie bring their cruell nature to a more ciuill coÌ„uersacion Do we not see that the corne in the field axeth a time for his riping and though the same be without sence yet hath it his course to be brought to perfection Do you beleue that so many nacions not agreing with vs in religion in customes nor in vse of tongue accustomed to thempire and name of an other man will be conquered and brought to subiectioÌ„ with the wynning of one battail No trust me they be kept vnder with the feare of our powre and do not obey vs of their owne good willes And they whiche shewe you obedience when ye be here amonges them when you be absent wil be your enemies â–ª you must thinke that ye haue to doe with wilde beastes whiche being fierse of nature wheÌ„ they be first taken must be shut vp and tamed with tyme. Hetherto I haue reasoned with you as though we had conquered the hole dominion that perteyned to Darius which is nothyng so For Nabarzanes possesseth Hircania and the traitour Bessus not only enioyeth Bactria but also threateneth vs. The Sogdians Dahans Massagetes Sagans and the Indians remayne yet in their owne libertie and iurisdiction whiche shall not see our backes so sone turned but they will followe vs in the tayles They all haue a certayne frendshyp and amitie one with an other but we be all straungers and foryners vnto them There is no creature but that will more gladly be obedient to rulers of his own nacion then to foryners be their gouernement neuer so terryble We are dryuen of necessitie therefore to wynne that we haue not or els to lose that we haue all redy gotten As phisicions in sick
affirmed their original to come of Bacchê° who in dede builded their city at the fote of a mouÌ„taine called Meroe The mouÌ„te Meroe The qualitie of whiche mountaine being reported to Alexander by thinhabiters he sent vittels before passed thether with his whole armye ascendyng vp to the toppe The mountayne grew ful of vynes Iuie aboundyng with sprynges that flowed out in euery place The same was also pleÌ„tiful of many kindes of Apples of most pleasaunt taste the ground also brought forthe corne without any cultiuation There grew also pleÌ„ty of Laurell trees with many kind of wild frute I caÌ„ not impute it to any mâ—cion of religioÌ„ but rather to pleÌ„ty and wantonnes that caused theÌ„ to repaire thither wherof the Iuye and the vyne leaues they made them selfes garlandes and ran vp and downe after a dissolute maner all the holowes and valeyes there about rebounding with the voice of so many thousandes calling vpoÌ„ Bacchus to whom that place was dedicate Which licence and libertie begonne a fewe was spredde sosodeinly through out the hole armye that the souldiers scatered abrode wythout ordre lay heare and there reposing them selues vpon the grasse and leaues they had gathered togither as it had bene in a time of quiet and moste assured peace Whiche lycensiousnes of the souldiers rising by chaunce Alexander dyd not withstand but ten daies togither made feastes to Bacchus during which tyme he plentyfully banketed hys hole armye Who can therefore denye but that greatnes of fame and glory is oftentymes a benefite rather of fortune then of vertue for ther enemies had no harte to set vpon them whiles they were drowned in thys excesse of banketting dronkenship and drowsenes but were as much afrayed of there dronken noyse as if they had hard there cry encountring with them in battell whiche felicitie preseruing them here did afterwardes defend them after the same maner in the middes of their enemies retorning as it were in triumphe from the Ocean Sea when they were giuen all to festing and to dronkenes When Alexander descended from the mountaine he went to a countrey called Dedala which thinhabiters forsoke fledde to the woods and the wyld mountaines Dedala and therfore passed from thence into Achadera Achadera which he found both burned and habandoned likewise of thinhabiters wherby of necessitye he was compelled to vse the warre after an other maner For he deuided hys armye into diuers partes shewed his powre in many places at ones By which meanes he oppressed them before they coulde prouide and subdued them to their vtter ruyne Ptolomeus toke most Cities but Alexander wanne the greateste and afterwardes ioyned agayne his armye togither which he had thus deuided Coaspe That done he went forwards and passed a riuer called Coaspe where he left Cenon to besiege a riche Cytie called Bezira Bezira Amazaga and he him selfe went to Amazaga where Assacanns beinge deade had lefte the dominion both of the countrey and the Citie to his mother Cleophes Quene Cleophes There were .xxx. thousand fotemen to defend that Cytie whiche bothe was well fortified and stronge of scituacion â–ª being enclosed vpon the este with a swift riuer that hath sâ—epe bankes defendyng the cytie â–ª that it caÌ„not be approched on that side vpon the South and the weste partes nature as it were for the nonce had planted high rockes betwyxt the which there laye depe holowes and pittes made of old antyquitie wheras the rockes cessed ther began a dike of a wouÌ„derfull depth and widenes The wall wherwith the citie was enclosed was .xxxv. furlonges in compasse whereof the nether partes were builded of stonne and the vpper partes of Claye Yet stones were mixed with the clay to the intent that the fraille substance clinging to the hardre the one should bynd the other And left the earth wasshed vpon with the raine might fal altogether there were stanchinges of Tymbre put betwixt to stay the holle worck Which couered ouer wyth bordes was a waye for men to go vpon Alexander beholding this kynde of fortificacion was vncertayne what to do For he sawe he could not approche to the walles but by fylling of those dikes and holowe places And that he could not otherwise fil theÌ„ then by making of a mounte which was the only way he had to bryng his engines to the walles But whiles he was viewing the towne after that maner he was striken from the wall with an arrowe in the thieghe Which he pulled out and without wrappinge of his wound called for his horse and letted not for hys hurt to giue order for such thinges as he though expedient But at length when by hanging of hys legge the blod drue from the wounde and waxed colde wherby hys hurte beganne to payne hym he then sayde That he was called the Sonne of Iuppiter but he felt in hym self the passions of a deseased bodye Yet notwithstandyng he would not returne into the campe before he had viewed all thinges that were necessary and apoynted all thinges he would haue done After that the souldiers had receyued there apointment by pluâ—kyng downe of houses without the towne they gotte great plenty of stuf to make the mount withal And by casting stockes of trees on heapes into the dykes and holowe places the mount within nyne dayes was raised vp to the top of the wales and the towres were planted vpon the same such was the labour and dilygence the souldiers vsed in the matier The kynge before hys wounde was closed vp went to see howe the workes went forwarde and when he parceyued them in such case commended the souldiers for there dilygence caused thyngynes to be brought to the walles out of the whych they that defended the walles were sore afflicted wyth shotte And by reason they had not sene any such kynd of worke were wonderfully amased spesially when they beheld the towres of suche bignes come forwardes and yet coulde not perceiue bâ— what meanes they were moued iudged those things to be done by the powre of the Gods And besides they could not think it a mateir of mans inuencion that so great dartes and speares as came amonges them should be shot by engynes disperyng therefore of the defence of there Citye they retired into the Castle And bicause they could not be satisfied any maner of waie til they had yealded theÌ„ selfes â–ª they sent Embasseadors to the king to ask pardon Which thing obtained at his hands the Quene with a great trayne of noble women came furth bearing in there handes cuppes of gold ful of wyne Who presenting her little sonne before the kinges feete not onely obtayned pardonne but also restorement of her former dignytie Wherefore some thought that her beuty procured hir more fauore then his mercie But this is certaine that the child which afterwardes she brought furth who soeuer did beget it was called AlexaÌ„der FroÌ„ this place Polycarpon was sent with a powre vnto a City
was nothynge more daungerous then the poyson that proceaded from theim for immediatlye vpon the stingynge Death folowed tyll suche tyme as the inhabitours of the Countrey shewed a remedye Frome thence throughe Desertes they came vnto the great Ryuer of Hyraotys Hyraotys wherevnto there ioyned a great wood Whiche hauing such trees as are not wont to be sene in other places was also full of wilde pecokes Alexander remouing his campe from theÌ„ce wan a towne by assault and taking pledges appointed them to pay tribute After that he came to a great cytie after the maner of that couÌ„trey which was both wel walled and also enuyroned about with a marisse The inhabitaunce came furth against Alexander and ioyning their cartes together in a froÌ„t wherin their custome was to fight thei proffered him the battaill Some occupied dartes some speares and other axes and with greate agilitie leaped to and fro their cartes when either they woulde relieue their fellowes that were wery of fighting or els succour or rescue such as were in distresse This vnwonted kind of fighting put the Macedons at the first in feare specially beyng hurt a farre of by their enemies and not able to come to hande stripes with theÌ„ But after they had coÌ„sidered their disordred maner they esteamed not their force but enclosed their enemies about thurst theÌ„ in with pikes the soner to defeate them they cut the bandes wherwith the cartes were tied to seperate them asonder When they had after that maner lost eight hundred of their men they fled again into the cytie whiche the next day the Macedons did wynne by assault Certayne there were that saued them selues by flieng whiche seing the cytie lost swomme ouer the water and filled al the townes thereabout with feare They declared of what inuincible force their enemies were of iudging them in respecte of their power rather goddes then men When Alexander had gotten that cytie he sent Perdicas with a parte of his army to destroy the countrey and committing another parte to Emnenes for the subduing of suche as would not become obedient Emnenes he with the rest of his power came vnto a strong cytie whiche was the refuge of all the countrey thereabout Notwithstanding that the inhabitauÌ„tes sent to Alexander for peace yet they prepared neuertheles for the warre by reason of a sedicion which rose amonges them that made them to be of diuers opinions Some wold rather haue endured any extremitie then to yelde and other thought they were not able to make resistaunce and whiles they differred so in opinions and made no commen consultacion amoÌ„ges them Suche as helde opinion to yelde vp the cytie â–ª opened the gates and receyued in their enemies And notwithstanding that Alexander had iuste cause of displeasure against the countrey faccion yet he pardoned them all and receyuing their pledges remoued towardes the next cytie When the Indians that stoode vpon the walles sawe the pledges that were brought before the army whome they perceyued to be of the same nacion desyred communicacion with theÌ„ who declaring bothe the kynges clemencye and his force dyd moue them to rendre vp their cytie whose ensample the rest of the cytie dyd folowe Sophytes From thence he came into the cytie of Sophites whiche is a nacion as the Indians thynke moste excellyng in wisdome best gouerned and that haue the best customes amonges them The chyldren that be there gotten are not norysshed and brought vp accordyng to the wyll of their parentes but by the ordre of suche as haue the charge committed vnto them to viewe the state of the infantes If they perceyue any not apt to be come actiue or els wantyng any of their lymmes they cause them streyght wayes to be killed They vse to mary without any respect of the kyndred they come of or the greatnes of paâ—entage makyng no chose but in the shape of the body whiche is the shyng that is only estemed amonges them The kyng hym self was within the chief citie of the countrey against the which Alexander brought his power The gates were shut and no man appeared in armes vpon the walles to make any defence wherefore he stode in doubte a great while whether the cytie was abandoned or els that the inhabiters had kepte them selues secrete for some policy Whiles he remained in that expectacion sodainly the gate was opened the king which in good lines of personage excelled al the rest came furth with his two sonnes he ware a garmeÌ„t of gold and purple enpaled that couered the caulf of his legge the soles he ware on his feete were set with pricious stones All his armes were garnyshed with pearles and had hangyng at his eares two precious stones whiche were excelleÌ„t both for bignes and brightnes there he had a scepter of gold set with precious stones called Berillis which he after his salutacion made with huÌ„ble submission deliuered vnto Alexander yelding both him selfe his chyldren and his kyngdome into hys handes There were in that countrey very notable dogges for the huntyng of wylde beastes whiche specially were geuen to be egre vpon the lyon The kyng therfore to shewe their force and propertie vnto AlexaÌ„der put foure of them vnto a great lyon which steight wayes caught hym faste Then one whiche was accustomed to that office toke one of those dogges by the legge to plucke hym of the lyon and because he woulde not loose hys holde cut of his legge wiâ—h a sworde But when the dogge sticked neuer thelesse vnto his game he was cut a sondre in peace meale till suche tyme as he died hauing his teath stil fastened in the lyons fleshe Suche a feruentnes nature had wrought in those beastes as we vnderstode by the reporte Some tyme I am enforced to write thynges that I can scarsely beleue For I neither dare affirme the thinges wherof I doubt nor counceale suche thinges as I haue receiued for truthe Alexander leuing this kyng within his owne kingdome came vnto the ryuer of Hipasis Hyspasis kyng Phegelas and there ioyned with Ephestion whiche had subdued the countrey thereabout One Phegelas was kyng of the next nacion whiche commaunding his subiectes to continue in tilling of the ground as thei were wont to do mette Alexander with riche presentes refusing nothing that was commaunded him When he had taried with him two dayes and was determined the third daye to haue passed the ryuer he found therin great difficultie by reason that the streame was so large and full of great stones He staied therfore a while to be more fully aduertised of the estate of those couÌ„treis of all suche thinges as were necessary for him to knowe He vnderstode by Phegelas howe beyonde that ryuer theâ—e lay a desert of ten dayes iourney next to that desert the ryuer of Ganges which was the greatest ryuer in al the Orient He shewed that beionde Ganges there inhabited two nacions called Gangaridans Gangaridans PharrasiaÌ„s
bitter death But I whiche number not my yeres but my victories haue liued longe if I will weye the giftes of Fortune For beginnynge mine Empire in Macedonia I haue Greace in mine owne handes I haue subdued Thrace and the Illirians I raigne ouer the Triballes and the Medeans possessynge an Asia that lye betwixt Hellespont and the redde Sea and nowe am not farre from the ende of the worlde the whiche I determined to visite and to make open to men a newe nature and a newe worlde I passed out of Asia into Europe in the moment of an houre and beynge but .xxviii. yeres olde hauyng raigned but nine am become victorer of both regions Do you thinke it then mete that I should nowe ceasse from winning of that glorye wherunto I haue onelye addict my selfe No I wil neuer ceasse but whersoeuer I shall haue occasion to fyght I shall thinke my selfe to be in the Theatre where the whole worlde dothe beholde me I will geue nobilitye and fame to places that be obscure And will laye open to all Nacions those countreys that nature hath remoued furdest froÌ„ them In doynge wherof it shall be gratefull for me to ende my lyfe if Fortune will haue it so I am come of that stocke that I ought to desire many thinges before longe lyfe I praye you to remembre that we be come into those countreys where the name of a woman is muche celebrated for hir vertues What cityes did Semiramis builde what nacions did she subdue and what great workes did she accomplishe We are not yet become equal to a woman in glory and yet you woulde haue me to be satisfied of laude The Gods be fauourable vnto our purpose for there remaine for vs yet greater thinges to do And it is the next way to make those countreys we haue not yet touched to become ours if we esteme nothing to be of small valure where as there is anye occasion to winne glorye Let it be your care onelye to preserue me from ciuill conspiracie and treason of mine owne people then there be no aduentures of the warre shall put me in feare Philippe was more sure in the front of the battaile abroade then in quiet tarians at home He oftentimes auoyded the force of his enemies but he coulde not eschue the violeÌ„ce of his owne subiectes And if you coÌ„sider the ende of other Kynges you shall count more that haue bene slayne by their owne menne then by anye forayne power But bicause there is an occasion nowe offered me to vtter the thing I haue longe conceaued in my minde It shall be the greatest fruite I can receyue of my actes and of my trauayles if my trauailes if my Mother Olympiades when she departeth this lyfe might be consecrated to immortalitie If she departe in my tyme I wil do the thing my selfe But if I shall be preuented by Death remember you to perfourme that I haue determined And therupon he dismissed his frendes from him and continued manye dayes in the same place Whiles these thinges were a doynge in India the Greake souldiours that hadde lande and habitacion appoynted them at Catabactra throughe a sedicion that chaunsed amonges them A rebellion of the Grekes whiche Alexander had planted at Catabactâ—s rebelled againste Alexander Notsomuche for anye hatred they bare hym as for feare of punishemente For they kylled diuers of their chiefe rulers and assemblynge in force togethers toke the castle of Bactria that was negligentlye kepte and procured the Bactrians to rebell with them Athenodâ—rus Athenodorus was the chiefe amonges theim who toke vpon hym the name of a kynge not so muche for the desire of the kyngdome as by aucthoritye to make him selfe of power to conueye hym selfe and others home into his countrey Bycon But one Bycon of his owne nacion became his enemye and conspirynge agaynste him did bidde hym to a banquet where he was slayne by one Boxus Macerianus The nexte daye folowynge Bicon assembled the Greakes together perswadinge theim that he slewe Athenodorus but in hys owne defence whose purpose was to haue destroyed him But there were some that perceiued his policye and suspicion was spreade amonges the rest So that the Greakes fell to armes of purpose to slea Bycon But suche as were chiefe mitigated the wrathe of the multitude and contrary to his expectation was deliuered from that presente peryll Yet he coulde not be so contented but wythin a while after conspired againste them that saued his lyfe whose falsehode knowen they toke bothe hym and Boxus determinynge that Boxus shoulde be put to death out of hande and that Bycon shoulde ende hys lyfe by tormentes As they were tormentinge of him the Greake souldiours sodainelye in a furye for what cause it is vncertayne ranne to Armes the noyse of whom beynge hearde wyth them that had the charge of Bycon did let him at libertye fearynge that the rumoure hadde bene made for his deliuerye He as he was naked came runninge amonges the Grekes where as they were assembled whose miserable estate so sodainelye chaunged their minds that thei willed him immediatly to be set at liberty By thys meanes Bicon beynge twise deliuered from death returned into his countrey with the Grekes leauynge the Colonye wherunto he was appointed by Alexander These thinges were done in the coÌ„fynes of Bactria and Scythia In the meane season the kynge of the two nacions whyche we spake of before sent an hundred Embassadours vnto Alexander whiche beynge men of goodly personages ridde in wagons semely appaireled hauing garmentes of linnen clothe embroydred with golde and empaled with purple They declared that the cause of their commynge was to yeld them selues their citye their countrey and their libertye whiche thei had kepte inuiolatelye by so many ages to his wil appointmeÌ„t Of which their submission the Gods thei said were aucthours not any fear for thei were coÌ„teÌ„ted to yeld theÌ„ selues before thei had proued their power with him The kynge called a counsayle receiued theÌ„ vnder his protection appointing to theÌ„ to pay such tribute as they before paied to the ArachosiaÌ„s And besides to seÌ„d two thousand fiue hundred horsemen to serue hym in his warres all whiche thinges they perfourmed obedientlye This done he made a great feast wherunto he inuited those Embassadours and his Lordes He vsed therin sumptuous preparation ordeinynge C. beddes of golde to eate vpon which beyng set a small distaunce one from another were drawen about with curteynes garnished with golde and purple In that feast there was shewed and sette forthe all the excesse and voluptuousnes which either by long custome was vsed among the PerciaÌ„s or by corruption of their old vsages taken vp amonges the Macedons the vyces of both those nacions beynge there mingled myxed togethers Dioxippus There was at that feast one Dioxippus of Athens a notable champion by reason of his excellent force well knowen vnto the Kynge whome certayne enuiousse and malicious Persones
betwyxte earnest and pastyme dyd reproue that he was geuen to farre hys bodye as an vnprofitable beaste And when other went to the battaile he would anoynt his body with oyle and prepare him selfe to eate Emonges other that vsed wordes of despyte agaynste hym there was at the same feast â—â—rratus one Horratus a Macedon who in his dronkennes chalenged Dioâ—ippus that if he were a man he shoulde fight the campe with him the nexte daye vpon llife and death A combate where as the kynge shoulde iudge either him to be to rashe or the other to much a dastarâ— Dioxippus then laughyng to scorne the pride and arrogancie of the souldiour accepted his profer The next day they were more earnest to go to the combate then they were before in makynge of the chalenge therfore when the kyng sawe them so bente and that they would not leaue their purpose he coÌ„sented to their will There were greate nombre of men assembled at the combate amonges whom there were many Grecians whiche fauoured Dioxippus parte The Macedon came into the Lystes armed at all peaces holdyng in his left hande an yron buckler and a speare and in his right hande a casting launce hauing his sworde besydes girte to his syde was furnysshed as though he should haue fought with many men at once Dioxippus came furth anoynted with oyle with a garlande vpon his head and hauing a read cloke wrapt about his left arme held in his right hande a great knottiye cudgell The diuersitie of their furnishement brought euery man in a wonderfull expectacioÌ„ For they could not thinke it only a rashenes but a madnes for Dioxippus that was naked to matche with the other that was armed The Macedon thinking to kil his aduersary before they should come to hand strippes threwe at him his launce whiche Dioxippus auoided with beÌ„ding of his body before that he could charge his pike he leaped to him and with his cudgell brake thesame asondre When the Macedon had lost both his weapoÌ„s he beganne to drawe his sworde but Dioxippus preuented him wit a close and taking both his feete from vnder him â–ª threwe him to the earth and there plucking his sworde from him set his foote vpon his necke and held vp his cudgell to haue striken out his braynes if the kyng had not caused him to staye his hand This triumphe ended with displeasure both vnto the Macedons and vnto vnto AlexaÌ„der himselfe specially because this thing was done in the Indians presence he feared lest the valiauntnes of the MacedoÌ„s famed so muche in the worlde might therby come into conteÌ„pt Hereupon AlexaÌ„der grudging at Dioxippus bare his eares open to the accusacion of the enuyous They within a fewe dayes after had caused a golden cuppe to be purposely conueyed out of the waye whiche the ministers hauing imbesealed them selues made complaynt vnto Alexander of the losse thereof Oftymes men shewe lesse constauncy then in the offence it selfe For in their complaynt Dioxippus perceyued by their lokes that they noted hym as the thefe whiche he coulde not endure but partyng out of the feaste after he had wrytten a letter to the kyng he kylled hymselfe Alexander was very sory for his death whiche he tooke for no token of repentaunce but rather of indignacion For afterwardes it appeared through the ouermuche reioysing of hys enemies that he had bene falsely accused The Embassadours of the Indians that were dismissed home within a fewe dayes after returned agayne presenting vnto Alexander thre C. horses M. and .xxx. wagons euery one drawen with foure horses certain vestures of linnen cloth M. Indian targetes an hundred talentes of white Iren both lyons of a rare bygnes and Tigres that were made â—ame the skinnes of great Lyzardes and the shelles of certain fisshes The kyng then commaunded Craterus to conduct his army along the ryuer wherupon he sayled and he enbarking suche as were wont to accompany him with the streame passed into the boundes of the Mallians and from thence came vnto the Sabracans Sabracans whiche was a nacion of great power not ruled by kynges but by a gouernement of the people They had gathered together .vi. M. footemen and .vi. M. horsemen and .v. C. armed wagons and had chosen thre capitaines that were approued men of warre But when suche as inhabited next vnto the ryuer the bankes being full of villages sawe all the ryuer so farre as they coulde view strowed with shippes and the armour glistering of so many men of warre they were amased with the straungenes of the sight and thought that some army of the Goddes or els Bacchus whose name was famous amonges those nacions had become amonges them The crye of the men of warre with the classing of the oers and the straunge noyse of the mariners exhortyng one another fylled full their fearefull eares They ranne therfore amonges their countrey men whiche had assembled their force declaring their madnes if they woulde contende with Goddes For they sayde the shippes coulde not be nombred that caried those inuicible people With whiche wordes they put suche feare amonges the men of warre of their owne nacion that they sent immediatly Embassadours to yelde them selues When he had receyued assuraunce of them he came the fourth day into an other nacion whiche durste no more withstande then the reste dyd and there he buylded a cytie whiche he named Alexandria and from thence entred into a couÌ„trey the inhabiters whereof be called Musycans Musycans Caracanusidans There he vnderstode by the accusacion of the Caramisidans that Destirioldes whom Alexander had appointed lieutenant amoÌ„ges them had ruled in excessiue pride and couetousnes therfore coÌ„maunded him to be put to death And Oxarres lieutenauÌ„t of the Bactrians being also accused was not only acquited but also had a greater rule coÌ„mitted vnto him WheÌ„ he had subdued the vtter partes of the MusicaÌ„s he put a guarrison in their cytie Porticanus kyng of the Prestyans and went from thence to another nacion of the Indians called Prestians of whome Porticanus was kyng whiche with a great powre got him selfe into a strong citie whiche Alexander wanne the thirde daye after he beganne his siege Vpon the taking of the towne Porticanus fled into the castle and sent Embassadours to treate of peace But before they were come to Alexanders presence twoo towres of the Castle fell with a greate crashe by the ruynes wherof the Macedons got into the castle where Porticanus whiche with a fewe standing at defence was slayne The castle being rased and all that were with in sould as slaues Alexander came into the boundes of Saba Python where besydes many cyties that yelded vnto hym he toke the strongest cytie of that countrey by force of a myne It semed a monstrous thyng vnto the Indians being ignoraunt of suche policies of warre for armed men to come furthe of the grounde in the myddes of their cytie there appearyng before no signe of any way
possibilitie and still called for Aridens to come forthe amonges them Wherupon Meleager for the malice and enuy he bare vnto Perdicas toke an occasion boldlye to bring him into the assemble whoÌ„ the multitude saluted as kinge and called him Philippe This was the voyce of the people Aridens was chosen kyng but the nobilitie was of an other mind of whoÌ„ Pithon toke vpon him to put Perdicas deuise in execution and appoynted Perdicas and Leonatus whiche were descended of the bloude royall to be gouernours of the sonne whiche shoulde be borne of Roxane addinge moreouer that Craterus and Antipater shoulde haue the rule within Europe And vpon this they sware men to be obedient to Alexanders issue Meleager then doubting notwithout cause that some euill might come to him departed with suche as were of his faction but he returned immediatly againe and brought Philip with him into the court criyng out to the multitude for the assistyng of the coÌ„mune welth in aydynge of the newe Kynge whiche a little before they had elected and wylled them to make an experimente of his actiuitie persuadinge that he was the metest to rule ouer theÌ„ that was the issue of Philip that had bothe a king to his father and a king to his brother There is no profouÌ„d sea so stormy nor teÌ„pestuous The inconstancy of a multitude that raiseth vp so many sourges waues as a multitude doth mocions and alteracions when they haue gotten the bridle of a newe libertie not likely long to coÌ„tinue There wanted not some that gaue their consent to Perdicas but more agreed to make Philip king They could neither agre nor disagre to any thyng long time together One while repenting them of that they had determined and streightwaies forthought theÌ„ of that repentaunce Yet finally they were enclyned to preferre the kinges bloud Aridens was put in such feare with the aucthoritie of the nobilite that he departed out of the assemble after whose departure the fauour of the souldiers was rather silent then cessed towardes him So that at length he was called agayne and put vpon him his brothers vesture regal whiche laye in the chayre And Meleager put on his armour folowing as a guarde to the persone of the newe king The souldiers of the Phalanx classhed their speares to their targettes threatening to shed their bloud whiche coueted the kingdome that pertained not to them They reioysed that the force of the Empire should still continue in the same familie the right of whose enheritaunce comming of the bloud royall they shewed themselues redy alwayes to defende For by reason they were accustomed to honour the name of their kyng and to haue it in veneracion they thought no man worthy for it but suche one as came therunto by discent of bloud Perdicas therfore was afraied and with .vi. hundred men that were of an approued manhode kept the lodging wheras the body of Alexander lay Ptolomeus ioyned him selfe vnto hym and the bande of the younge men that were about the kynges persone But so many thousand of armed men as were vpon the other side did easely breake in vpon them Amonges whome the king was present with a great bande for the guard about his persone wherof Meleager was chief Perdicas therfore in a greate furye called them to his parte which would defende AlexaÌ„ders body but they which brake in vpon theÌ„ shrew dartes at him afarre of wherby many were hurt At the last the auncient men plucked of their head peces the better to be knowen desired them whiche were with perdicas to abstayne from ciuill warre geue place to the kyng to the greater parte Wherupon Perdicas was the firste that layde downe his weapon the rest did in like maner Meleager then persuaded theÌ„ that they should not depart but remayne still about the dead corse but he iudging that to be a deceite and a meane to entrap hym fled to the further side of Euphrates lieng ouer against the court Then the horsemen whiche consisted chiefly of the nobilitie flocked about Perdicas and Leonatus whiche thought good to departe out of the cytie and take the fieldes but because Perdicas was not without hope that the footemen woulde haue taken his parte remained stil within the cytie lest he myght seme to be the cause that the horsemen should deuide them selues from the rest of the armye Meleager ceassed not to beate in the kynges head that he could not establyshe himselfe surely in his estate but by the death of Perdicas whose ambicious mynde desirous of innouation was he sayde to be preuented in time Willyng the kyng to remembre what Perdicas had deserued at his haÌ„des and that no man could be faithfull to him whom he feared The kyng suffring the thing rather then geuing his coÌ„sent to the matter Meleager toke his silence for a commaundement and sent for Perdicas in the kynges name and they whiche were sent had commission to kyll hym if he made any sticking to come with them Perdicas hearing of their comming accompanied only with .xvi. yonge men that were of Alexanders guarde mette them at the entrey of the house and callyng them Meleagers slaues rebuked them with suche a constancy both of mynde and countenaunce that they returned back agayne as men amased Perdicas wylled suche as were in his company to leape on horsebacke and so with a fewe of hys frendes came vnto Leonatus mynding if any violence were moued againste hym to repulce it with a greater force The next daye the Macedons grudged and thought it a matter vnworthy that Perdicas after this maner should be brought in daunger of death and therfore determined with force to reuenge the rashenes of Meleagers doynges But he vnderstanding the mutyne that was amonges the souldiers gaue place and they repayred vnto the kyng demaundyng of hym if he had coÌ„maunded Perdicas to be taken He coÌ„fessed he had so done but that was by Meleagers mocion whiche was no cause he sayde for them to make any storre seing that Perdicas was alyue The assemble hereupon brake vp and Meleager became greatly afrayed specially by the parting of the horsemen so that he wiste not what to do for he sawe the mischief whiche he a little before had wrought against his enemy lyke to light vpoÌ„ him selfe and whyles he deuysed this and that three dayes were consumed The wonted fourme and faâ—â—on of the courte dyd remayne in the meane season For the Embassadours of diuers nacions made repaire vnto the kyng the captaines of the army did assemble about him and the guard wayted in armour as they were accustomed But the great sadnes that was there without any apparant cause signified some extreame dispaire There was suche a suspicion amonges them selues that men durst not company togethers nor speake one to another but stode imagening secretly with them selues and by comparing the time present with the tyme past and the new kyng with the olde they began to desire hym that was gone