Alexander having crossed the Hellespont w ith his army of heroes, marched to Ilium, where lie offered sacrifices to the manes of the Grecian captains who fell in the Trojan war, and particularly to Achilles, whom he declared to be the most fortunate of men, in having Patroclus for a friend, and flower for a panegyrist. In the mean time, Darius's generals prepared to oppose his progress with an army of 100,000 lbot and 20,000 horse. For this purpose they took an advantageous position on the banks of the river Granicus, which Alexander had to pass before he could reach them. The most experienced of his officers were apprehensive of the depth of the stream; and Parmenio, in particular, remonstrated against attempting a passage late in the day, which appeared to be the king's design; to which Alexander replied, "the Hellespont would blush, if, after having crossed it, I should be afraid of the Grani cus." At the same time he threw himself into the river with 13 troops of horse ; and advanced in the face of the enemy, who were waiting for him on the opposite bank. Here an obstinate engagement took place; and Alexan der was in imminent danger before his infantry could get up to support him. He was attacked by two Per sian officers ofdistinction, at the same time, one of whom had nearly cleft his head with a battle-ax, and was go ing to repeat the blow, when Clitus prevented him by running him through the body with a spear. As soon as the infantry passed the river, the enemy instantly turned their backs, and were pursued with great slaugh ter. According to Plutarch, the Persians lost in this engagement 20,000 foot, and upwards of 2000 horse; whilst Alexander lost in all only 34 men. This is almost incredible : although it is said, that Q. Metellus, a long time afterwards, removed from Dio, in Macedo nia, to Rome, the statues of brass which Alexander ordered to be erected to the heroes who fell at the Granicus.
The consequences of this victory were of the utmost importance to Alexander. It put him in possession of Sardis, the capital of Lydia, and all the riches which it contained ; which proved a very seasonable supply to his slender resources. After having besieged and ta ken Al iletus, Halicarnassus, and sonic other places of importance, which put him in possession of the greater part of Lesser Asia, he granted permission to all the new-married soldiers to return and spend the winter with their wives in Macedonia: a concession so very unusual, that it has generally been thought that he adopted it from the Jews, who enjoyed this indulgence by a particular injunction in their law. (Deet.xxiv. 5.) The next campaign was opened early in the spring ; and Alexander having quickly overrun Paphlagonia and Cappadocia, advanced by rapid marches into Cili cia. Being arrived at Tarsus, and excessively fatigued by the march, he threw himself into the river Cydnus, «hich runs through the town, and was immediately with a dangerous distemper. This threw the army into the utmost confusion, for the Persians were ad zincing fast upon them with an army, it is said, of 600,000 men. He was cured by the skill of Philip his physi
ian ; whom Alexander made no hesitation in trusting, though he had been assured that he was bribed to poi son him. But he declared, that in his circumstances a speedy death was better than a slow recovery. His confidence in his physician was not misplaced, for in three days he was able to present himself to his army. Ile immediately advanced to meet Darius, who was so infatuated as to leave the open country where his im mense army could have acted with effect, and to advance the narrow defiles of Cilicia. The reason which induced him to adopt this conduct was, as he himself declares, lest the Greeks, if admitted into the champaign country, should have an opportunity of running away. The two armies passed each other in the night; and Alexander was so much surprised when he was told that Darius was behind him, that lie would scarcely be lieve it. As soon, however, as he was convinced of its truth, lie immediately began to repass the mountains. Darius had also turned back, on finding that he had missed his enemy : and both armies met at Issus. Here a terrible engagement took place. Darius, from the nature of the place, derived no advantage from the su periority of numbers; on the contrary, they served only to trample one another to death, after the foremost ranks had been repulsed by the firmness of the Macedo nian phalanx. The carnage therefore was dreadful; for, according to Plutarch, 110,000, and according to Diodorus Siculus, 130,000 of the Persians fell in this engagement. The tent of Darius, his mother, wife, and two daughters, fell into the hands of Alexander, who treated the royal captives with the utmost respect, and did every thing in his power to alleviate their suf ferings. Alexander made the best use of his victory; and proceeded to make himself master of all the sea coast, that lie might defeat the operations of the Per sians, who were still powerful by sea. The Tyrians, amongst others, had sent deputies, after the battle of Issus, to make their submission to the conqueror. But they refused to admit him into their city, though he pro fessed to enter it only for the purpose of sacrificing to the Tyrian Hercules. Alexander was so much exas perated by this refusal, that he resolved on the reduc tion of the place before lie proceeded farther. This he accomplished after a siege of seven months, and after he had, with immense labour, joined the island on which Tyre stood, with the main land, by means of a causeway. On this occasion he exercised a piece of wanton cruelty, altogether unworthy of a great conqueror. For, besides all those who were put to the sword, or sold for slaves, lie ordered 2000 to be crucified, pretending that the Tyrians were descended from a race of slaves, who had formerly put their masters to death, and taken posses sion of the place.