alexander-第12章

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e　to　do　but　to　fight　gallantly　and　die　with　honour。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　put　on　his　helmet；　having　the　rest　of　his　arms　on　before　he　came　out　of　his　tent；　which　were　a　coat　of　the　Sicilian　make；　girt　close　about　him；　and　over　that　a　breast…piece　of　thickly　quilted　linen；　which　was　taken　among　other　booty　at　the　battle　of　Issus。　The　helmet；　which　was　made　by　Theophilus；　though　of　iron；　was　so　well　wrought　and　polished　that　it　was　as　bright　as　the　most　refined　silver。　To　this　was　fitted　a　gorget　of　the　same　metal；　set　with　precious　stones。　His　sword；　which　was　the　weapon　he　most　used　in　fight；　was　given　him　by　the　King　of　the　Citieans；　and　was　of　an　admirable　temper　and　lightness。　The　belt　which　he　also　wore　in　all　engagements　was　of　much　richer　workmanship　than　the　rest　of　his　armour。　It　was　a　work　of　the　ancient　Helicon；　and　had　been　presented　to　him　by　the　Rhodians；　as　a　mark　of　their　respect　to　him。　So　long　as　he　was　engaged　in　drawing　up　his　men；　or　riding　about　to　give　orders　or　directions；　or　to　view　them；　he　spared　Bucephalus；　who　was　now　growing　old；　and　made　use　of　another　horse；　but　when　he　was　actually　to　fight；　he　sent　for　him　again；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　mounted；　commenced　the　attack。　　　He　made　the　longest　address　that　day　to　the　Thessalians　and　other　Greeks；　who　answered　him　with　loud　shouts；　desiring　him　to　lead　them　on　against　the　barbarians；　upon　which　he　shifted　his　javelin　into　his　left　hand；　and　with　his　right　lifted　up　towards　heaven；　besought　the　gods；　as　Callisthenes　tells　us；　that　if　he　was　of　a　truth　the　son　of　Jupiter；　they　would　be　pleased　to　assist　and　strengthen　the　Grecians。　At　the　same　time　the　augur　Aristander；　who　had　a　white　mantle　about　him；　and　a　crown　of　gold　on　his　head；　rode　by　and　showed　them　an　eagle　that　soared　just　over　Alexander；　and　directed　his　flight　towards　the　enemy；　which　so　animated　the　beholders；　that　after　mutual　encouragements　and　exhortations；　the　horse　charged　at　full　speed；　and　were　followed　in　a　mass　by　the　whole　phalanx　of　the　foot。　But　before　they　could　well　come　to　blows　with　the　first　ranks；　the　barbarians　shrunk　back；　and　were　hotly　pursued　by　Alexander；　who　drove　those　that　fled　before　him　into　the　middle　of　the　battle；　where　Darius　himself　was　in　person；　whom　he　saw　from　a　distance　over　the　foremost　ranks；　conspicuous　in　the　midst　of　his　life…guard；　a　tall　and　fine…looking　man；　drawn　in　a　lofty　chariot；　defended　by　an　abundance　of　the　best　horse；　who　stood　close　in　order　about　it　ready　to　receive　the　enemy。　But　Alexander's　approach　was　so　terrible；　forcing　those　who　gave　back　upon　those　who　yet　maintained　their　ground；　that　he　beat　down　and　dispersed　them　almost　all。　Only　a　few　of　the　bravest　and　valiantest　opposed　the　pursuit；　who　were　slain　in　their　king's　presence；　falling　in　heaps　upon　one　another；　and　in　the　very　pangs　of　death　striving　to　catch　hold　of　the　horses。　Darius　now　seeing　all　was　lost；　that　those　who　were　placed　in　front　to　defend　him　were　broken　and　beat　back　upon　him；　that　he　could　not　turn　or　disengage　his　chariot　without　great　difficulty；　the　wheels　being　clogged　and　entangled　among　the　dead　bodies；　which　lay　in　such　heaps　as　not　only　stopped；　but　almost　covered　the　horses；　and　made　them　rear　and　grow　so　unruly　that　the　frightened　charioteer　could　govern　them　no　longer；　in　this　extremity　was　glad　to　quit　his　chariot　and　his　arms；　and　mounting；　it　is　said；　upon　a　mare　that　had　been　taken　from　her　foal；　betook　himself　to　flight。　But　he　had　not　escaped　so　either；　if　Parmenio　had　not　sent　fresh　messengers　to　Alexander；　to　desire　him　to　return　and　assist　him　against　a　considerable　body　of　the　enemy　which　yet　stood　together；　and　would　not　give　ground。　For；　indeed；　Parmenio　is　on　all　hands　accused　of　having　been　sluggish　and　unserviceable　in　this　battle；　whether　age　had　impaired　his　courage；　or　that；　as　Callisthenes　says；　he　secretly　disliked　and　envied　Alexander's　growing　greatness。　Alexander；　though　he　was　not　a　little　vexed　to　be　so　recalled　and　hindered　from　pursuing　his　victory；　yet　concealed　the　true　reason　from　his　men；　and　causing　a　retreat　to　be　sounded；　as　if　it　were　too　late　to　continue　the　execution　any　longer；　marched　back　towards　the　place　of　danger；　and　by　the　way　met　the　news　of　the　enemy's　total　overthrow　and　flight。　　　This　battle　being　thus　over；　seemed　to　put　a　period　to　the　Persian　empire；　and　Alexander；　who　was　now　proclaimed　King　of　Asia；　returned　thanks　to　the　gods　in　magnificent　sacrifices；　and　rewarded　his　friends　and　followers　with　great　sums　of　money；　and　places；　and　governments　of　provinces。　Eager　to　gain　honour　with　the　Grecians；　he　wrote　to　them　that　he　would　have　all　tyrannies　abolished；　that　they　might　live　free　according　to　their　own　laws；　and　specially　to　the　Plataeans；　that　their　city　should　be　rebuilt；　because　their　ancestors　had　permitted　their　countrymen　of　old　to　make　their　territory　the　seat　of　the　war　when　they　fought　with　the　barbarians　for　their　common　liberty。　He　sent　also　part　of　the　spoils　into　Italy；　to　the　Crotoniats；　to　honour　the　zeal　and　courage　of　their　citizen　Phayllus；　the　wrestler；　who；　in　the　Median　war；　when　the　other　Grecian　colonies　in　Italy　disowned　Greece；　that　he　might　have　a　share　in　the　danger；　joined　the　fleet　at　Salamis；　with　a　vessel　set　forth　at　his　own　charge。　So　affectionate　was　Alexander　to　all　kind　of　virtue；　and　so　desirous　to　preserve　the　memory　of　laudable　actions。　　　From　hence　he　marched　through　the　province　of　Babylon；　which　immediately　submitted　to　him；　and　in　Ecbatana　was　much　surprised　at　the　sight　of　the　place　where　fire　issues　in　a　continuous　stream；　like　a　spring　of　water；　out　of　a　cleft　in　the　earth；　and　the　stream　of　naphtha；　which；　not　far　from　this　spot；　flows　out　so　abundantly　as　to　form　a　sort　of　lake。　This　naphtha；　in　other　respects　resembling　bitumen；　is　so　subject　to　take　fire；　that　before　it　touches　the　flame　it　will　kindle　at　the　very　light　that　surrounds　it；　and　often　inflame　the　intermediate　air　also。　The　barbarians；　to　show　the　power　and　nature　of　it；　sprinkled　the　street　that　led　to　the　king's　lodgings　with　little　drops　of　it；　and　when　it　was　almost　night；　stood　at　the　further　end　with　torches；　which　being　applied　to　the　moistened　places；　the　first　at　once　taking　fire；　instantly；　as　quick　as　a　man　could　think　of　it；　it　caught　from　one　end　to　another；　in　such　a　manner　that　the　whole　street　was　one　continued　flame。　Among　those　who　used　to　wait　on　the　king　and　find　occasion　to　amuse　him　when　he　anointed　and　washed　himself　there　was　one　Athenophanes；　an　Athenian；　who　desired　him　to　make　an　experiment　of　the　naphtha　upon　Stephanus；　who　stood　by　in　the　bathing　place；　a　youth　with　a　ridiculously　ugly　face；　whose　talent　was　singing　well；　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃if　it　take　hold　of　him　and　is　not　put　out；　it　must　undeniably　be　allowed　to　be　of　the　most　invincible　strength。〃　The　youth；　as　it　happened；　readily　consented　to　undergo　the　trial；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　anointed　and　rubbed　with　it；　his　whole　body　broke　out　into　such　a　flame；　and　was　so　seized　by　the　fire；　that　Alexander　was　in　the　greatest　perplexity　and　alarm　for　him；　and　not　without　reason；　for　nothing　could　have　prevented　his　being　consumed　by　it；　if　by　good　chance　there　had　not　been　people　at　hand　with　a　grea