alexander-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　who　were　in　continual　fear　and　dejection　until　they　saw　him　abroad　again。　　　There　was　at　this　time　in　Darius's　army　a　Macedonian　refugee；　named　Amyntas；　one　who　was　pretty　well　acquainted　with　Alexander's　character。　This　man；　when　he　saw　Darius　intended　to　fall　upon　the　enemy　in　the　passes　and　defiles；　advised　him　earnestly　to　keep　where　he　was；　in　the　open　and　extensive　plains；　it　being　the　advantage　of　a　numerous　army　to　have　field…room　enough　when　it　engaged　with　a　lesser　force。　Darius；　instead　of　taking　his　counsel；　told　him　he　was　afraid　the　enemy　would　endeavour　to　run　away；　and　so　Alexander　would　escape　out　of　his　hands。　〃That　fear；〃　replied　Amyntas；　〃is　needless；　for　assure　yourself　that　far　from　avoiding　you；　he　will　make　all　the　speed　he　can　to　meet　you；　and　is　now　most　likely　on　his　march　toward　you。〃　But　Amyntas's　counsel　was　to　no　purpose；　for　Darius　immediately　decamping；　marched　into　Cilicia　at　the　same　time　that　Alexander　advanced　into　Syria　to　meet　him；　and　missing　one　another　in　the　night；　they　both　turned　back　again。　Alexander；　greatly　pleased　with　the　event；　made　all　the　haste　he　could　to　fight　in　the　defiles；　and　Darius　to　recover　his　former　ground；　and　draw　his　army　out　of　so　disadvantageous　a　place。　For　now　he　began　to　perceive　his　error　in　engaging　himself　too　far　in　a　country　in　which　the　sea；　the　mountains；　and　the　river　Pinarus　running　through　the　midst　of　it；　would　necessitate　him　to　divide　his　forces；　render　his　horse　almost　unserviceable；　and　only　cover　and　support　the　weakness　of　the　enemy。　Fortune　was　not　kinder　to　Alexander　in　the　choice　of　the　ground；　than　he　was　careful　to　improve　it　to　his　advantage。　For　being　much　inferior　in　numbers；　so　far　from　allowing　himself　to　be　outflanked；　he　stretched　his　right　wing　much　further　out　than　the　left　wing　of　his　enemies；　and　fighting　there　himself　in　the　very　foremost　ranks；　put　the　barbarians　to　flight。　In　this　battle　he　was　wounded　in　the　thigh；　Chares　says；　by　Darius；　with　whom　he　fought　hand…to…hand。　But　in　the　account　which　he　gave　Antipater　of　the　battle；　though　indeed　he　owns　he　was　wounded　in　the　thigh　with　a　sword；　though　not　dangerously；　yet　he　takes　no　notice　who　it　was　that　wounded　him。　　　Nothing　was　wanting　to　complete　this　victory；　in　which　he　overthrew　above　an　hundred　and　ten　thousand　of　his　enemies；　but　the　taking　the　person　of　Darius；　who　escaped　very　narrowly　by　flight。　However；　having　taken　his　chariot　and　his　bow；　he　returned　from　pursuing　him；　and　found　his　own　men　busy　in　pillaging　the　barbarians'　camp；　which　（though　to　disburden　themselves　they　had　left　most　of　their　baggage　at　Damascus）　was　exceedingly　rich。　But　Darius's　tent；　which　was　full　of　splendid　furniture　and　quantities　of　gold　and　silver；　they　reserved　for　Alexander　himself；　who；　after　he　had　put　off　his　arms；　went　to　bathe　himself　saying；　〃Let　us　now　cleanse　ourselves　from　the　toils　of　war　in　the　bath　of　Darius。〃　〃Not　so；〃　replied　one　of　his　followers；　〃but　in　Alexander's　rather；　for　the　property　of　the　conquered　is　and　should　be　called　the　conqueror's。〃　Here；　when　he　beheld　the　bathing　vessels；　the　water…pots；　the　pans；　and　the　ointment　boxes；　all　of　gold　curiously　wrought；　and　smelt　the　fragrant　odours　with　which　the　whole　place　was　exquisitely　perfumed；　and　from　thence　passed　into　a　pavilion　of　great　size　and　height；　where　the　couches　and　tables　and　preparations　for　an　entertainment　were　perfectly　magnificent；　he　turned　to　those　about　him　and　said；　〃This；　it　seems；　is　royalty。〃　　　But　as　he　was　going　to　supper；　word　was　brought　him　that　Darius's　mother　and　wife　and　two　unmarried　daughters；　being　taken　among　the　rest　of　the　prisoners；　upon　the　sight　of　his　chariot　and　bow；　were　all　in　mourning　and　sorrow；　imagining　him　to　be　dead。　After　a　little　pause；　more　lively　affected　with　their　affliction　than　with　his　own　success；　he　sent　Leonnatus　to　them；　to　let　them　know　Darius　was　not　dead；　and　that　they　need　not　fear　any　harm　from　Alexander；　who　made　war　upon　him　only　for　dominion；　they　should　themselves　be　provided　with　everything　they　had　been　used　to　receive　from　Darius。　This　kind　message　could　not　but　be　very　welcome　to　the　captive　ladies；　especially　being　made　good　by　actions　no　less　humane　and　generous。　For　he　gave　them　leave　to　bury　whom　they　pleased　of　the　Persians；　and　to　make　use　for　this　purpose　of　what　garments　and　furniture　they　thought　fit　out　of　the　booty。　He　diminished　nothing　of　their　equipage；　or　of　the　attentions　and　respect　formerly　paid　them；　and　allowed　larger　pensions　for　their　maintenance　than　they　had　before。　But　the　noblest　and　most　royal　part　of　their　usage　was；　that　he　treated　these　illustrious　prisoners　according　to　their　virtue　and　character；　not　suffering　them　to　hear；　or　receive；　or　so　much　as　to　apprehend　anything　that　was　unbecoming。　So　that　they　seemed　rather　lodged　in　some　temple；　or　some　holy　virgin　chambers；　where　they　enjoyed　their　privacy　sacred　and　uninterrupted；　than　in　the　camp　of　an　enemy。　Nevertheless　Darius's　wife　was　accounted　the　most　beautiful　princess　then　living；　as　her　husband　the　tallest　and　handsomest　man　of　his　time；　and　the　daughters　were　not　unworthy　of　their　parents。　But　Alexander；　esteeming　it　more　kingly　to　govern　himself　than　to　conquer　his　enemies；　sought　no　intimacy　with　any　one　of　them；　nor　indeed　with　any　other　women　before　marriage；　except　Barsine；　Memnon's　widow；　who　was　taken　prisoner　at　Damascus。　She　had　been　instructed　in　the　Grecian　learning；　was　of　a　gentle　temper；　and　by　her　father；　Artabazus；　royally　descended；　with　good　qualities；　added　to　the　solicitations　and　encouragement　of　Parmenio；　as　Aristobulus　tells　us；　made　him　the　more　willing　to　attach　himself　to　so　agreeable　and　illustrious　a　woman。　Of　the　rest　of　the　female　captives；　though　remarkably　handsome　and　well　proportioned；　he　took　no　further　notice　than　to　say　jestingly　that　Persian　women　were　terrible　eyesores。　And　he　himself；　retaliating；　as　it　were；　by　the　display　of　the　beauty　of　his　own　temperance　and　self…control；　bade　them　be　removed；　as　he　would　have　done　so　many　lifeless　images。　When　Philoxenus；　his　lieutenant　on　the　sea…coast；　wrote　to　him　to　know　if　he　would　buy　two　young　boys　of　great　beauty；　whom　one　Theodorus；　a　Tarentine；　had　to　sell；　he　was　so　offended　that　he　often　expostulated　with　his　friends　what　baseness　Philoxenus　had　ever　observed　in　him　that　he　should　presume　to　make　him　such　a　reproachful　offer。　And　he　immediately　wrote　him　a　very　sharp　letter；　telling　him　Theodorus　and　his　merchandise　might　go　with　his　good…will　to　destruction。　Nor　was　he　less　severe　to　Hagnon；　who　sent　him　word　he　would　buy　a　Corinthian　youth　named　Crobylus；　as　a　present　for　him。　And　hearing　that　Damon　and　Timotheus；　two　of　Parmenio's　Macedonian　soldiers；　had　abused　the　wives　of　some　strangers　who　were　in　his　pay；　he　wrote　to　Parmenio；　charging　him　strictly；　if　he　found　them　guilty；　to　put　them　to　death；　as　wild　beasts　that　were　only　made　for　the　mischief　of　mankind。　In　the　same　letter　he　added；　that　he　had　not　so　much　as　seen　or　desired　to　see　the　wife　of　Darius；　nor　suffered　anybody　to　speak　of　her　beauty　before　him。　He　was　wont　to　say　that　sleep　and　the　act　of　generation　chiefly　made　him　sensible　that　he　was　mortal；　as　much　as　to　say；　that　wearine