Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/190

 J54 ALEXANDER; duce this city. The vexation of Alexander, at being un feafonably detained by this obftinacy of the Tyrians, occa- fioned a mighty deftru&ion and carnage j and the cruelty he Died. Arr. exercifed here is quite inexorable. After befieging and Cuit. Plut. ta i c j n g Gaza, he went to Jerufalem, where he was received by the high prieft ; and, making many prefents to the Jews, l"a- crificed in their temple. He told Jadduas, for that was the prieft's name, that he had feen in Macedonia a god, in ap- pearance exactly relembling him, who had exhorted him to this expedition againft the Periians, and given him the firmed jokpfcus, ^ affurance of fuccefs. Afterwards, entering jEg> pt, he went to - J:b. u, c. 2,^ orac ] e of Jupiter Ammon, and upon his return built the city of Alexandria. It was now that he took it into his head to a flu me divinity, and to pretend himfelf the foa of the faid Jupiter Ammon, for which his mother Olympias would Sometimes rally him not unpleafantly : " Pray," (he would fay, ' ceafe to be called the ion of Jupiter; you will certainly embroil me in quarrels xvith Juno." Policy, however, was at the bottom of this : it was impoflible that any fuch belief fhould be really rooted in his breaft; but he found by experience that this opinion inclined the barbarous nations to fubmit to him ; and therefore he was content to pafs for a god, and to admit (as he did) of divine adoration. So far, indeed, was he from believing this of himfelf, that he ufed among his friends to make a jeft of it. Thus afterwards, when he was bleeding from a wound he had received, " See here," fays he, " this is your true genuine blood, and " not that t%w/3, or thin fine liquor, which iflues, according " to Homer, from the wounds of the immortals." Nay, even his friends did ibmetimes make free with this opinion, which fhews that he did not hold it facred : for once, when it thundered horridly loud, and fomewhat terrified the com- pany, the philofopher Anaxarchus, who was prefent, faid to Alexander, " And when will you, fon of Jupiter, do the " like ?" " Oh," fays Alexander, I would not frighten my " friends." His objed now was to overtake and attack Darius in ano- ther battle; and this battle was fought at Arbela, when vic- tory, granting every thing to Alexander, put an end to the Perfran empire. Darius had offered his daughter in mar- riage, and part of his dominions to Alexander, and Parmenio advifed him to accept the terms: " I would," fays he, " if I " was Alexander ;" *' and fo would I," replied the con- queror, " if I was Parmenio." The fame Parmenio, coun- Idling the prince to take the advantage of the night in attack