Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/109

 TARDINESS OF DARIUS. 77 to the youtltful Alexander.* Conceiving the danger from Mace- donia to be past, he imprudently slackened his eftbrts and with- held his supplies during the first months of Alexander's reign, Avhen the latter might have been seriously embarrassed in Greece and in Europe by the effective employment of Persian ships and money. But the recent successes of Alexander in Thrace, Illyria, and Boeotia, satisfied Darius that the danger was not past, so that he resumed his preparations for defence. The Phenician fleet was ordered to be equipped: the satraps in Phrygia and Lydia got together a considerable force, consisting in part of Grecian mercenaries ; while Memnon, on the sea- board, was furnished with the means of taking 5000 of these mercenaries under his separate command.'^ We cannot trace with any exactness the course of these events, during the nineteen months between Alexander's accession and his landing in Asia (August 336 b. c, to March or April 334 k. C.) We learn generally that Memnon was active and even ag- gressive on the north-eastern coast of the JEgean. Marching northward from his own territory (the region of Assus or Atar- neus skirting the Gulf of Adramyttium^) across the range of Mount Ida, he came suddenly upon the town of Kyzikus on the Propontis. He failed, however, though only by a little, in his attempt to surprise it, and was forced to content himself with a rich booty from the district around.* The Macedonian gener/Iii Pai-menio and Kallas had crossed into Asia with bodies of troc/n. Parmenio, acting in -3i^olis, took Grynium, but was compelled Ly Memnon to raise the siege of Pitane ; while Kallas, in hu Troad, was attacked, defeated, and compelled to retire to Ehoete • ium.^ We thus see that during the season preceding the landing ol Alexander, the Persians were in considerable force, and Mem- ' Anian, ii. 14, 11. '^ Diodor. xvii. 7. ^ Diodor. xvii. 7 : compare Arrian, i. 17, 9. e-rri t?/v x<^P"-v f'lv Mejivovoq inenipEv — which doubtless means this region, conquered by Mentor from Ilermeias of Atarneus. •♦ Diodor. xvii. 7 ; Polyoenus, v. 34, 5. ' Diodor. xvii. 7. We read also of military opcraiions near JTagnesia between Parmenio and Memnon (Polyaenus, v. 34, 4). 7*