Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/121

 EFFECTS OF ALEXANDER'S VICTORY. 89 killed two of these grandees with his own hand. Such exploits, impressive even when we read of them now, must at the moment when they occurred have acted most powerfully upon the imag- ination of contemporaries. Several of the neighboring Mysian mountaineers, though mu- tinous subjects towards Persia, came down to make submiss^ion to him, and were permitted to occupy their lands under the same tribute as they had paid before. The inhabitants of the neigh- boring Grecian city of Zeleia, whose troops had served with the Persians, surrendered and obtained their pardon ; Alexander ad- mitting the plea that they had served only under constraint. He then sent Parmenio to attack Daskylium, the stronghold and chief residence of the satrap of Phrygia. Even this place was evacuated by the garrison and surrendered, doubtless with a con- siderable treasure therein. The whole satrapy of Phrygia thus fell into Alexander's power, and was appointed to be adminis- tered by Kallas for his behalf, levying the same amount of tri- bute as had been paid before.^ He himself then marched, with his main force, in a southerly direction towards Sardis — the chief town of Lydia, and the main station of the Persians in Asia Minor. The citadel of Sardis — situated on a lofty and steep rock projecting from Mount Tmolus, fortified by a triple wall with an adequate garrison — was accounted impregnable, and at any rate could hardly have been taken by anything less than a long blockade," which would have allowed time for the arrival of the fleet and the operations of Memnon. Yet such was the terror which now accompanied the Macedonian conqueror, that when he arrived within eight miles of Sardis, he met not only a depu- tation of the chief citizens, but also the Persian governor of the citadel, Mithrines. The town, citadel, garrison, and treasure u^ere delivered up to liim without a blow. Fortunately for Alexander, there were not in Asia any Persian governors of courage and fidelity such as had been displayed by Maskames ' Anian, i, 17, 1, 2. Polybius, vii. 15-18 ; Herod, i. 81. It held out for nearly two years against Antiochus III. (b. c. 216), and was taken at last only by the extreme care iessness of the defenders ; even then, the citadel was still held. 8*
 * About the almost impregnable fortifications and position of Sardis, see